The Believing Heart

12/07/2026

What a gracious reminder of God's sovereign providence.

Today, I had the privilege of meeting one of the classmates of my teacher, Pastor Noel of GMA, here in Bologna. They studied together in England, and by God's providence, we met at the Reformed Baptist Church here in Italy.

The Lord never ceases to amaze me with the way He orders our steps and unites His people across nations and generations. Even far from home, His providential hand is evident, reminding me that we are one family in Christ.

To God alone be the glory.

Soli Deo Gloria.

01/07/2026

01/07/2026

After finishing my work as a domestic helper for my employers, who are doctors here in Bologna, I'm now on my way back to my apartment. While waiting for the train, I'm enjoying a few quiet moments playing with my yo-yo. Summer is definitely here—it's incredibly hot in Italy.

Thank You, Lord, for giving me the strength, wisdom, and grace to complete another day of honest work. Every day is a blessing, every challenge is a lesson, and every step forward is a reminder of Your faithfulness. With a grateful heart, I continue to move forward one day at a time. All glory belongs to You.

30/06/2026

"The God of the Bible Is the God Who Chooses"

“But when He who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by His grace…”
— Galatians 1:15

In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul defended the divine origin of his apostleship against those who questioned his authority. He testified that God had “set me apart before I was born,” emphasizing that his ministry did not arise from personal ambition, human approval, or religious accomplishment. Rather, it rested entirely upon God's eternal purpose and sovereign will. Echoing the calling of Jeremiah (Jer. 1:5), Paul shows that God sovereignly appoints His servants according to His eternal counsel long before their public calling appears in history.

Galatians 1:15 reveals that God's calling originates in His eternal decree. Before his conversion, Paul was a fierce persecutor of Christ's Church and, by every human standard, the least likely candidate for apostleship. Yet sovereign grace overturned every expectation. The phrase, “set me apart from my mother's womb,” points not to personal merit but to God's sovereign appointment. Paul's encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road was not a change in God's plan but the historical unfolding of what God had eternally decreed. At the appointed time, Christ effectually called him and transformed the persecutor into an apostle. His salvation, calling, and ministry were entirely gifts of God's sovereign grace, leaving no room for human boasting.

This truth provides both assurance and humility. Salvation rests entirely upon God's grace rather than human effort or worthiness. Likewise, every lawful calling within Christ's kingdom is a gracious gift entrusted by God. Therefore, there is no place for pride, since every gift and every ministry come from Him alone. God's timing is always perfect, and His providence never fails. As He called Paul according to His appointed purpose, so He faithfully accomplishes His will in the lives of His people. The more deeply we understand sovereign grace, the more humbly we worship, faithfully serve, and gratefully live.

Paul's testimony ultimately directs our attention away from himself and unto the Lord Jesus Christ. The God who transformed a violent persecutor into His chosen apostle continues to save sinners by the same sovereign grace today. No sinner is beyond the reach of God's mercy, and no past is too dark for Christ's redeeming power. Therefore, repent of your sins, trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and rest entirely upon His finished work on the cross. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. May we join Paul in giving all praise to the God who sovereignly calls, justifies, sanctifies, and will one day glorify His people. “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).

Soli Deo Gloria
— The Believing Heart

25/06/2026

Sanctification

Matthew 5:48 declares, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Within the Reformed tradition, this command is not interpreted as a call to attain sinless perfection in this present life, but as a summons to reflect the character of God, particularly His mercy, love, and goodness. The immediate context concerns Christ’s command to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43–48). Jesus points to the Father, who graciously sends rain and sunshine upon both the righteous and the unrighteous. God’s kindness is not conditioned by human worthiness, and Christ calls His disciples to display the same gracious spirit.

The Reformers rejected all claims of absolute perfection before glorification. John Calvin observed that Christ is not comparing believers with God in degree but in resemblance. The Father is the pattern, and His children are called to imitate Him. Luke’s parallel account sheds further light on this command: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36). Thus, the perfection Christ requires is chiefly seen in sincere, selfless, and merciful love.

This verse reveals both God’s holy standard and man’s inability to meet it. God’s law demands perfect righteousness, yet all have sinned and fallen short of His glory. None has perfectly loved his enemies or consistently reflected God’s goodness. Accordingly, this command exposes our sin and drives us to Christ. He alone fulfilled God’s law perfectly. He loved His enemies, prayed for those who crucified Him, and willingly gave Himself for sinners. In Christ alone the demands of divine justice are satisfied.

This verse encourages believers to pursue holiness without falling into either despair or pride. Christians still struggle with indwelling sin, yet they are called to grow in grace and conformity to Christ. Sanctification is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, producing increasing love, forgiveness, humility, and mercy. Though perfection is not fully attained in this life, it remains the goal toward which every believer presses.

Matthew 5:48 confronts every sinner with God’s perfect standard. The verse silences all self-righteousness and reveals our need for a Savior. The good news of the gospel is that what God requires, Christ has accomplished. Through faith alone, sinners are justified by Christ’s righteousness, adopted into God’s family, and progressively transformed by the Spirit. Consequently, this command not only reveals our need for Christ but also points to the glorious work of God, who is conforming His people to the image of His Son until the day they are made perfect in glory.

Sanctification is God's work through the Holy Spirit, making believers more like Christ and growing them in holiness.

Soli Deo Gloria
— The Believing Heart

23/06/2026

What Was Esau's Sin?

Esau's fundamental sin was not merely marrying pagan women or making a poor decision regarding his inheritance. His central sin was despising God's covenant blessings, most clearly revealed when he sold his birthright for a single meal (Genesis 25:29–34).

Esau was the firstborn son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham. In the ancient Near Eastern world, the firstborn son held a position of great privilege and responsibility. The birthright ordinarily included a double portion of the inheritance and leadership within the family. Yet in the covenant family established by God, the birthright carried even greater significance. It was connected to the promises God had given to Abraham—promises concerning land, blessing, and the covenant line through which the Messiah would ultimately come. Esau possessed these privileges by birth, yet he treated them as insignificant when compared with the immediate satisfaction of his physical appetite.

Esau's actions demonstrated a profound disregard for what was sacred. The narrative concludes with the striking statement: “Thus Esau despised his birthright” (Genesis 25:34). His decision was not driven merely by hunger but by a value system that elevated temporary pleasures above covenant realities. The New Testament confirms this interpretation. Hebrews 12:16 warns believers not to be “unholy” or “profane” like Esau, who exchanged his birthright for a single meal. His later marriages to Hittite women further revealed this same attitude. These marriages grieved Isaac and Rebekah because they ignored the covenant concerns that had shaped Abraham's and Isaac's households. These marriages were not the root of Esau's sin but evidence of an already indifferent heart toward God's purposes.

Romans 9:10–13 provides an important theological dimension. God's choice of Jacob over Esau occurred before either brother had done good or evil. Therefore, Esau was not rejected because he sold the birthright, nor was Jacob chosen because he was morally superior. Rather, Esau's actions revealed the unbelief present within him, while God's sovereign purpose in election stood apart from human merit.

Esau serves as a warning to those who enjoy outward religious privileges. He lived within the covenant community, knew God's promises, and yet valued present comforts above eternal blessings. His tragedy was not merely that he sinned by despising his birthright, but that there is no indication that he ever truly repented of his contempt for God's covenant blessings. His tears were directed toward the loss of the blessing rather than sorrow for sin against God (Heb. 12:17).

As Matthew Henry rightly observed, “People are ruined, not so much by doing what is amiss, as by doing it and not repenting of it, doing it and standing to it.”

Soli Deo Gloria
—The Believing Heart

21/06/2026

This Father's Day, I am reminded that being a good husband and a faithful father is not easy. Remaining faithful to my wife, caring for my family from afar, and persevering in the Christian faith have all been great challenges.

For ten years, I was unable to return to the Philippines, and part of that time was prolonged by the pandemic. There were seasons of loneliness, struggles, and many moments when I felt my own weakness. I am far from perfect and have failed in many ways.

Yet, looking back, I can testify not to my own strength but to the faithfulness of God. By His sovereign providence, grace, and mercy, He sustained me. When I was weak, He upheld me. When I was discouraged, He preserved me. When I was tempted to give up, He kept me by His grace.

As a husband, father, and follower of Christ, I stand today not because of what I have accomplished, but because God has been faithful to His promises. All glory belongs to Him alone.

“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Soli Deo Gloria
—The Believing Heart

20/06/2026

EVANGELISM

14/06/2026

The Pricetag of a Man

Ephesians 5:25 ESV
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

Lord, by Your sustaining grace and abundant mercy, I pray that on the day I stand before You, I may be able to say:

“Lord, this is the wife You entrusted to my care. By Your grace alone, I sought to love her as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. I did not abuse her or deal harshly with her, but endeavored to honor, cherish, and serve her as my covenant companion. I sought to lead her faithfully in the truth of Your Word, not in my own strength, but through the power of Your Spirit. Though imperfect and often in need of repentance, my desire was to be a faithful husband, loving her sacrificially and pointing her to Christ. Whatever good was found in my husbanding was owing entirely to Your grace. To You alone be the glory.”

Soli Deo Gloria
—The Believing Heart

07/06/2026

DO NOT REINTERPRET SIN

Many people define sin according to personal experience, culture, upbringing, or circumstances. But the Christian must not reinterpret sin according to human opinion. We must define sin according to Scripture.

Romans 7:18 ESV
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

From a Reformed perspective, this passage teaches the believer's ongoing struggle with indwelling sin. Paul is not describing humanity in general but the experience of a regenerate person. When he says that "no good thing dwells in me," he immediately qualifies this statement by adding, "that is, in my flesh." He acknowledges that, apart from God's renewing grace, his fallen human nature remains corrupted by sin (TOTAL DEPRAVITY). Yet he does not deny the work of the Holy Spirit within him. The believer therefore experiences a conflict between the remnants of the flesh and the renewing work of the Spirit.

The "flesh" refers to all that remains of fallen human nature, while the "spirit" refers to the aspect of the believer renewed by the Holy Spirit. Both are present within the believer, creating an ongoing struggle. The Christian genuinely desires to obey God because the Spirit has transformed the heart and produced a sincere love for righteousness. However, the believer's obedience remains imperfect because the flesh continually resists and hinders complete conformity to God's law.

Thus, Paul's statement that he wills what is good but does not fully accomplish it does not mean that his desire is insincere. Rather, it means that his actual performance falls short of his renewed desires. This passage therefore illustrates the doctrine of sanctification: believers are truly renewed, yet they continue to battle remaining sin until they are glorified.

"Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you."
— John Owen

Soli Deo Gloria
—The Believing Heart