A biblical understanding of the atonement made by the Lord Jesus should lead to great assurance of salvation for the Christian. Another practical benefit of Christ’s atonement is that it shows us the righteousness and justice of God. And Christians need to be reminded of the Lord’s absolute justice in light of the gruesome and heartbreaking opposition and persecution of Christians around the
world.

What is the practical significance of grasping and believing in the biblical
doctrine of Christ’s penal substitutionary atonement on behalf of his people? In
what ways should a good understanding of the redemptive work of Jesus impact
the daily life of God’s people? I want to look briefly at two particular areas where
an understanding of the substitutionary nature of Christ’s atonement can bear
fruit in the church. First, this post will briefly look at how the atonement Christ
made for his people provides ground for their assurance of faith. In a future post,
we’ll see how his atonement helps us trust in the God who is just and righteous.

​“What am I supposed to be doing?”

It’s a question I frequently ponder as a minister of the Gospel. If you’re not a pastor, maybe you have asked yourself, “What is a minister called to be and do?”
The answers one could give are manifold. What priorities should shape how a pastor spends his time? A pastor could be doing lots of things, but what must he do?

How are we to understand the crucifixion and death of the Lord Jesus? What are
we to understand him as doing? Unless we understand Jesus as our Great High Priest
who is actively offering something to God on our behalf, we are going to miss altogether
the significance of his work.