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Articles by Sam Allberry
Distinguishing Between Our Union with Jesus and Our Communion with Jesus
Fixed Union Our union with Jesus, as we understand it, brings into sharper focus so much of the Christian life. In terms of our daily, ongoing walk with Jesus, Jesus says in John 15 that we’re to remain in him, to abide in him. Over the years, Christians have distinguished between our union with Jesus and our communion with Jesus. Our union is fixed. We can’t change that. We don’t float in and out of it.
Does the Bible Actually Teach the Doctrine of the Trinity?
The Bible doesn’t use the word “Trinity.” That is a word that we use to describe what the Bible teaches us about God. What the Bible shows us about God is that He is one God (Hear, O Israel the LORD your God, the LORD is one), that means He is not only unique but also there is a oneness to He is. There is an integrity to what He says, how He acts, and what He calls on His people to do. There is an integration to Him. Photo Credit: ©SWN Design
The Bible’s Go-To Language for What We Call a “Christian”
Union with Christ One of the things that surprised me the most when I began to think through this whole issue was how little the Bible uses the language of being a Christian. That’s our go-to terminology. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’re a Christian. The religion is Christianity. And yet the word “Christian” appears only two or three times in the New Testament—the first time as a sort of nickname for the early believers.
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What Does “Union with Christ” Actually Mean?
United to Christ When we come to believe in Jesus, we’re told in the New Testament that we become spiritually united to him. Paul even uses marital language for this. Just as the husband and the wife become one flesh, he says we who believe in the Lord become one spirit with him. So, my being a Christian isn’t just me voting for Jesus, or saying Jesus is going to be my role model, or even that I’m trusting Jesus from afar. Actually, what happens is I’ve become united to him.
Knowing Jesus Should Make Us Better Stewards of Creation
It’s not every day you’re threatened with hospitalization by a circus clown. I was once a budding environmental activist, and some friends and I were protesting outside a circus that (so we’d been told) was mistreating a captive elephant. So there we were, four or five of us, standing by the roadside next to the entrance with signs and placards.
How Digital Tech Undermines the Value of Embodiment
A Theology of Embodiment When we look to Scripture to discover what we human beings truly are like, one of the first, most foundational things we discover is that we are embodied creatures made in the image of God. Every part of that description is important. Humans are made in the image of God, reflecting his nature, representing him, and reigning on his behalf over the earth and animal kingdom. We are also creatures.
Union with Christ Is at the Heart of Reformation Theology
Union with Christ When the Puritan allegorist John Bunyan (1628–1688) finally discovered spiritual peace, he described the awakening as a dramatic release from bondage: “Now did my chains fall off my legs indeed; I was loosened from my afflictions and irons. . . .
Behold, the God of Grace!
What Is Sin? Sin is not breaking a petty taboo or overstepping a mere tradition. Sin violates the sacred covenant God made with us. Sin also tears down the beautiful solidarity he built among us. For example, in Psalm 51, David’s prayer of repentance, he uses three words to describe his sin with utter realism: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
What Are the Differences Between Masculinity and Femininity?
How Do the Nonphysical Differences Between Men and Women Relate to the Physical Differences? In C. S. Lewis’s science fiction novel Perelandra, Dr. Ransom is on the planet Venus and at one point witnesses an angelic celebration. He realizes that some of the angels seem to be masculine and some feminine.
Self-Justification Is the Deepest Impulse in the Fallen Human Heart
Evading Our Guilt Deep down, every single one of us does not want to come clean about the depth of our sin. That is not just true of the non-Christian; it’s true of the Christian. I’ve never taken any law courses in my entire life, but there is a little lawyer inside me who is excellent at trying to evade my own guilt. I’m always trying to justify myself at some level, even as a Christian.
New Morning Mercies
Bibles Books Tracts Articles Donate Large Print Edition By Paul David Tripp ... Show All Paul David Tripp’s Bestselling Daily Devotional in Generous 11-Point Type Mornings can be tough. Sometimes, a hearty breakfast and strong cup of coffee just aren’t enough. Offering more than a rush of caffeine, bestselling author Paul David Tripp wants to energize you with the most potent encouragement imaginable: the gospel. Forget “behavior modification” or feel-good aphorisms.
The Secret Weapon to Church Evangelism: Sam Allberry – FamilyLife – A Cru Ministry
FamilyLife Today® What does it take for the church to reach the world? Author Sam Allberry explores the vital connection between relational health in Christian communities and effective evangelism.
Beyond the Church Facade: Sam Allberry – FamilyLife – A Cru Ministry
FamilyLife Today® Church should be a place where you can truly be yourself. But this takes honesty and vulnerability. Author Sam Allberry discusses the importance of creating a safe space for confession, honor, and connection in the church.
Gospel Sanity in a Weary World: Sam Allberry – FamilyLife – A Cru Ministry
FamilyLife Today® Are you weary and overwhelmed by our world’s divisiveness? Author Sam Allberry discusses how to find “gospel sanity” in a culture full of anger and isolation. FamilyLife Today Gospel Sanity in a Weary World: Sam Allberry 00:00 / 00:27:06 Show Notes Learn more about Sam Allberry at samallberry.com We'll send his book, "You're Not Crazy" at no cost to you with a donation of any size this week, as our way of saying a huge "Thank you!" for partnering with us.
The Doctrines of Justification and Union with Christ Illuminate One Another
A Brief Explanation and Preliminary Defense Scripture clearly says that Christians are united to Christ, but it is not intuitively obvious what this means. Union with Christ is a vague term. How is one united to Christ? The answers differ. Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox alike profess union with Christ while embracing soteriologies quite different from one another.
Character over Achievement: Gospel Culture with Paul Tripp
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Ray Ortlund I believe that because a covenant creating covenant keeping God created us in His image, we are covenant keeping people together, we’re woven into this magnificent tapestry of covenant together. I believe I literally owe it to you, Sam and to you, Paul, to live by God’s grace and for His glory with nothing less than magnificence.
What Is the Priesthood of All Believers?
United with Christ in Priesthood The priesthood of all believers is a beautiful doctrine that was revived by the Reformers. Basically, it says that Christ is our priest and that all believers in Christ are priests, in some sense, like Christ. Not just a certain special class of people in the church, but all believers share in this priesthood as we share in Christ and as we participate with Christ in a spiritual union. That’s the beautiful doctrine that we find in Scripture.
Why Pastors Need Accountability (with Paul Tripp)
Episode No. 001 More Episodes Why Pastors Need Accountability (with Paul Tripp) The Joy and Reward of Serving Christ (Rom. 15:14–33) The Church Is an Island of Hope (Rom. 15:1–13) In this episode of You’re Not Crazy, Ray Ortlund and Sam Allberry welcome Paul Tripp to remind pastors that gospel-centered ministry and personal growth thrive in community, where accountability and mutual encouragement combat spiritual blindness and isolation.
How Grace Creates Gospel Unity Now and Forever
When you think about your church’s culture, you can likely identify positive and negative aspects. There’s no perfect church. So you involve yourself in Christ’s body not because a church has it all together or has attained human perfection but because you are, in fact, “involved” in Christ’s body. Ephesians 2:19–22 (CSB) explains this about all believers: “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household . . .
Holy Imposter Syndrome
The term might not be familiar to you, but the concept behind it most likely is—imposter syndrome. It’s the feeling, often experienced in professional or academic contexts, that you can’t do what everyone believes you can and expects of you. You feel like an imposter. Any success you seem to have experienced up until this point was a fluke. You’re a fraud, and any moment now everyone is going to realize it. It’s only a matter of time. Maybe you’ve felt like this in the workplace or at school.
5 Practical Implications of Your Union with Christ
Implications of Being “in Christ” For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Rom. 5:19) We are declared righteous now in status, and his ongoing work in our lives is to make us inwardly righteous as we become more like him. Those declared righteous in Jesus are made righteous through his Spirit. What a wonderful prospect this is for us.
Good News for Pastors Worried About How They Did on Sunday
Christ Preaching Christ Sam Allberry Ephesians 2:17 kind of wrecked my view of preaching because I’d seen preaching as explaining the passage and teaching people. It’s not less than that for sure, but it’s more than that because in Ephesians 2:17 Paul says, “Christ came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to you who were near.” I never noticed that before. I stopped and thought, When did Jesus go and preach in Ephesus?
A Parent’s Guide to Talking with Kids About Gender
A Convoluted Term We have a very close family friend named Allie.1 Allie does not “fit the profile” of every feminine stereotype. She’s physically tougher than most women we know (and perhaps, a lot of men). She has tattoos. She has a physically demanding job where she builds furniture. She’s just as comfortable in shorts and a T-shirt as she is in a dress. She knows she projects a “masculine vibe” by our culture’s standards. At the same time, Allie is a Christian and knows she’s a woman.
How to Put Up with Christians You Disagree With (Rom. 14:1-12)
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Sam Allberry If I’m doing something, just because the person I look up to is telling me to do it that isn’t my own genuine faith. Ray Ortlund We don’t ultimately answer to one another. I will give an account to him of how I’ve lived in this life, and he will tell me his assessment and my opinion on that great and final day will count for zero.
The Christian’s Perfect Piece of Real Estate
You Are in Christ When I last had any extended time watching daytime TV—I was at home, sick—it became quickly apparent to me that we have a fixation with properties. There were shows about renovating homes, finding homes in the country or in the Caribbean, homes being auctioned, homes on a budget, homes of the super wealthy. Even when we’re not wanting or needing to move to a new home, it can be instinctive to look up property prices.
One with My Lord
A Practical Devotional Guide to What It Means to Be “In Christ” Followers of Jesus refer to themselves primarily as “Christians,” but the New Testament frequently used a more meaningful term: “in Christ.” Disconnected from this deeper understanding of the gospel, believers today can miss out on the significance of unity with the Lord and its power to enrich every area of their lives.
What Is the Christian Religion If You Subtract Our Union with Christ?
Theological Emphasis Some time ago we sent an email to our church family asking what sort of topics they’d like to hear teaching on, or which parts of Scripture and theology they felt hadn’t been given enough airtime. I’m glad we did so. We were able to identify some prominent pastoral needs across the congregation and plan our teaching program with that in mind. But it can be a mixed blessing to send out such a survey. Not every aspect of Christian theology is equally crucial.
September 2024 New Releases
New Books and Bibles Below is a list of the new and notable resources releasing this month from Crossway. Titles include Everyday Gospel by Paul David Tripp and One with My Lord by Sam Allberry. Everyday Gospel: A Daily Devotional Connecting Scripture to All of Life Paul David Tripp In the Everyday Gospel devotional, Paul David Tripp provides a roadmap for readers who want to spend a full year in God’s word.
Let Love Be Genuine (Rom. 12:9-21)
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Ray Ortlund Well, I’ve never said this to you. I’ve talked, never talked to you about this, but you and I were speaking once at my home several years ago, and you very kindly asked about a hardship that I went through one point, and I was simply describing it to you, and I saw a tear go down your cheek.
The Beauty of Gospel Relationships (Rom. 12:1-8)
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Ray Ortlund No one is simply useful to me for my purposes. If we are members individually of one another, then Sam, I would be personally diminished if you weren’t in my life.
Outdo One Another: Final Season of ‘You’re Not Crazy’
More Episodes Outdo One Another: Final Season of ‘You’re Not Crazy’ Introducing Season 4 and the Center for Gospel Culture How to Build Gospel Culture: A Q&A Conversation Encouragement from Paul’s Final Words What Motivates Us to Preach the Word? Join Ray Ortlund and Sam Allberry for this final season of the You’re Not Crazy podcast, as they delve into the transformative chapters of Romans 12–15 and equip you with fresh perspectives for leading and nurturing gospel-centered communities.
Introducing Season 4 and the Center for Gospel Culture
More Episodes Introducing Season 4 and the Center for Gospel Culture How to Build Gospel Culture: A Q&A Conversation Encouragement from Paul’s Final Words What Motivates Us to Preach the Word? How to Stand Firm in Your Faith and Calling Ray Ortlund and Sam Allberry discuss the upcoming season of You’re Not Crazy, where they’ll delve into Romans chapters 12-15 and focus on how to foster gospel culture in churches.
What the Children in Your Church Need to Know About Marriage
As we reckon with huge cultural changes concerning sex and marriage, it’s vital to think through what the next generation most needs to know. Here are five things the children in your church need to know. When I was growing up, we were told to be charitable if an older lady ever asked us how old we thought she looked. My rule of thumb ever since has been to take the answer I believe to be true and then subtract at least five years, just to be safe.
10 Bible Promises about Eternity
Jeremiah 10:10 But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation. Psalm 41:13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 4:14 . . . but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.
In Your Shepherding, Make It Obvious What the Good Shepherd Is Like
Pastoral Gentleness We pastors learn gentleness as we ponder carefully, How does anyone actually change? We ourselves have never really changed by being scolded, cornered, pressured, or belittled. That might modify behavior for a while, but we really change—and that’s what the gospel’s about: real, deep, profound personal change. Transformation. The glory entering in. We change as we’re surprised by grace, mercy, patience, and gentleness coming down upon us from above, and even upon us at our worst.
What the Children in Your Church Need to Know About Marriage
As we reckon with cultural changes concerning sex and marriage, here are five things the children in your church need to know about marriage. By Sam Allberry As we reckon with huge cultural changes concerning sex and marriage, it’s vital to think through what the next generation most needs to know. Here are five things the children in your church need to know. When I was growing up, we were told to be charitable if an older lady ever asked us how old we thought she looked.
The Promise Jesus Offers to Those Who Leave Everything Behind
Jesus and Community In Mark 10, Jesus gives us this staggering promise: Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29–30) What we leave.
Rejoicing over Judgment: Why God’s Wrath Is Good News
A couple of years ago, a friend and I were enjoying the view from a downtown hotel’s rooftop bar when we realized there was a function going on around us. Wanting to get some free food, we stuck around and started to mingle. But after just a couple of minutes, someone stood up to address the gathering, and we quickly discovered this was an event for a particular activist group — one whose cause both of us felt profoundly uncomfortable with, and so we discreetly slipped away.
Pastor, What Do You Preach to People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together?
More Grace Ray Ortlund I understand this question personally because for decades I preached sermons that were of the nature of law as opposed to gospel, and I didn’t even realize what I was doing. I thought my responsibility was to open up the Bible and preach expositionally about how Christians can behave better. And that’s a valid concern and a legitimate matter for a pastor to address.
3 Ways That Scriptural Leadership Differs from Secular Leadership
Key Differentials Preaching is inherently a form of leadership. Our identity as pastors and the influential nature of our pulpit ministries necessarily define it as such. And like any aspect of Christian leadership, we must be careful to exercise it and evaluate it according to biblical standards rather than worldly principles. This is what essentially differentiates scriptural leadership from secular leadership.
Dear Pastor . . . Let’s Cultivate Honesty in Our Churches-Starting with Us
This article is part of the Dear Pastor series. Dear Pastor, It happened again, but this time it was someone I knew. He’d been spiritually, physically, and it seems even sexually abusing church members for years. Much of it involved manipulation and humiliation. He enjoyed controlling people. He’d been an elder statesman in our circles for decades. He was a brilliant preacher, a strong leader, and utterly charming. So to say the revelations were shocking was an understatement.
How to Build Gospel Culture: A Q&A Conversation
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Sam Allberry Welcome back to you’re not crazy gospel sanity for younger pastors, we were going to be looking at Second Timothy chapter five today than we realized there wasn’t a second Timothy chapter five. You’re crazy. I love that. But we do have some questions that various folks have sent in.
Encouragement from Paul’s Final Words
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Sam Allberry Welcome back to your not crazy gospel sanity for young pastors. I’m Sam Aubrey and with Ray ortlund As always, we’re so glad to have you with us. We’re looking at the final paragraphs of Second Timothy lots there to think about in terms of the enemies Paul was evidently coming to terms with the presence of the Lord with him.
What Motivates Us to Preach the Word?
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Ray Ortlund Welcome back to your not crazy gospel sanity for young pastors. I’m Ray ortlund. I’m with my friend, Sam, all Barry, and we’re glad you’re listening in. Thank you, we really appreciate it. Now, we’re going to think our way through Second Timothy chapter four verses one through eight.
How to Stand Firm in Your Faith and Calling
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Sam Allberry Welcome back to you’re not crazy, Sam, we’ll be joined, as always by Ray ortlund. We’re so glad to have you with us.
Ministering in the Midst of Godlessness
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Ray Ortlund Welcome back to your not crazy gospel sanity for young pastors. I’m Ray ortlund with my friend Sam Albury, thank you for listening in.
How a Gentle Spirit Silences Contention
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Sam Allberry Welcome back to you’re not crazy. It’s so good to have you with us. Thank you for joining us. We’re going to be thinking a lot in this episode about the quarrelsome spirit and how to avoid that in our in our Christian lives and leadership.
Strengthened by the Grace of Jesus
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Ray Ortlund Hi, I’m Ray ortlund. I’m with my friend Sam alberi. Here, this is your not crazy gospel sanity for young pastors. Welcome back. We’re thinking our way through Paul’s letter to Timothy, Second Timothy in the New Testament.
How to Live Unashamed of the Gospel
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Sam Allberry Welcome back to you’re not crazy. It is very good to be with you. We’re going to be thinking in this episode again about second Timothy chapter one opposition to the Gospel, the temptation to be ashamed of the gospel. We’ll we’ll get into that.
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