Crossway Christian Church

Following his encouraging discussion of God’s unfailing love at the end of Romans 8, Paul shifts his focus in Romans 9 to consider the sad reality that Israel, who played a central role in salvation history, has failed to embrace their longed-for Messiah. In verses 1-13, Paul begins to tackle this difficult subject using the examples of Isaac and Jacob.

Romans 8:31-39 is Paul’s conclusion, not just to the first thirty verses of chapter 8, but to the train of thought he’s been developing since chapter 5. He’s thoroughly explained the status and blessings that belong to those who are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, apart from the Law, and he concludes now with words of hope and encouragement regarding the love of God.

Last week, Paul briefly mentioned suffering. Such suffering, as we strive for holiness in the world, will be inevitable. What could possibly make such suffering worth persevering through? What assurance did those who gave their lives for the faith have that such acts were truly good for them? And do we have access to such assurances as well? Paul desires that God’s people be encouraged through the...

While we have seen that Romans 7 was not meant to imply the struggle that Christians have with sin, we are right to insist that there is indeed a struggle. If anyone was to gain the implication from Paul’s work that the fight with sin is over because of what Christ has done, they are sorely mistaken. Paul knows the battle ahead for all Christians, one of toil and hardship as they battle the sin in...

Paul continues to hit the same melody, but as a great composer, he tinkers with the arrangement. In the beginning of chapter 8 it is the glorious news that “there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” This has been the theme of his letter, and of all Christendom since its inception. But what does this have to do with our sanctification? Is not Christ’s death and resurrection simply ou...

The difficulty of Romans 7 comes through in many ways. Is Paul talking about himself? Is he speaking of his life in Christ, or of the struggle he had in the law before his conversion? How could he consider himself once “alive” apart from the law, or the law dead until the command came? Today, we hope to provide some guidance for questions such as this, knowing that full confidence is likely imposs...

The law has a unique pull for Christians, especially those of the first Century. It was the expression of faithfulness for millennia, and held out a type of holiness that Christians wanted to gain. Yet, Paul is clear: not only do we not need the law to gain holiness, it is even a hindrance to the very holiness we seek. Today, as we return to the book of Romans, let us consider how the law is a hin...

The end of the year, or the beginning of the next, is always a good time to reflect on the year, and to assess ourselves. The book of Malachi gives us a unique opportunity to do so; for as Malachi prophesies to his people, he asks them a series of questions seeking to show them their failings and to encourage them in the right pursuit of God. Let us do the same this morning! Today, we ask 5 questi...

Zechariah is not best known as the prophet of Christmas. Yet, the themes that we find in his visions and prophecies help us to understand Christmas better. God has promised good for his people, and he will bring that good about. He will do this in unexpected ways, through Jesus himself. And so, we are to feast with our God, as a symbol of our faith that God’s Kingdom is soon in coming. Let us hear...

Haggai is a very short book, just 37 verses total, covering a mere 4 months of Old Testament history. And not much is known about prophet himself. Despite these two realities, the book is an important one, as it covers a significant event in the history of the Old Testament people of God. By studying the 2 chapters of Haggai, we can observe:

This morning we have had the great pleasure of witnessing 5 baptisms. Praise God! In light of this, I think that it would be a good time to think through in some more detail the meaning of the Lord’s Supper that these new members will be taking for the first time as members of Crossway Christian Church. What does the NT indicate that the Lord’s Supper means? Is it merely symbolic of Jesus’ death,...

Zephaniah is not a well-known prophet. While a good deal of his writing and style finds its way into the imagery of Revelation, not much is used from him in other places in the NT. This, however, doesn’t mean that he is not important! Rather, he has much to say to God’s people, even today. In his three short chapters, he reminds us of the way in which God deals with all people, with justice and eq...

The problem of evil, its existence and how God will solve it, is a problem that will evade our understanding forever. We are also, thankfully, not the first to ask such questions. How can God allow evil? Why does he not abolish it forever? What’s more, why does he use evil in the world, even if it is to bring about that which is good? Habakkuk has these same questions, and yet the answers that he...

It is not hard to imagine that Nahum was precisely the prophet that Jonah wanted to be. Nahum, like Obediah, was sent to give a particular message of destruction to a particular people. Like Jonah, Nahum speaks of Assyria and its capital of Nineveh, but unlike Jonah, his prophecy is one of unredacted wrath. What has brought such wrath upon Nineveh, and what might we learn from it even today? Let u...

Micah the prophet hits all of the notes that the rest of the prophets do: there will be wrath and destruction over the sins of the people of both Judah and Israel. Yet, the way that Micah plays those notes is distinct from the other prophetic voices we have heard; wrath is present, yet the overriding theme is God’s eventual and faithful deliverance of his people. Deliverance, not just from his wra...

Jonah is a well-loved and well-known story. It is an amazing story about a prophet who doesn’t want to prophesy, and the fish that swallowed him. It is really that last bit that captures our attention – who has ever heard of such a thing? The story is truly amazing, which is why so many people doubt its veracity. But we ought not doubt its truthfulness, for Jonah was not penned to give us an fable...

Obadiah is a short book, but don’t let that fool you – it has a powerful and timely message for us. Although the Edomites thought they had done no wrong, and that Judah may have had its destruction coming to them, God knew better. Their pride has deceived them, and led them into their own destruction. So, what shall we learn from this little letter? What does an inner-family rivalry from the 6th C...

Amos is not a difficult book to comprehend. He doesn’t mince words, and he doesn’t hold back on his shots. The people of Israel have affronted God; they have largely abandoned seeking to know him, and it shows in all of their works. They do not love their neighbor, they do not seek justice, they do not seem to have any inkling of the depth of righteousness the Lord desires. Rather, they are fat, s...

Many prophetic books have a similar flow and presentation. The nation of Israel has sinned; the wrath of God is coming upon them and the nations; yet God is glorious in his mercy and love, and will spare his people in the end. Joel, however, sounds different. There is no mention of Israel’s sin, rampant idolatry, or poor leadership. Instead, there are pleas to rightly handle common tragedy, and to...

The book of Hosea is well known for many passages. Even so, readers may find the book daunting as it stands, mixing metaphors and, it seems, even messages. Israel has been adulterous to their God, unfaithful to the last. The Lord, therefore, will cut them off from his presence, and bring all of the curses of the law’s failing down upon them. Yet, in the same breath, Hosea makes it clear that God w...

Many want to have their cake and eat it, too. Christians want to both have assurance of salvation, to avoid hell, but also to live out their sinful lives as they see fit. They take comfort in the idea that Christ forgives their sin. But here in Romans, Paul argues that such ideas are foolish and ignorant. Christians are not free to live lives bound to sin and death; but rather, having been freed f...

Many want to have their cake and eat it, too. Christians want to both have assurance of salvation, to avoid hell, but also to live out their sinful lives as they see fit. They take comfort in the idea that Christ forgives their sin. But here in Romans, Paul argues that such ideas are foolish and ignorant. Christians are not free to live lives bound to sin and death; but rather, having been freed f...

Our culture often uses the phrase “she’s my type” to mean that a person has either the personality or physical traits that another person desires. The NT and theologians also use it in a positive sense, often when looking at how figures in the OT shadow and demonstrate the nature and work of Christ. Melchizedek, Moses, and David are all wonderful examples of this. Yet, here in our text today, Adam...

The passage we come to today is fraught with difficulties. It is the subject of much debate, both in that parts are difficult to put together, and in that so much rides on our interpretation of them. To manage this difficulty, we will walk slowly through these verses, which on their own are only a prelude to a bigger and better point that Paul wishes to make. Yet, if we do not understand these wor...

One of my favorite films of all time, The Shawshank Redemption was originally a short-story by Stephen King, best known for his horror novels. Yet, Shawshank is rather a meditation on hope. What happens when a man loses his hope? What’s worse – what happens when a man persists through pain and sorrow in hope, only to have his hopes dashed? King wasn’t the first to think through such issues. In som...