We Need Both Rules and Relationship with God
To obey the law is to look like Jesus Christ. While legalism builds self-righteousness, lawfulness builds righteousness.
Articles
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Why the Local Church Needs Good Biblical Theology
Biblical theology is a vital help for pastors to faithfully declare the glorious truth that Jesus is the main point of the whole Bible.
Of all the books in the Bible, Colossians may rightly be considered the most Christ-centered.
Male and Female He Created Them
Everything else in creation reflects something of God’s glory in a general sense, but humanity alone is described as being created in God’s image.
Introducing the ESV Concise Study Bible
This robust Bible offers fresh content for new believers and seasoned saints alike, helping readers explore the essential meaning of the Bible.
Podcast: What an Old Controversy Teaches Us about Grace and Legalism (Sinclair Ferguson)
Sinclair Ferguson discusses the relevance of church history and divisive theological positions as we dig into a largely forgotten 18th-century Scottish debate about God’s grace and our works.
Stay on Mission—Even in the Later Years
One joy of aging is a stillness of soul that helps us see the small moments as sacred moments when we can reflect God’s glory to someone else.
Podcast: Tips for Leading an Effective Bible Study (Lydia Brownback)
What does it look like to lead an effective Bible study? How can a leader keep the conversation on track and guide people to discover the treasures of God's Word?
How Elders Shepherd by Example
A church should be able to direct a newborn believer to an elder and say: “Do you want to know what a real Christian should be like? Then look at him.”
9 Common Excuses for Not Memorizing Scripture (And How to Overcome Them)
The human heart is deceitful and twisted in so many ways (Jer. 17:9). We can make amazing excuses for not doing things that the Lord has commanded that would richly benefit us.
Encouragement for Parents in Our Sexually Confused Culture
The world has been transformed and the influences in our children's lives are pervasive, profound, and powerful. Parents need to be aware of that.
Opening Doors to Faith at Work
Happy Khambule, Kathleen Nielson
God places us in particular professions and callings so as to be his witnesses, spread like salt and light in the world.
Dear Pastor, Value Character over Performance
Every leadership community needs to recognize that ministry is an intersection of many competing and conflicting motivations.
The Surprising Truth about Legalism
The root of legalism is almost as old as Eden, which explains why it is a primary, if not the ultimate, pastoral problem.
A Devotional on Prayer by Jane Austen
Teach us to feel the importance of every day, and every hour as it passes, and earnestly strive to make a better use of what thy goodness may yet bestow on us, than we have done of the time past.
‘Women of the Word’ Podcast: Season 3
Season 3 of the Women of the Word podcast is now available. Join us on Wednesdays as we dig deeper into what it looks like to study Scripture!
2 New Bible Study Resources for ESV.org
Access two resources via subscription on ESV.org that will prove valuable as you study, apply, and teach God's Word.
3 Doctrines That Sustain Us in Suffering
While we may not understand what God is doing, we can always trust who he is. We must never interpret God’s character by our circumstances.
6 Ways to Live in Light of the Serpent-Slayer Story
Jesus is the serpent slayer. So how should a Christian live in light of that thrilling storyline?
Three Steps to Studying the Bible
The goal in studying the Bible is to find out what the Bible meant, what it means, and how it applies to us.
We Must Worship God on His Terms
True worship is not possible unless God himself enables it, because human beings are unable to truly worship him without his enabling.
Justice Denied Is Love Denied
You have heard it said that justice delayed is justice denied. But I tell you that justice denied is love denied.
We don’t truly understand who we are as the church of Jesus Christ unless we know our own story.
The doctrine of the necessity of Scripture reminds us of our predicament: the One we need to know most cannot be discovered on our own, and this same ineffable One has made himself known through his word.
Be Excellent as Christ Is Excellent
It is precisely because Christians have been called to or by God’s glory and excellence that they are to add excellence to their faith.
Jesus’s Final Command Revealed His Ultimate Goal
Teaching people to parrot all that Jesus commanded is easy. Teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded is impossible.
Why Ordinary Faithfulness Is Enough
Feeding your faithfulness is an unremarkable practice in real-time. It’s unglamorous by the world’s standards, yet it is precious as it contributes to a life of holding fast to Christ.
Is Singleness an Advantage in Ministry?
Pastors being single is not prohibited by Scripture, nor is singleness necessarily a hindrance to effective gospel ministry, even in contexts where the majority of people are married.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of 2 Peter?
Second Peter has a robust doctrine of Scripture. Peter begins his letter with one of the strongest assertions of the sufficiency of God’s Word found in all of Scripture.
Differentiating the Work of the Son and Spirit in Salvation
A classic way of looking at the two-handedness of God’s work in salvation is the relationship between how the Trinity accomplishes redemption and how the Trinity applies that redemption to us.