Jennifer Bales

"The gospel is not opposed to effort but to earning..." 2 Pet. 1:5–10 Peter urges believers to “make every effort” (v. 5) to corroborate their faith with behavior consistent with the “qualities” (vv. 8–9) of those who are being sanctified by the Spirit. The gospel is not opposed to effort but to earning. Paul, too, could put grace and hard work side by side (1 Cor. 15:10). In contrast to the passions akin to animal instinct that Peter will condemn in the next chapter (2 Pet. 2:12), he urges believers to live in accordance with their transformed hearts. What we do should flow from who we are. Jesus himself talked about defilement coming from the inside to the outside, instead of the other way around (Mark 7:14–15), and he narrowed down the source of murder and adultery to heart passions (Matt. 5:21–30). That is, he highlighted the roles of desire and objects of idolatrous worship in causing sin. He knew that unless a person’s heart is changed, his or her behavior cannot really...

I am grateful for the active obedience of Christ. He has justified us, not only by suffering and dying, receiving the wrath we deserved for our sin, but, in his life, living a completely obedient and righteous life in our place. Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. It is finished and the Father is satisfied. Thanks be to the Triune God for this unspeakable gift. ~ quote by Marissa

wrote a letter to his congregation dated January 7, 367 AD in which he included the first recorded complete list of the 27 books of the New Testament. In the next several decades the church canonized this list at the councils of Hippo (393) and Carthage (397). The primary purpose of the bishop’s letter was not to establish the Canon of Scripture, but rather he wrote specifically to announce the date for Easter that year. The church didn't confer on the Bible its special authority, it "recognized" in these particular books God's uniquely inspired word. The term “sola scriptura” for the 16th century reformers meant that the Bible is the norm of faith and living by which every other norm is judged (including papal pronouncements, church councils, creeds & confessions, human reason, and experience). The Bible is not the product of the church, or one small part of church teaching (“If the church wrote it, it can rewrite it”). No! It is not like the “puddles of men’s t...