The law was universally binding but deadly. Jesus is selectively binding but life-giving. We can perish under the law, or we can come under the grace of Christ.
Romans 6
The question that remains is not “will we receive grace?” but rather “what will we do with the grace we received?” There are two options before us. We can use grace as an excuse to sin or we can use grace as power to obey.
Romans 5
It would be appropriate to compare ourselves in Adam to a poor family that has made ruin of life. We started out well, with plenty of money in the bank, a beautiful house on a hill, abundant resources, and friends abounding. Then, out of sheer defiance, we decided we didn’t need what got us here anymore.
Romans 4
Romans 4 is all about justification by faith, and Paul’s argument is that’s what the Bible is all about too. How are we set right with God? By faith in Christ. How can we know? Because the Bible tells us so – Paul, as well as the Old Testament.
Romans 3
If we are saved by Christ alone, apart from all our works, how in the world can we boast about what we’ve done? The law of works leads itself to boasting in obedience. But the law of faith excludes boasting because it is not our obedience at all. It is Christ’s obedience.
Romans 2
In the gospel, God found a way to accept us and keep his standards. Will we have him under the terms of the gospel, or will we refuse his grace in our attempt to justify ourselves?
Romans 1
A good preacher lifts the gospel, takes a scalpel, and cuts it wide open, letting the guts fall out to reveal the insides. What we need is not a surface level understanding of the best news the world has ever heard. We need to see it all, guts and everything. That’s what Paul does in the book of Romans. He cuts deep into the gospel of Jesus Christ and shows us the glory within.
Who Jesus is According to the Book of Hebrews
Hebrews has a lot to say about the person and work of Jesus. Here are a few.
Hebrews 13
Hebrews 13 is about two cities, with the focus on the City of God. How does the City of God live?
Hebrews 12
One of the ways the Lord shepherds is by warning. The author transitions from Chapter 11’s “hall of faith” to give one of the sharpest warnings in all of the Bible in Chapter 12, about discipline and repentance. The author uses a combination of exhortation and motivation to move us to a place of openness before the Lord. He startles our soul to wake us up so that he can calm us with the gospel.
Hebrews 11
Hebrews 11 is a famous passage of Scripture. The author highlights the faith of the Old Testament saints to instruct us about faith. This audience has struggled. They’ve faced persecution and will face more in the future. They’re wondering if Jesus is worth it anymore, but they’re hanging on.
Hebrews 10
Christians have need of endurance. The Christian life is not easy. To stay faithful to Jesus is not easy. It demands that we put ourselves aside for God’s greater glory. In a world at war with God, sometimes it is costly to side with God. But we are not alone and our inheritance is coming.
Hebrews 9
Imagine you are a Jew under the old covenant. The Day of Atonement was yesterday. You sinned a lot today and need the Day of Atonement-type sacrifice for forgiveness. But you have to wait a year.
Hebrews 8
We don’t have return to slavery under the law, trying to earn our way into God's favor. We have his favor because every sin—past, present, and future – has been forgiven at the cross of Christ. We are free. Now it’s time to live like it.
Hebrews 7
The Hebrews faced an uncertain future. And, in many ways, we do as well. What do we really face when we consider the misty road ahead? We face a choice. Will we trust God or will we seek alternative routes? Here’s what we can know, even if we can’t know all that is ahead.
Hebrews 5-6
Like a coach rallying his team in the final seconds of the big game, the author of Hebrews huddles his readers up, looks in their eyes, and tells them exactly what he sees, beginning with discouragement but ending with some of the most encouraging words in the entire letter.
Hebrews 4
When we open the Bible, we are confronted not just with words on a page but a person speaking through a page. We are confronted by God himself. To read the Bible is a risky thing.
Hebrews 3
These Hebrews were facing intense suffering and persecution. And their pastor looks them in the eye and asks them pointedly, “where is your faith?”
Hebrews 2
The author uses Psalm 8 as a passageway into the humanness of Jesus. We may not see the totality of Psalm 8 in our life right now, but we can see something of it in Jesus.
Hebrews 1
Jesus is the final word from God because Jesus is God. So, to hear clearly from God we need to hear clearly from Jesus. And Hebrews is all about Jesus.