Dr Paul Allen

Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. (Heb. 11:24–26) Everyone loves a reward—if they are good rewards. It strikes me that nearly every business offers some sort of reward program. From restaurants to clothing stores to movie theatres and certainly the travel industry, everyone offers rewards. But those rewards are quickly spent and fade away. Some airlines promote miles that never expire, but once you use them, they are gone. According to our text in Hebrews 11, Moses was looking forward to a reward. Yet, unlike the materialistic rewards that so quickly fade away, the reward to which Moses was looking was one that never would—for the reward was God Himself. Hebrews 11:24–26 tells the story of when Moses grew up and became a man. This is a fast-forward scene in the narrative of Heb...

Human good works play a tremendously important role. There can be no salvation whatsoever without good works, and your good works are crucial to your salvation. Now, how can a Protestant make a statement like that? First of all, good works are absolutely crucial and are, indeed, necessary for salvation because God requires good works to save anybody. Those good works are supplied and provided by Christ , who in His perfect humanity earned the infinite merit of God—the reward of which is the very basis of my salvation. Without Christ’s righteousness , I am in very big trouble. So my salvation, initially, is grounded upon good works— Jesus' good works. What about my own good works? Do they have a role? Most Protestants would say no. Justification is only one part of salvation. Salvation is the big word. Salvation is the word that covers all of the process by which God fully brings us to total redemption. Justification is that point in the process when God declares me a per...