Dr Paul Allen

If you were a Jew, you understood that it doesn’t get any better than Moses. It’s all downhill after Moses. No one will outstrip Moses and what he has given to God’s people. What came before is always better because what came before is Moses. So what is Jesus saying through this sign? He’s not just performing some cheap parlour trick to impress his disciples. Nor is he simply showing them that he has power to do what he wants. No, this whole miracle is a parable of a deeper truth about who Jesus is and about how Jesus is going to defy Jewish expectation. They thought that the pinnacle was Moses. But Jesus is saying, “No, my Father has saved the very best for last, and it’s me. It’s me.” Do you remember what John the Apostle wrote in the Prologue? John 1:16-18, “16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace in place of grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who...

By Dave Mathis Lightning can be majestic. That is, from a safe distance. Or from a secure shelter that frees us from the threat of electrocution, and allows us to enjoy the spectacular show. The concept of majesty first brings to mind great sights, like distant lightning. Whether it’s a scenic vista of purple mountain majesties, the skyline of a great city, the dazzling beauty of gold or precious jewels, or the grandeur of a royal palace and its decorum, we typically associate the noun majesty, and its adjective majestic, with stunning glimpses, panoramas, and sights. Majesty captures a greatness, power, and glory that is both impressive and attractive. And as with lightning, what is majestic from a safe distance can be terrifying when right overhead, without shelter. And so it is when the living God showcases his majesty at the Red Sea — his enemies panic with fear (Exodus 14:24), while his people, whom he rescues, know themselves safe and praise his majesty: In the greatness of your ...

Serapion Sindonites was devout monk from the fourth century who memorised the Scriptures, practised great spiritual discipline, and—surprisingly—never wore clothes apart from a loincloth. According to his hagiographer, towards the end of his life, Serapion meets a pious virgin who lives in solitude. He asks her whether she is alive in Christ and thus dead to the world. She confirms this is the case, claiming that anyone who lives a life of solitude, like her, is dead to the flesh. To prove this, Serapion asks something astonishing of her: “Follow my example and take off all your clothes, put them on your shoulders, and go through the middle of the city with me leading the way in this fashion.” Horrified, she responds, “I should scandalize many by the unseemliness of the thing, and they would be able to say, ‘She is mad and possessed by a demon.’” He replied, “What does it concern you if they should say? … For you are dead to them” (Palladius,  Lausiac History , XXXVII.13-15). In a ...

In the presence of God, everything trembles. The earth trembles, according to Psalm 114:7: “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.” The psalmist trembles in Psalm 119:120: “My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments.” Indeed, the one who trembles at God’s word, that person catches God’s attention, according to what he tells us in Isaiah 66:2: “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” And in the New Testament, Paul calls us in Philippians 2:12 —Christians — to “work out” our salvation “with fear and trembling.” So why do Christians tremble?  Here’s Revelation 19:15: “From his mouth comes a sharp sword [now, this is describing Jesus at his second coming] with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.” Now, that last sentence is exceedingly ter...

He was 31 years old. Born in modern Algeria, from all accounts he had an ambitious streak that could border on ruthlessness. But it was matched by a probing intellect and a thirst for the reality that had the potential to unbalance him or even lead to perpetual disappointment. The combination had taken him to great cities and led him to inquire into world religions and philosophies. But now, barely into his thirties, he was on the verge of despair so extreme that one day, despite his pleasant surroundings, he could scarcely sit still or stem the flow of tears. And then he heard two Latin words — Tolle lege — that changed everything. At first, he thought the words must be part of a child’s game. But he knew no game that included the mantra “Take it and read it.” But by what John Calvin would later call “a secret instinct of the Spirit,” he reached out for the copy of the Scriptures that lay beside him. Opening it randomly — as people in antiquity did, hoping for divine direction — he re...

Growth in personal holiness is largely determined by our progress in self-discipline. Without this foundational discipline, there can be no advancement in grace. Before other disciplines can be administered, whether in the home, business, or church, there first must be self-discipline. Admittedly, personal discipline is not a popular subject today. In our society, any insistence upon self-discipline is largely resisted, even among many Christians. Legalism, they cry, defending their rights of Christian liberty. These free-spirited believers maintain that discipline restricts their freedom in Christ, binding them in a spiritual straightjacket. But many of these believers have so abused their freedom in Christ that they have virtually no spiritual discipline. They have swung the pendulum so drastically toward Christian liberty that their spiritual lives are out of balance. Such neglect of self-discipline prolongs their spiritual immaturity, leaving them with little self-control t...

Constantly Turn from Sin It’s a very simple thing to go down the path of sanctification. Through prayer, cry out to the Lord, confess your sins, repent of your sins, and turn from your sins so that you’re constantly cleansing your heart in an honest way. That goes back to what Paul said to Timothy, If A man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel fit for the master’s use. (2 Tim. 2) God doesn't bless great - God blesses holiness That says it all. If you’re not cleansed from the things that corrupt your life, you’re not a vessel fit for the Master’s use. You may be able to get a crowd, you may be able to entertain some people and keep their attention, but it’s not great talent God blesses; it’s great holiness. Be Filled with the Word A clean sword is an awesome weapon in the hand of God. So, first of all, it’s a matter of constantly coming before the Lord to have your heart cleansed in repentance. And then you need to be in the word of God. You ne...

The title "Holy One of God" means that Jesus is infinitely and absolutely holy, fully and perfectly divine. He is transcendent and majestic. He came down from above to save sinners, yet He is set-apart from sinners in that He is completely sinless, without any moral blemish, perfect in all of His ways. His being is holy. His character is holy. His mind is holy. His motives are holy. His words are holy. His actions are holy. His ways are holy. His judgments are holy. From the top of His head to the bottom of His feet, every inch, every ounce, the totality, the sum and the substance of the second person of the Godhead is equally holy with God the Father. What is the holiness of God? First, it has to do with "apart-ness" or "other-ness."  The idea of holiness speaks to the profound difference between Him and us. Holiness encompasses His transcendent majesty, His august superiority. He is distinctly set apart from us. As one infinitely above u...

Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the LORD (1 Sam. 6:19a). The Israelites’ joy over the return of the ark of the covenant is replaced by grief and fear when some of the people of Beth Shemesh take an improper liberty. The text indicates they “look into” the ark, perhaps out of a desire to see the tablets of the testimony, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the jar of manna that is kept within the ark (Heb. 9:4). However, the Hebrew grammar indicates that the people simply gaze at the ark. As strange as it may sound, doing so is improper. The ark usually sits concealed within the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, where it is seen only once a year by the high priest. Even during Israel’s wilderness wandering, the tabernacle furnishings were covered by the priests before the people began a march so that the Kohathites, the Levitical family assigned to carry the furnishings, would not see them (Num. 4:1–20). When the ark arrived in the f...

If you read the entire Bible and categorized every remark about the nature of God , most of the descriptions would regard his overall greatness, power, majesty, authority, reign, or dominion over everything. This is what theologians call the sovereignty of God.  You can see this throughout the creation account in the amazing power God has to make things happen just by speaking; things that didn’t exist came into being just because he said so (Genesis 1; Psalm 33:6, 9). But to take it one step further, because God is the creator of all things, he also owns all things ( Deuteronomy 10:14; Psalm 24:1). And because he is the creator of all things, he has authority over all things—in other words, he has the right to rule (Psalm 47:2).  He is the “God of gods and Lord of lords ” (Deuteronomy 10:17). The title Adonai reflects the sovereignty of God. It appears first in Genesis 15:2, where Abraham refers to God as “Sovereign LORD” (Adonai Yahweh), and nearly 300 times in...

When Scripture calls God , or individual Persons of the Godhead , "holy" (as it often does: Lev. 11 :44, 45; Josh. 24:19; 1 Sam. 2:2; Ps. 99:9; Is. 1 :4; 6:3; 41 :14, 16, 20; 57:15; Ezek. 39:7; Amos 4:2; John 17 :11 ; Acts 5:3, 4, 32; Rev. 15:4), the word signifies everything about God that sets Him apart from us and makes Him an object of awe, adoration, and dread to us. It covers all aspects of His transcendent greatness and moral perfection, and is characteristic of all His attributes, pointing to the "Godness" of God at every point.  The core of this truth, however, is God's purity that cannot tolerate any form of sin (Hab. 1:13), and calls sinners to constant self-abasement in His presence (Is. 6:5). Justice, which means doing in all circumstances things that are right, is one expression of God's holiness. God displays His justice as Lawgiver and Judge, and also as Promisekeeper and Pardoner of sin. His moral law, requiring behavior that matche...

Purity is not innocence, it is much more. Purity is the outcome of sustained spiritual sympathy with God . We have to grow in purity. The life with God may be right and the inner purity remain unsullied, and yet every now and again the bloom on the outside may be sullied. God does not shield us from this possibility, because in this way we realize the necessity of maintaining the vision by personal purity. If the spiritual bloom of our life with God is getting impaired in the tiniest degree, we must leave off everything and get it put right. Remember that vision depends on character — the pure in heart see God. God makes us pure by His sovereign grace , but we have something to look after, this bodily life by which we come in contact with other people and with other points of view; it is these that are apt to sully. Not only must the inner sanctuary be kept right with God, but the outer courts as well are to be brought into perfect accord with the purity God gives us by His grace. T...

Elijah Wood as Frodo in Peter Jackson's live-action version of The Lord of the Rings. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) One of the most frightening verses in the entire Bible is Hebrews 12:14, particularly the final phrase: “…and pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Yet, like Aragorn’s dramatic words to Frodo Baggins in their encounter at the Prancing Pony in The Fellowship of the Ring, I don’t think we’re frightened enough. The author’s words are an imperative, and the holiness he is commanding is not the spotless righteousness of Christ imputed to the believer at conversion. Rather, he is speaking of purity of life. Essentially, the writer is telling his audience to pursue Christ-likeness, for without ongoing transformation into the image of Christ, a sinner has no rightful claim on the grace of God. In real life, this means we can go to church, read our Bibles daily, pray regularly, and yet, if we are not being transformed so that our lives reflect Christ’s,...