Dr Paul Allen

“Unto the church of God which is at Corinth , to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus , called to be saints , with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their’s and our’s.” ( 1 Corinthians 1:2 ) This salutation to those “called saints” at Corinth (the words “to be” are not in the original) makes it clear that all who “in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord” are the saints of God. The word “saint” means “one who is sanctified” or “set apart,” having been called to serve the Lord. That service is varied, and many striking figures of speech are used in the Bible to describe it. In the first place, the saints are “witnesses unto me” ( Acts 1:8 ) and, therefore, “ambassadors for Christ” ( 2 Corinthians5:20 ). The words and deeds of believers are to serve as an actual Bible to those who may not read God’s Word. “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but w...

As I’ve talked to people of other religions, it has dawned on me that most if not all of them teach that everyone is a child of God . Whether you are Muslim and teach that all children are born Muslim but then are led away by the devil, or whether you are Mormon, and teach that everyone on earth existed previously as a spirit child of God, most religions agree that people are born children of God except Christianity. Over the last year or so, I’ve noticed that many Christians mistakenly agree with these false religions. The Bible is very clear that this is not so . There are many passages that teach that one must become a child of God at some point in their life, and there are four main ones that come to mind that we must look at to understand this. John 1:12-13 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God . John ...

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows a vertical section focusing on Jesus. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” M...

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) - The Flagellation of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1880) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) 2 Timothy 3:14-17 :  You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. Timothy already knows and believes these things. So why does Paul rehearse them? Paul reminds Timothy of this truth in order 1) to encourage Timothy to endure in his ministry, and 2) to help Timothy see how this truth applies to his life and to his ministry. These are truths that you already know. Why would I preach on them? Because you need to be encouraged, in the midst o...

Nativity from Duccio’s Maestá, 13th century, a compromise shed-within-a-cave (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Mention “ Christmas ” and “controversy” together in the same sentence, and most evangelicals will assume you’re talking about Santa Claus , Christmas trees, or the secularization of the winter holiday season. But, from a historical perspective, a much more significant controversy surrounded Christmas for the first five centuries of church history; and its effects still linger in some circles today. It centered on the very essence of Jesus’ birth – the doctrine of His incarnation. There is, of course, an element of mystery in the incarnation. After all, how can one person be both fully God and fully man at the same time? Yet, that is precisely the miraculous truth that the Scriptures affirm regarding the Person of Jesus Christ . Nonetheless, despite the clarity of biblical revelation, the doctrine of Christ ’s incarnation came under attack from the very beginning. The Ebionites,...

Why should I walk with God? 1. You are commanded to walk as Christ walked ; and it concerns you so to do, if you would approve yourself to be a member of his body: for it is monstrous, nay, impossible, that the head should go one way, and the body another. Now, our Saviour himself observed all these methods of walking with God, justifying faith and repentance only excepted, because he was without sin. 2. It is all which the Lord requireth of you, for all his love and goodness shown unto you, in creating, preserving, redeeming, and saving you. For what doth the Lord require of you, but to “do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” 3. If you walk with God, and keep close to him, you will be sure to go in the right way, in that good old way, which is called the way of holiness; in a most straight, most sure, and (to a spiritual man) most pleasant way, the paths of which are peace; the very happiness and rest of the soul. God teacheth his children to choos...

How do we distinguish the promptings of the Spirit of grace in His guiding and governing of our lives from the delusions of the spirit of the world and of our own sinful heart? This is a hugely important question if we are to be calm and confident that the spirit with whom we are communing really is the  Holy  Spirit. John Owen suggests four ways in which the Spirit and the serpent are to be distinguished: The leading of the Spirit, he says, is regular, that is, according to the  regulum : the rule of Scripture . The Spirit does not work in us to give us a new rule of life, but to help us understand and apply the rule contained in Scripture. Thus, the fundamental question to ask about any guidance will be: Is this course of action consistent with the Word of God ?  The commands of the Spirit are not grievous . They are in harmony with the Word, and the Word is in harmony with the believer as new creation. The Christian believer consciously submitted to the ...

English: fragment of the Gospel of Matthew (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 7:1 –6 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you” (vv. 1–2). This passage from the gospel of Matthew opens with probably the most misused text in our day. More often than not, any ethical evaluation the church makes is countered with “judge not,” as if Jesus tells His people not to make any judgments whatsoever. This misinterpretation of our Lord ’s teaching in Matthew 7:1–6 is employed by unbelievers and professing Christians  alike, and it contributes to the moral and doctrinal anarchy evident in our culture. However, Christ is most certainly not forbidding His people from issuing judgments altogether. In fact, Jesus in this same gospel orders us to discriminate between good and evil. We must differentiate those receptive to us from the dogs and the swine...

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 19:27–30 “Everyone who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life ” (v. 29). Often we think we should only follow Jesus because of His inherent worth and that to seek a reward from Him is entirely wrong. Christ ’s inherent goodness and beauty is, of course, enough to motivate discipleship ; however, it is not altogether improper to look for other blessings as well. In fact, Hebrews 11:6 says God is pleased when we believe “he rewards those who seek him.” This passage reinforces this understanding of serving Jesus in hopes of a reward. Jesus’ earlier promise of treasure in heaven to the rich young ruler (Matt. 19:21) probably moves Peter to ask what the disciples will gain from following Christ. The disciple is not rebuked for his question; on the contrary, Jesus says ...

Jesus with a royal purple robe mocked and beaten as the King of the Jews, John 19:2-3. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." ( John 20:21 ) For approximately three years the disciples had followed Jesus in His travels, had listened to His teaching, and participated in His ministry. They had forsaken "all, and followed him" ( Luke 5:11 ). They had seen Him ridiculed, opposed, oppressed, suffer deprivation, and be rejected by the religious leaders of the day, as well as by most of the common folk. They had watched while Judas , a trusted friend, had betrayed Him and then had fled when the Jewish leaders and a Roman guard arrested Him. This beloved leader, for whom they had had such great hopes and in whom they had placed such great trust, had then been scourged, beaten, spit upon, lied about, and nailed to a cruel cross to die in agony and abject oneliness, even abandoned ...