Messages

Eight Jewels of Christian Living by Sam Storms (Ephesians 4:25–5:1)

Have you ever felt the crushing weight of trying to "be good enough" for God, only to realize you’ve been living the Christian life backward? In this message on Ephesians 4:25–5:1, Sam Storms unpacks the "grammar of the Gospel," explaining that the entire Christian life is built on the relationship between the indicative (the statement of fact regarding what God has done) and the imperative (the command for how we should act). He warns that reversing this order—trying to "do" in order to be "loved" or saved—is a dangerous mistake that leads to a legalistic, miserable life. Yet, he reminds us that because we are already declared righteous in Christ, we are empowered to wear the "eight jewels" of Christian living. From speaking the truth and managing anger to radically forgiving others as Christ forgave us, these virtues are the natural fruit of a life grounded in the "indicative" of God's prior mercy.