The Awesome Power to Work for God’s Good Pleasure
God’s grace shouldn’t make us lazy or lead us to sin.
We “work out” our salvation. We don’t earn it, but because we are saved, as someone once said, we are to “work out what God has worked in.” God first gives us the will to work then fills us with his mighty power to work for his good pleasure. DL Moody once said: “When I was converted... Continue Reading
11 Verbs of Repentance
The Heidelberg Catechism’s answer to question 94, “What does God enjoin in the first commandment?” contains eleven verbs, eleven “doing” words.
But let’s not just go back a couple of thousand years to Ephesus, or a few hundred years to Heidelberg. Let’s bring this right up to date and apply it to our own lives with this one question: What should you put on the bonfire? Of course, it need not be a literal bonfire. But... Continue Reading
8 Reasons the Worship Industry Is Killing Worship
Kill the worship industry before it kills worship
It spreads bad theology. Mostly because it comes from the wrong sources. The best of the church’s hymnody was written by pastors and theologians. It was crafted by poets and scholars. The result are texts of high quality. But the industry in its quest to be marketable only has room for marketable people who write marketable... Continue Reading
How Not to Ask for Forgiveness
The manner in which we ask forgiveness speaks much about the quality of our repentance
The truly amazing thing about being forgiven is that it is a liberating experience. As God in Christ has set us free from sin’s misery, power and curse, so too when we confess sin sincerely to others, an enormous burden is removed from our shoulders. Insincere repentance never removes that burden. In fact it adds... Continue Reading
15 Arguments in Favor of Covenant Child Baptism
Here are 15 arguments in favor of covenant child baptism by sprinkling or pouring, 10 on the subjects of baptism and 5 on the mode
Paul clearly makes a connection between circumcision and baptism. Be careful, though! These verses are not referring to either physical circumcision or water baptism, but rather to the spiritual reality to which these covenant signs point. Both circumcision and baptism are covenant signs that point to the regenerating and cleansing work of the Holy Spirit.... Continue Reading
Are There Degrees of Sin?
It’s clear that we have different degrees of sin when we consider the warnings of Scripture.
Why is it important for us to emphasize this point? Many times I’ve talked to men who struggle with lust and they say to themselves or to me, “I might as well go ahead and commit adultery because I’m already guilty of lust. I can’t be in any worse shape in the sight of God,... Continue Reading
Through Good Works? (1)
Do we come into possession of eternal life through good works as a co-instrument with faith?
This raises the question: did the Reformed teach that good works are co-instrumental in salvation in the fullest sense? Did they teach that it is partly through faith and partly through good works that we are delivered from the wrath to come and from the effects of sin? On its face it seems improbable that... Continue Reading
Did Jesus Have a “Gospel-Centered” Ministry?
Working through the Gospel of Mark, how would we categorize Jesus' ministry?
This brings me back to the original question: did Jesus’ have a gospel-centered ministry? The answer, it turns out, depends on whether or not the trademark is applied. Under the “gospel-centered”TM rubric, a true ministry must constantly and almost exclusively hammer home the free offer of forgiveness through faith alone in Christ’s blood. Teaching theology... Continue Reading
A Prayer for the Weeping Heart
If your heart also weeps, this prayer of lament is for you
Father, grant me gospel joy; help me to rejoice in Christ even as I grieve. Envelope me with the peace and comfort only you can provide. As the days move into months, may this burden lessen. As the months move to years, use me to encourage and bless someone else who must walk a similar... Continue Reading
Why Theology Matters
Theology and the Christian life are not competing interests, but two sides of the same coin.
Theology fuels our devotion to God and our passion for sharing the Gospel. A solid theological vision of God and the Christian life is a powerful tool for mission. Imagine if every Christian were a good theologian. Not just a good theologian, but a good theologian in the distinctively Christian sense. Theology matters for your... Continue Reading
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