Theological term
Law of God
6 sermons · All terms
Ask FGBC #58: How to Start Reading the Bible?
How should a person begin reading the Bible — and how should they read it once they have opened it? This Q&A exchange addresses both the unbeliever encountering Scripture for the first time and the new believer seeking a starting point, recommending the law of God as a mirror of sin and the Gospels as the answer to that conviction. The discussion extends to the manner of reading: attending to the sense intended by the divine author rather than the nakedness of individual words, reading within the interpretive community of the church, and approaching the text through prayerful dependence that guards against the pride produced by knowledge acquired without humility. Practical counsel on guarding reading habits against the fragmenting effects of social media closes the exchange.
Ask FGBC #30: What does a holy walk look like in a Christian?
What does a holy walk look like for the Christian? This Q&A response argues that holiness is neither mystical nor monastic but is concretely shaped by three coordinates: conformity to Christ, regulation by the law of God, and the practice of ordinary good works in every sphere of life. The discussion draws on Romans 8, Romans 12–13, 1 Peter 1–2, and Galatians 5 to show that holy living begins with the renewal of the mind and expresses itself in the dignity of daily work, household relationships, and engagement with the world as pilgrims and sojourners.
2 Samuel 14
Second Samuel 14 records Joab's scheme to engineer Absalom's return from exile through the parable-like appeal of a wise woman from Tekoa, David's capitulation, and the uneasy non-reconciliation that follows. The chapter exposes David's chronic inactivity as a father and king — his refusal either to punish or fully forgive Absalom producing the very bitterness that will fuel Absalom's usurpation in chapter 15. The narrator's portrait of Absalom's stunning appearance, his family, and his manipulative conduct warns that outward impressiveness without inward submission to God is a recipe for leadership disaster, a theme that runs from Saul through Eliab to Absalom himself. Parents and leaders alike are called to deal decisively with sin rather than tolerate the "no man's land" between justice and mercy.
The Murder of John the Baptist
Matthew 14:1–12 narrates the imprisonment and beheading of John the Baptist by Herod Antipas, and this exposition argues that the account is ultimately about Jesus Christ — the fate of the forerunner foreshadows the fate of the Coming One. The sermon traces three movements: the imprisonment of John for faithful law-preaching, the morally depraved celebration that occasions his murder, and the execution itself, which Matthew frames as a typological preview of the crucifixion. The characters of Herod and Herodias are examined as New Testament counterparts to Ahab and Jezebel, whose guilt-driven conspiracy to silence God's law illustrates that no sin can be covered except through the death of Christ. Hearers are called to forsake self-made coverings for sin and to believe on the one in whom alone is forgiveness and the gift of righteousness.
The King and the Company of Fools
Psalm 2 confronts the reader with the absolute folly of humanity's rebellion against the sovereign Lord and His Christ. The psalm moves through three movements: the arrogant rebellion of the nations who reject God's law and Christ's rule, the awesome response of God who laughs from His throne and installs His King on Zion, and the sobering instruction that calls all people — rulers and subjects alike — to kiss the Son before His wrath is fully kindled. The sermon presses the application in two directions: unbelievers are called to cease their vain rebellion and trust in Christ, while believers are called to draw deep confidence from the certainty that He who sits in the heavens shall laugh at every company of fools arrayed against His kingdom.
The Judgment of God Upon the Nations
Zephaniah 2:4–3:5 presents a comprehensive indictment of the nations surrounding Israel — Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Cush, and Assyria — followed by a devastating return to Judah herself, exposing her rebellion, polluted worship, and failure to draw near to her God. This exposition argues that God is sovereign Lord over all nations without exception, holding every people accountable to his one holy law, and that his faithfulness in the midst of Judah's sin only magnifies the guilt of those who sin against great grace. The threefold exhortation of Zephaniah 2:3 — seek the Lord, seek righteousness, seek humility — stands as the central call of the book and the only refuge from the coming day of the Lord's anger.