As The Sun Shines on the Dung Hill (Or: Grace and Works Inconsistent)
God justifies a sinner only by grace, and faith is a God-given instrument that receives God’s free gift of Christ’s righteousness.
“It is without respect to any work done by the sinner (Titus 3:5). Grace and works are inconsistent in this matter. Men may render themselves acceptable to men, by some work of theirs, that is profitable or pleasant to them; but no work of ours can render us acceptable to God. It is natural for... Continue Reading
Review: “Humble Roots – How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul”
“Humble Roots” offers a compelling, and profoundly countercultural, vision for what it truly looks like to live as imago dei, in an increasingly imago apparatus world.
In her introduction she states, “…looking like God does not mean that we are God. We are made in God’s image, but we are made nonetheless.” (p. 11) Anderson’s assertion is that the key to productive and peaceful Christian living is found, not in fighting our limitations, as the modern titans of technology would insist, but in embracing them, and... Continue Reading
Reformation Romance: Pigtails On The Pillow – Part 2
Romance-challenged Luther was resolved to marry Katharina von Bora but seemingly without consulting her.
Little wonder that Luther called marriage “the school of character.” No doubt, it was to be a lifetime tutorial that worked both ways. While Katharina had her work cut out for her living with a giant of a man like Luther, marriage would require still more radical adjustments for Luther. “There is a lot to get... Continue Reading
When Darkness Hides His Face
Following Jesus doesn’t mean life will be painless and easy!
Dear Christian, if you’re suffering, facing affliction, or if your cross has recently been very hard to bear, don’t take it as a sign that God is angry with you, has stopped loving you, or has forgotten about you. By God’s grace, our suffering is productive (Rom 5:3-4). Our feelings are not a reliable guide... Continue Reading
Reformation Romance: Love and Marriage Luther and Katie’s Way – Part 1
Luther received a letter, a passionate appeal for his counsel from more than a dozen nuns who desperately wanted to flee the nunnery; and then he played matchmaker.
Setting to work with his typical zeal, Luther soon had matches or suitable circumstances arranged for all but one of the runaway nuns, spunky twenty-six-year-old Katharina von Bora. After several failed attempts—picky Katharina turned down several offers of marriage—she laughed off an aged candidate with the quip that she would rather marry Luther than Dr.... Continue Reading
How My Books are Being Banned at the Society of Biblical Literature
SBL’s ire of book banning is directed to the simple belief that the Bible teaches marriage is between a man and a woman.
But, apparently book banning is back in vogue. Dr. John Kutsko, executive director of the Society of Biblical Literature, has just proposed that InterVarsity Press–one of the largest evangelical presses in the country– be suspended from having a book stall at the annual SBL meeting (starting in 2017). The reason for this ban is the... Continue Reading
The Provocative People of Proverbs
The book of Proverbs warns us about people like that, people who love to incite conflict and hate to resolve it.
The morally deficient fool. “Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, but any fool will quarrel” (20:3). This brand of fool is even worse than the obstinate one. This one outs himself the moment he opens his mouth because his words show him to be utterly deficient in goodness and grace. He... Continue Reading
Kenneth Woodward Untangles Some Political Strands in American Religion (Review)
Woodward, who has written earlier books on saints and on miracles in different religious traditions, has produced a volume that is clearly meant as a career valedictory
“Journalism’s emphasis on what is provably factual — vote totals, stock prices, batting averages — left most reporters and editors leery of the ineffable, inchoate qualities of religion. To the degree that mainstream American journalism gradually rose to the task in later decades, it did so by erroneously trying to comprehend religion through the prism... Continue Reading
Before You Sought Him (Bernard)
Bernard says it is important to realize that God seeks us before we seek him. If we don’t understand this, we’ll rob God of his glory
“‘I have sought,’ she says, ‘him whom my soul loves’ (Sg 3:1). This is what the kindness of Him who goes before you urges you to do, He who both sought you first and loved you first (1 Jn 4:10). You would not be seeking Him or loving Him unless you had first been sought... Continue Reading
A Transatlantic Elegy For An American Hillbilly
This book will stay with me for a long time but not for the reasons many other love (or loathe) it. Haunting and mesmerising.
Having read the book I am now not sure whether this is a book review or an online self-understanding counselling session. You see, to me at least, this is not just a book. It’s not even a poem of bereavement. It is so much more than that. It is a dark lament. A lament of... Continue Reading
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