Dr Paul Allen

The longer you fight against your sin, the more temptations you may face to no longer fight so hard. Once, perhaps, your zeal burned, your spiritual blood boiled. But as months passed and years passed, desires for a more comfortable Christianity were somehow wedged beneath your armour. Paul talks of killing sin and starving sin (Romans 8:13; 13:14), but you have begun to wonder whether a less decisive, more long-term approach may work just as well. Jesus speaks of tearing out an eye and cutting off a hand (Matthew 5:29) — you theoretically agree but, if honest, can hardly imagine self-denial so extreme. You may have once found relish in the righteous ferocity of a man like John Owen, who wrote of walking “over the bellies of his lusts” (Works, 6:14). But some time has passed since your boots have trampled your lusts. And as another Puritan once put it, you may feel tempted to speak of your sins as Lot did of Zoar: “Is it, not a little one?” (Genesis 19:20). Time makes way for many litt...

The exhortation to "abide" has been frequently misunderstood, as though it were a special, mystical, and indefinable experience. But Jesus makes clear that it actually involves a number of concrete realities. First, union with our Lord depends on His grace . Of course we are actively and personally united to Christ by faith (John 14:12). But faith itself is rooted in the activity of God. It is the Father who, as the divine Gardener, has grafted us into Christ. It is Christ, by His Word, who has cleansed us to fit us for union with Himself (15:3). All is sovereign, all is of grace. Second, union with Christ means being obedient to Him. Abiding involves our response to the teaching of Jesus: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you …" (John 15:7a). Paul echoes this idea in Colossians 3:16, where he writes, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly," a statement closely related to his parallel exhortation in Ephesians 5:18: "be filled ...

One way to clarify the meaning of a Christian act is to take note of how much of the act the devil can do. So, for example, when clarifying what it means to have saving faith, James says, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe — and shudder!” (James 2:19). In other words, saving faith has to be more than what the demons can do. So, take note of that, and find out what it is that they can do. Never settle for a definition of “faith” that requires only what the devil can do. The Exegetical Devil-Principle There is an exegetical principle here that is useful in numerous biblical contexts. The principle is: when you are seeking to discern the meaning of a biblical duty, ask how much of the duty the devil can perform; take note of that, and don’t equate the biblical duty with what the devil can do. Every Christian duty taught in the Bible involves more than what the devil can do. In 1 Corinthians 12:3 Paul says, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ exce...

The exhortation to “abide” has been frequently misunderstood, as though it were a special, mystical, and indefinable experience. But Jesus makes clear that it actually involves a number of concrete realities. First, union with our Lord depends on His grace. Of course we are actively and personally united to Christ by faith ( John 14:12 ). But faith itself is rooted in the activity of God. It is the Father who, as the divine Gardener, has grafted us into Christ. It is Christ, by His Word, who has cleansed us to fit us for union with Himself (15:3). All is sovereign, all is of grace. Second, union with Christ means being obedient to Him . Abiding involves our response to the teaching of Jesus: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you …” ( John 15:7a ). Paul echoes this idea in Colossians 3:16 , where he writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,” a statement closely related to his parallel exhortation in Ephesians 5:18 : “be filled with the Spirit.” In a nutshell, abi...

Every person in the world wants to know what will make him or her happy. We’re all desperately seeking for the person, place, or thing that will meet our expectations, needs, and wants. What will truly satisfy the desires of our heart? As children, we thought it might be that bag of potato chips we begged our parents for at the store or that new bike, video game, or doll we wanted for Christmas. We thought they would make us happy. But they didn’t. As teenagers, we sought satisfaction in good grades, athletic accomplishments, a car, or in a significant other. But all of it left us discontent. As adults, we think that a bigger house, more (or less) children, or a better job will quench our thirst. But we’re still left wanting more. These lyrics from  S.O.’s  new single resonate with all of us: How it feel like, chasing the wind hommie? Don’t we do it all the time? We never chase God but think that the women or the money will forever satisfy. That ain’t what we were...

The exhortation to "abide" has been frequently misunderstood, as though it were a special, mystical, and indefinable experience. But Jesus makes clear that it actually involves a number of concrete realities. First, union with our Lord depends on His grace . Of course we are actively and personally united to Christ by faith (John 14:12). But faith itself is rooted in the activity of God. It is the Father who, as the divine Gardener, has grafted us into Christ. It is Christ, by His Word, who has cleansed us to fit us for union with Himself (15:3). All is sovereign, all is of grace. Second, union with Christ means being obedient to Him . Abiding involves our response to the teaching of Jesus: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you …" (John 15:7a). Paul echoes this idea in Colossians 3:16, where he writes, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly," a statement closely related to his parallel exhortation in Ephesians 5:18: "be filled with ...

“And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” ( Ephesians 3:19 ) The love of Jesus has been our theme these last two days, following the insightful hymn “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus.” And deep it is, as many Scriptures attest. O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best! ’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest! O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heav’n of heav’ns to me; And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!The depth of His sacrificial love for us transcends knowledge. His love for us overwhelms any love we have for Him or for one another. His nature of true love drives His love for us, even though we are quite unlovely, for “God is love” ( 1 John 4:8 ). Our response? “We love him, because he first loved us” ( 1 John 4:19 ). Romans 8 lists many aspects of the loving work He has done and is still doing for us. We are fully covered by His love. It asks,...

 Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). Wikipedia ) “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4). While Jesus speaks about several things in this metaphor, there is one main lesson on which we must focus; just as a vine-offshoot bears fruit only when it abides in the vine, so also believers will bear spiritual fruit only when they abide in Christ . Summarizing this precept is the verse, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” The inability of man is stressed here. We can do nothing spiritually valid of our own accord. Unless we are part of the Living Vine, we are like fallen branches, dead and rotting in the shadow of branches that bear fruit in season. Such imagery would have held much significance for the disciples because the Old Testament us...