Zach Uram's Blog

  • The Biblical Gospel: Grounded in Justification

    The very essence of the gospel, of Jesus Christ, is justification by faith alone. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone. None of our good works are meritorious. We are totally undeserving of salvation. God did not condition our faith on us accepting Christ in our future (God exists outside of time). No. Our justification is not grounded in any quality, action, or work on our part. It is grounded in the righteousness of Christ, which is imputed to us, even as our sin was imputed to Him. This doctrine is known as penal substitutionary atonement. It is the very biblical gospel.

    So we see that man is not saved by his works. Rather, we are saved by Christ’s works!

    The doctrine of justification by faith alone addresses this fundamental issue of how sinful man can be at peace with a holy God. This is why it is the heart and essence of the gospel.

    John Murray

    The clearest statement of the concept of justification by faith in Galatians is to be found in Chapter 2, verses 15-16 in which Paul writes: We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is justified not by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.

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  • Ice Cold Drinks

    I love an
    Ice-cold drink
    It’s better
    Than you think

    When I have
    A great thirst
    An ice-cold water
    I drink first

    I like
    My drink ice-cold
    The colder the better
    They are a wonder to behold

    Give me lemonade
    And some milk too
    There is no ice-cold drink
    That I will eschew

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2024

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  • I Am Not Insane

    Everyone in the world
    Is insane but me
    I am the very picture
    Of complete sanity

    The children
    Are disturbed
    Their parents’ minds
    Are perturbed

    I am not
    A madman
    My mind is whole
    It’s not broken

    I take psychoactive
    Medication
    It’s a strange
    Situation

    I long
    To be free
    From my
    Psychiatric misery

    One day
    My mind will be whole
    I’ll be in heaven
    And I’ll go on a stroll

    I have
    The mind of Christ
    It alone
    Sufficed

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2024

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  • Divorce

    Sadly, I am a child of divorce. My parents divorced in 1989(my mother initiated the divorce) when I was 13 years old. They had been married for 16 years.

    The breakup of our nuclear family had a devastating effect on me. To be honest, I must admit that now even 35 years later, the sting from the divorce is still raw in my psyche. I never “got over it” or “grew out of it” to name two of the most unhelpful common platitudes I’ve heard.

    Most pastors are not equipped to help heal victims of divorce. Especially not when they have underlying issues like severe mental illness in my case.

    I cried myself to bed many nights. My whole world had collapsed into a heap. I felt severe anxiety and psychological torment. The pain was so intense.

    I prayed to God to restore my family. But it was not to be.

    My two sisters also suffered from the divorce, though not as badly as I have.

    Jesus says a married couple may divorce if one of them commits adultery. Even in this case, everything must be tried to save the marriage before they divorce.

    Paul says a couple may divorce if one of them is a nonbeliever.

    That’s the only 2 biblical cases where divorce is permitted. It should be noted that according to Christ those who have divorced on biblical grounds are still not free to remarry until their spouse dies. If they remarry while their spouse is still alive and have sex they are guilty of adultery.

    Married folks: please do not divorce! Do everything you can to heal the marriage bond. Marriage is serious, it’s a covenant before God, and should not be entered lightly.

    Ever since morality has worsened in the West, and with the passage of so-called “no-fault” laws that have made it very easy to get a divorce, the number of divorces has skyrocketed.

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  • Our Fur Babies: Posie, Poop Nose, and Poopy Doopy

    Vi and I love our fur babies
    They are so cute
    They love it when
    I play the flute

    In 1989 we got them
    I will never forget that day
    They fill our lives with love
    In every single way

    They are Wrinkles doggies
    So happy and lively
    They love to play
    And they are always lovely

    Our fur babies
    They are very close to us
    They never
    Make a fuss

    We have no reason
    To fear
    While our doggies
    Are near

    Thank You, Lord Jesus
    For bringing these doggies
    Into our lives
    These precious fur babies

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2024

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  • My Dearest Big Sister Vi

    Vi is so dear
    She rubs my sore feet
    She can’t be beat

    Vi cooks my food
    It’s gourmet
    I thank her every day

    Vi cleans
    The floor
    She gets groceries at the store

    Vi mops the kitchen
    And the bathroom too
    There is no dirt she’ll eschew

    Vi washes my clothes
    She folds them all until she’s done
    Vi and I love to have fun

    Vi helps me
    To organize my bedroom
    She also will vacuum

    Vi is
    So sweet
    She is my dear maleet

    Vi is
    My precious chumlay
    She loves to pray

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2024

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  • Feeling Blue

    I’m feeling lackadaisical
    I’m ill physiological

    I’m totally depressed
    I don’t want to get dressed

    I am very lethargic
    I feel neurotic

    I am full of fatigue
    I feel like I’m under the ocean by a league

    I feel so down
    I’m like a sad clown

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2024

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  • Happy Birthday Vi

    Today my dear sister Vi
    Is half a century old
    She looks to be only 17
    Her youthful looks are bold

    Her mind is sharp
    She is highly educated
    Vi has a degree in English literature
    In college, she worked hard and matriculated

    She is a skilled poet
    And a gifted artist too
    When it comes to being creative
    There is no obstacle she doesn’t eschew

    Vi is my best friend
    She supports me in so many ways
    She is an excellent cook
    Vi helps me all my days

    I love her so much
    And I look forward to
    50 more years together
    Please Jesus let this be true

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2024

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  • Battling Depression

    I lie in bed
    Like a beached whale
    Here is my
    Sad tale

    I’ve been suffering
    For a quarter century
    I’m sick and tired
    Of this mental misery

    I lack
    Motivation
    This is a bad
    Situation

    I long
    To run and play
    Instead, I’m trapped inside
    And full of dismay

    The seasons
    Pass me by
    All I want to do
    Is cry

    My malaise
    Makes me want to scream
    I wish this was
    Just a bad dream

    I try not
    To despair
    I know that my family
    And Christ care

    I will fight
    I won’t give up
    In the meantime
    I’m a depressed pup

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2024

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  • A Tale of Authorities

    When defining doctrine, we Reformed affirm Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) as our highest authority. It restricts us from tainting our interpretation of Scripture by adding extraneous sources of doctrine.

    Roman Catholics affirm Sola Ecclesia (Church Alone) contains the dual authorities of tradition and the magisterium (teaching authority). Scripture, tradition, and the magisterium are all equal in authority in the Roman Catholic church.

    The Word of God should have a place of preeminence and singular authority.
    By placing other things on par with Scripture, Roman Catholics get doctrine which is merely the fallible traditions of men, and as a result, much of their doctrines are false.

    By applying Sola Scriptura to biblical exegesis we produce what is known as Reformed theology. Reformed theology alone has purity of doctrine, and infallible interpretation while one is being guided by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. Roman Catholics will not arrive at Reformed theology, because they place tradition and their magisterium on the same level as Scripture. This results in eisegesis and much doctrine that is heretical.

    Sola Scriptura is absolutely essential to preserving the biblical gospel. It is a critically important principle. It ensures we are following the right path of interpretation, and that our doctrine is absolutely biblical.

    Historically, when churches have abandoned the principle of Sola Scriptura, they quickly descend into all manner of heresies and blasphemies.

    The true gospel of Christ has been obscured and altered in the Roman Catholic church throughout the ages.

    We thank God for raising up His Reformation of the Church.

    The truest expression of right doctrine is found solely in Reformed churches.

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