Misplaced Presumptuous Tenderness

by Nick Batzig • January 03, 2019

We live in a day of comfort. Every new product boasts a greater measure of ease than that which preceded it. Our public discourse insists that the highest form of virtue is that we do not make others feel uncomfortable about their beliefs or lifestyles. Then we read the Bible and, in many places, we find it to be extremely uncomfortable. Of course, we all have our "go-to" encouragement passages; and, it's right that love them. These are the cherished Gospel promises and comforts. These are, without question, supremely important to the life of faith for the child of God.  Still, we find just as many uncomfortable warnings and rebukes in Scripture as we do comforting promises and encouragements. So how should we approach the severe passages of Scripture? 

We live in a day of comfort. Every new product boasts a greater measure of ease than that which preceded it. Our public discourse insists that the highest form of virtue is that we do not make others feel uncomfortable about their beliefs or lifestyles. Then we read the Bible and, in many places, we find it to be extremely uncomfortable. Of course, we all have our "go-to" encouragement passages; and, it's right that love them. These are the cherished Gospel promises and comforts.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Christward Collective is a conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Christward Collective and the mission of the Alliance.

Thursday: An Appeal to the Compassionate God

By James Boice

Theme: God’s Mercy Revealed

In this week’s lessons, we learn that David bases his prayers for mercy on the character of God.

Scripture: Psalm 86:1-17

When Moses began to pray, his first request was that he might know God. He had been with God on the mountain twice for forty days at a time, but he still yearned to know God better: "If I have found favor in your eyes, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you" (Exod. 33:13). This is a petition every Christian should make often. If we are Christians, we know God partially already. But every one of us needs to know God better. This is what David was praying about when he asked God to teach him his "ways.”

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Wednesday: An Appeal to the Compassionate God

By James Boice

Theme: Looking to God’s Character

In this week’s lessons, we learn that David bases his prayers for mercy on the character of God.

Scripture: Psalm 86:1-17

David's prayer incorporated arguments why God should answer him. Yesterday we looked at arguments based on David and David's need. Today we examine four reasons based on God and God's character.

David's prayer incorporated arguments why God should answer him. Yesterday we looked at arguments based on David and David's need. Today we examine four reasons based on God and God's character.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Tuesday: An Appeal to the Compassionate God

By James Boice

Theme: Prayer for an Undivided Heart

In this week’s lessons, we learn that David bases his prayers for mercy on the character of God.

Scripture: Psalm 86:1-17

What are David's requests? There are a lot of them, fifteen in all, as I said yesterday. He asks God to "hear” and "answer” (v. 1), "guard" and "save" (v. 2), "have mercy" (v. 3), "bring joy" (v. 4), "hear” and "listen" (v. 6), "teach me" and "give me an undivided heart" (v. 11), "turn," "have mercy," "grant...strength" and "save" (v. 16), and "give me a sign of your goodness” (v. 17). Most of these requests have to do with his perilous circumstances, which is what he develops in the last stanza. We may remember that there is hardly a psalm of David's that does not mention his enemies and ask God's help in delivering him from their attacks and stratagems.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

The 2018 Top Ten

by christward • December 31, 2018

As we come the the end of 2018, the Alliance wants to thank you for another year of faithful readership and continued support of the Christward Collective. We look forward to 2019 and the ways in which the Lord will continue to work through us to help provide resources for the building up of His people.

As we come the the end of 2018, the Alliance wants to thank you for another year of faithful readership and continued support of the Christward Collective. We look forward to 2019 and the ways in which the Lord will continue to work through us to help provide resources for the building up of His people. To that end, here are the top ten posts of this past year:

Doctrinal Pride

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Christward Collective is a conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Christward Collective and the mission of the Alliance.

Monday: An Appeal to the Compassionate God

By James Boice

Theme: Pleading for Mercy

In this week’s lessons, we learn that David bases his prayers for mercy on the character of God.

Scripture: Psalm 86:1-17

There are psalms of David in every book of the Psalter, but we have come near the end of the Psalter's third book and have not had a psalm of David, until now. And characteristic of David, it is an appeal for mercy based on the character of God.

There are psalms of David in every book of the Psalter, but we have come near the end of the Psalter's third book and have not had a psalm of David, until now. And characteristic of David, it is an appeal for mercy based on the character of God.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Friday: The Word Incarnate

By James Boice

Theme: Glory and Worship

From this week’s Christmas study, we look carefully at the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and how it fulfills the Old Testament tabernacle.

Scripture: John 1:14

The last parallel from the tabernacle is that it was where Israel worshiped. But now, Jesus Christ is in a sense the place where we worship. You recall that when he was with the woman of Samaria, there was a debate going on between the Samaritans and the Jews as to where one should worship. The Samaritans believed that worship was to take place on Mount Gerizim, while the Jews worshiped at the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus went on to say that a change is coming, and had now come in him.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Blasphemy Trials

by Cameron Clausing • December 27, 2018

Westminster Larger Catechism Q&A 112 and 113 discusses what it means to take the Lord’s name in vain, to blaspheme. As you read through those questions and answers you realize rather quickly that for Christians our lives are literally taking on the name of the Lord, and to take his name in vain is to live a life that misrepresents God to others around us. Quite literally, the way we live can be blasphemous. To not live a blasphemous life would require perfect obedience because everything we do in some way will misrepresent God. This could be overwhelming or depressing if we left it at that. However, herein lies the difference between blasphemy as the Bible looks at it and blasphemy as our society looks at it.

In Scotland there is a blasphemy law on the books. It has been around for hundreds of year. However, the last person to get brought up on blasphemy charges was a couple hundred years ago. Right now there is a debate in the larger society (and it has made its way into the government) as to whether this law should still be part of the Scottish law code.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Christward Collective is a conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Christward Collective and the mission of the Alliance.

Thursday: The Word Incarnate

By James Boice

Theme: Revelation and Sacrifice

From this week’s Christmas study, we look carefully at the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and how it fulfills the Old Testament tabernacle.

Scripture: John 1:14

Here is the fourth parallel. The tabernacle was the place where God revealed himself to Moses and the priests. They had a special name for it. They called it the Tent of Meeting, and the reason they called it this was because that is where God met with Moses. Moses received many revelations from God at the tabernacle. The way it happened was that the voice of God would tell him to go there, and then God would speak to him from out of the cloud. Here is the great God of the universe, actually communicating to Moses from the cloud. And yet it was incomplete. Even though God was meeting with Moses from this cloud, Moses still had a desire to see God, to experience his presence in a more direct way.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Wednesday: The Word Incarnate

By James Boice

Theme: Jesus and the Law

From this week’s Christmas study, we look carefully at the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and how it fulfills the Old Testament tabernacle.

Scripture: John 1:14

Second, not only was the tabernacle at the center of Israel’s camp, but it was also the place where the law of Moses was preserved. Moses was up on the mountain where he received the law from God. When he came down with the stone tablets the first time, the people had been departing from the Lord in the valley. In his great anger Moses broke the tablets. Then he went back up the mountain and the Lord gave him another. He came down and this time they were placed in the Ark of the Covenant, within the Most Holy Place of the Jewish tabernacle. The law of God was placed in the very center of the tabernacle.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

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