Dr Paul Allen

For some saints, in some seasons, the spiritual darkness can rest so thick and last so long that standard patterns of obedience begin to feel futile. We’ve read and prayed and fought temptation for weeks or months or maybe years. But now, perhaps, we wonder what’s the point. Why read when little changes? Why pray when God seems silent? Why obey in the lonely dark when no one seems to see or care? The days have been sunless for so long; why live as if the sky will soon turn bright? Not all of God’s people have known such seasons. But for those who have, or will, God has not left us friendless. Here in the dark, a brother walks before us, his day far blacker than ours, his obedience a torch on the road ahead. His story occurs on Good Friday, dark Friday, and dead Friday. For some time, he had let his hope take flight, daring to believe he had seen, in Jesus, his own Messiah’s face. But then Friday came, and he watched that face drain into grey; he saw his Lord hang limp upon the cross. A...

There’s an old joke about people who do CrossFit, and it goes like this: “How do you know when someone does CrossFit? Don’t worry; they’ll tell you!” If you’ve ever encountered an enthusiastic CrossFitter, you know why this joke is so humorous. All they can talk about is CrossFit and how it has changed their lives. And to a certain extent, it has. It has allowed them to train their bodies to maximum effectiveness.  The interesting part is that CrossFit’s success is less about some revolutionary training regimen and more about the positive vision it casts and the enthusiasm it generates. The enthusiasm is not simply for the payoff but also for the process—as difficult and painful as that.  As Christians, our attitude toward obedience can become like that of someone dragged to the gym by a well-meaning friend or family member—weary disdain. Instead, we need the same positive vision and enthusiasm for Christlikeness as our CrossFitting friends for a pull-up. Let me, therefore, gi...

An angel prevents the sacrifice of Isaac. Abraham and Isaac, Rembrandt, 1634 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.” ( Genesis 22:6 )   The familiar story of Abraham’s willingness to offer up Isaac his son, in obedience to God ’s command, is rightly cited as a prime example of Abraham’s great faith. It is also a testimony to the remarkable faith of Isaac, for it is recorded twice in  Genesis 22  that “they went both of them together” (see also v. 8).   This emphasis on the fellowship of both father and son in this tremendous act of obedient faith is surely given by divine inspiration for our edification.   Isaac was a grown young man at this time, not a little boy. Isaac soon understood what was happening, yet he willingly carried the wood himself and then submitted to being bound on the altar o...

Can you imagine a Christian couple actually praying about living together before marriage? Can you fathom a young woman who professes Christ even bothering to pray about whether she should marry an unbeliever? Can you grasp a Christian businessman having to pray about whether he should tell the truth in a transaction? When the Word of God is so clear, praying to discern God's will becomes a convenient excuse—or even a prolonged filibuster—to avoid doing what Scripture commands. Many who profess Christ today emphasize a wrong view of grace that makes it a free pass to do whatever they please. Tragically, they have convinced themselves that the Christian life can be lived without any binding obligation to the moral law of God. In this hyper-grace distortion, the need for obedience has been neutered. The commandments of God are no longer in the driver's seat of Christian living, but have been relegated to the backseat, if not the trunk—like a spare tire—to be used only in ca...

Can you imagine a Christian couple actually praying about living together before marriage? Can you fathom a young woman who professes Christ even bothering to pray about whether she should marry an unbeliever? Can you grasp a Christian businessman having to pray about whether he should tell the truth in a transaction? When the Word of God is so clear, praying to discern God’s will becomes a convenient excuse—or even a prolonged filibuster—to avoid doing what Scripture commands. Many who profess Christ today emphasize a wrong view of grace that makes it a free pass to do whatever they please. Tragically, they have convinced themselves that the Christian life can be lived without any binding obligation to the moral law of God. In this hyper-grace distortion, the need for obedience has been neutered. The commandments of God are no longer in the driver’s seat of Christian living, but have been relegated to the backseat, if not the trunk—like a spare tire—to be used only in case of an ...

This question is not critical only today, but it was in the eye of the storm we call the Protestant Reformation that swept through and divided the Christian church in the sixteenth century. Martin Luther declared his position: Justification is by faith alone, our works add nothing to our justification whatsoever, and we have no merit to offer God that in any way enhances our justification. This created the worst schism in the history of Christendom. In refusing to accept Luther's view, the Roman Catholic Church excommunicated him, then responded to the outbreak of the Protestant movement with a major church council, the Council of Trent, which was part of the so-called Counter-Reformation and took place in the middle of the sixteenth century. The sixth session of Trent, at which the canons and decrees on justification and faith were spelled out, specifically appealed to James  2:24  to rebuke the Protestants who said that they were justified by faith alone: "You see tha...

There is significant evidence in both the Old Testament and the New Testament that perfect obedience to the law was necessary for salvation. Paul’s fundamental complaint with the Jews of his day was not that they excluded Gentiles.  Rather, he indicted them for failing to do God’s will, for failing to see the depth of God’s demand on their lives. I think we can say with confidence that the same is true today.  Many do not rely on Christ’s atoning sacrifice for forgiveness and his righteousness because they believe their own obedience is sufficient Schreiner, T. R. (2010). 40 Questions about Christians and Biblical Law. (B. L. Merkle, Ed.) (pp. 53–57). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional.

But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God (2 Cor. 6:4). Paul gives one of the most eloquent and specific descriptions of a blameless ministry. As we examine some of the points Paul makes, ask yourself whether you exhibit any of these qualities in your own life.  Can you say that you have endured afflictions with patience?  Have you manifested the fruits and gifts of the Spirit and remained committed to the Word of truth at all times?  Can you say with Paul that no matter what people think of you, you can rejoice in the Lord because you possess all things in Christ—happiness in the midst of sorrow, honor in the midst of accusation, spiritual riches in the midst of poverty?  Ask yourself these things as you study this testimony of the “least of the apostles.” Paul divides his marks of a blameless ministry into three categories: manifold trials (vv. 4, 5), graces and gifts (vv. 6, 7), and circumstances of evil and good report (vv. 8–1...

“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” ( Romans 5:19 ) Certainly the focal point of all history and the climax of Christ’s earthly ministry was His sacrificial death on the cross. Christ knew from ages past what was in store for Him, and yet He was “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” ( Philippians 2:8 ). However, as we see in our text, Christ’s obedience included more than His death, for He was perfectly obedient throughout His entire life. Indeed, it is a good thing, for any act of disobedience would have invalidated His sacrificial death. Animal sacrifices in the Old Testament (which prefigured the final sacrifice of Christ) had to be “without blemish” ( Leviticus 22:19 ). But even a perfect animal was not enough ( Hebrews 10:4 ) to satisfy God’s justice and take away sins. “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things. . . . But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without ble...

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) - The Flagellation of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1880) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” ( Hebrews 5:8 ) This verse is a very difficult verse. The Lord Jesus Christ was the very Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the omniscient God , perfect wisdom and complete truth. How could it be that one who knows all things would have to learn anything? Even more particularly, how would He have to learn obedience? He was always obedient to His heavenly Father . “I do always those things that please him,” Christ said ( John8:29 ). He surely did not have to be chastised like a disobedient child in order to learn obedience, as the verse seems on the surface to be telling us. He was indeed a Son, and He was never disobedient, but He had tobecome obedient through actual experience. He “became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” ( Philippians 2:8 ). The “things which...

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Spirit of God is the Holy Spirit . Wherever He comes, He comes with holiness and sanctification . Here we see that the loving goal of our sanctification is that the Spirit will change us. God is making us new. The purpose in election is not just eternity with God in sinless bliss, but it is the everyday outworking of our salvation with the fear of God in our lives. If we are elect, it will show in our progression toward God in holiness and reverence: "he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him" (Eph. 1:4). God chose us in holiness and He chose us to holiness. Election is the love and grace of God to us. Sanctification is the Spirit of God working through us to make that election, calling, and choice sure ( 2 Peter 1:10). Yet, as we all know, often before we can make something new, we have to tear down the old. As God is making us new, He is also tea...

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love” (John 15:9). The idea of the Father no longer loving the Son is unimaginable and wholly impossible. The love between the divine persons is unbreakable, eternal, and steadfast. It can no more cease to be than God Himself can cease to exist. Can we even begin to understand the scope, the depth, the height of such love? Yet, this is the love that binds us to Christ . It is His love that secures our salvation. It is His love that maintains us through every situation in life. It is His love that endures to the end and enables us to be inwardly transformed even as He calls us to exert our own wills and obey His commands. This is the love in which we abide and from which we receive our strength and our ability to persevere in holiness. This abiding love is closely connected with the eternal nature of the Trinity . God Himself is love, and the love shared between the...