Galatians 2:15-21

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Pray for Dr. Steven Lawson—that he would repent, be healed and set free from his sin of adultery. What a shame.

Sin is not a passive adversary; it is relentlessly active, constantly seeking to ensnare you. It operates without pause, always plotting, always whispering temptations, striving to lead you astray from the path of righteousness.

Recognize this reality: sin's persistence demands your vigilance. You must remain ever-watchful, for sin will not relent. Yet, take heart, for in this battle, you are not alone. Christ himself is your shield and strength, providing the means to resist and overcome.


"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." – Matthew 26:41


—The Forge (Daily Dose #0013)

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections.

—Augustine

Going through the motions is not enough, and is a disservice to yourself and everyone around you. You must stand upon the promises of God, and live them out each day. If faith isn’t alive and active within you, then it is dead. I encourage you dear reader to dive deeper in prayer with the Lord.

Do not be satisfied with a rote routine. Instead, seek the Lord, give thanks to Him in all circumstances, notice Him in the mundane, and rejoice in His kindness toward you. 
He is worth it!


"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
— Jeremiah 29:13


—The Forge (Daily Dose #0014)

Public announcement to all those who are believers and nonbelievers alike.

Collect for the 18th Sunday after Pentecost

Grant us, O Lord, not to mind earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to cleave to those that shall abide; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Wherever man may stand, whatever he may do, to whatever he may apply his hand, in agriculture, in commerce, and in industry, or his mind, in the world of art, and science, he is, in whatsoever it may be, constantly standing before the face of his God, he is employed in the service of his God, he has strictly to obey his God, and above all, he has to aim at the glory of his God.

—Abraham Kuyper

When I think that I’m unfairly hated, I try to remember that I’m unfairly loved.

—R.C. Sproul