By Good and Necessary Consequence
Unless a teaching we have derived from Scripture is both good and necessary, we may not use it to bind others.
Romans 13:1, which says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.” Looking at that one text alone, someone might argue that if the particular government they are subject to orders them to bow to an idol, they should do so. It seems, at first glance, to be a “necessary” consequence of the command... Continue Reading
A Response to the Rio Grande Presbytery AC’s Recommendation to Vote Against Overture 23
The Rio Grande Presbytery’s Administrative Committee has recommended that the members vote not to approve Overture 23; Presbytery member David Linden responds.
When we believe in the certainty of the Spirit changing us into the likeness of Christ in real progress of holiness, never absent in any believer, we must not assert that we are a big exception to the Spirit’s work – under the guise of the Spirit’s supposed right not to weaken sinful sexual desires... Continue Reading
Post-Christian Christianity
Secularism has infected the church as a whole.
In my book Post-Christian, I explore and critique post-Christian culture, but I also have a chapter entitled “Post-Christian Christianity.” In that chapter, I discuss this phenomenon in much more detail and argue that one of the main reasons for the secularism of the broader society is that our churches have become so secularized. This is especially evident in... Continue Reading
The Law of the Lord
God has revealed himself, and he has done so both through his Natural Revelation—what he has made—and through his Special Revelation—what he has said.
Both God’s natural revelation and his special revelation condemn us. They reveal to us our incompatibility as sinners with the holiness of God and the way he designed his universe to operate for his glory. Scripture explicitly teaches us that the payment for sin is death, it reproves and corrects us. It warns us, as... Continue Reading
Total Depravity
Sin is not a virus lurking outside of us, but a poison that defiles our hearts from within.
Perhaps the supreme indication of the deadly seriousness of our depravity is the deadly seriousness of God’s solution. The way that He uses death to defeat death, and not just any death, but the agonizing death of His only beloved Son, the eternal Christ of God, nailed to a Roman cross. If that is the... Continue Reading
The Movement to Destigmatize Pedophilia Needs to Stop Now
Those pushing for destigmitization claim they are doing so out of compassion for those suffering from unwanted attractions, but they are bad faith actors with sinister agendas and a deeply perverse view of human sexuality.
We must call out every attempt to “destigmatize” pedophilia. Those doing so may claim they are doing so out of compassion for those suffering from unwanted attractions, but they are bad faith actors with sinister agendas and a deeply perverse view of human sexuality. The place they are beckoning us toward is not one of... Continue Reading
God Heard Their Groaning | Exodus 2
This is a glorious example of God overturning the strong through the weak.
We are indeed able to boldly approach God’s throne, laying our burdens, cries, and groans before Him with the steadfast hope that He will hear, He will see, and He will know. And this hope is rooted, not in God’s remembrance of any good that we have done, for as Jonathan Edwards (I believe) rightly... Continue Reading
Mary Slessor – An Unconventional Missionary
She is mostly remembered for her rescue and care of twin babies who, in the local culture, were left to die. Her first commitment, however, was always firmly to the gospel.
She took seriously the Foreign Mission secretary’s advice that she spend as much time as possible with the local women in order to learn their language, Efik. But she was surprised to see that none of the women had yet joined the church. “Something more must be done for the women here if we are to... Continue Reading
Doctrine and Life: Let Us Not Divorce What God Has Joined Together
Doctrine without life is dead and life without sound doctrine is leading to death.
Paul repeatedly refers to sound doctrine in his Pastoral Epistles. He knows that sound, or healthy, doctrine does not give life; the Spirit of God. But anyone born the Spirit needs the know and grow in life-giving doctrines of God. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching [doctrine]. Persist in this,... Continue Reading
The Analog Family
Analog houses are tactile, warm, and inviting (if a bit chaotic at times).
Analog requires effort. You have to put some effort into it, but you can expect the outcome to be proportional. Do you invest love, time, and joy? Guess what you will get? I built a fire with my eight-year-old son this week. He helped me gather the firewood. We stacked it together. He lit... Continue Reading
5 Presbyterian Predictions for 2022
The following predictions are not pretty.
So what will be the end of the matter, if end there be? Maybe cries of “Make presbyterianism boring again!” will reverberate in the cavernous GA hall as presbyters long for the day when some of these controversies are behind them. Please forgive the fact that all of these very personal and very fallible... Continue Reading
The Imago Dei Under Attack
Humanity is sacred because it was created after God’s likeness.
Tracing our lineage back to Adam gives the racist a proverbial punch in the face because, in a very real sense, we all have the same ancestors. Though we may look different, speak different, and act different, in the end we are no different. We are humans made in the image of God, and that... Continue Reading
Logical Arguments Have Neither Gender nor Race
Poor reasoning is a product of the fall.
Arguments that use the gender or race of the arguer as a reason to dismiss their opponents are fallacious. They both commit the logical fallacy called ad hominin. This fallacy is when you attack the person making the argument instead of the argument itself. As Christians who pursue the truth wherever we may find it, we should never use this kind of... Continue Reading
The Amazing Story of Frank Barker and Campus Outreach
Campus Outreach was famous for its evangelism, founded by a church famous for its evangelism, planted by a man famous for his evangelism.
In its 40 years, Campus Outreach has seen 55,000 students at evangelistic events. Staff and volunteers have discipled 15,000 students over weekly Bible studies and worship times—1,447 of them have gone on to serve in ministry or missions. Over the last 12 months alone, 712 students have professed their faith in Christ. More than 20 years... Continue Reading
Get the Courts Out of Science
Human rights and public health are too important to be left in the hands of high courts.
The very existence of this [OSHA vaccine mandates] case in the Supreme Court reveals that something is fundamentally broken about our presumptions about the relationship between the individual and the state. It must be fixed. It won’t finally be fixed by a court but rather a dramatic cultural change that embraces certain fundamental propositions about... Continue Reading
Leading Science Magazine Questions Biological Reality of Male and Female
Actual science proves the new gender religion utterly false.
Humanity has never had any real trouble speaking scientifically, truthfully, and factually about what it means to be human as male and female. Never. No one has ever been confused about what those two words mean (and do not mean) until the last millisecond of human history. We are often lectured, with no small measure of... Continue Reading
Preparing Our Children for Babylon
Wise parents sharpen arrows to be shot out into a hostile culture.
We should not underestimate what God will do with wise children equipped with a biblical worldview in a covenant context. And we should not fear bringing them into the world, for God’s aim and desire is to use them to get glory for Himself in Babylon. I don’t want to bring kids into this... Continue Reading
Why Overtures 23 & 37 Belong in the PCA BCO: Overcoming Objections
Rebuttals to 8 common objections to Overtures 23 & 37 that say they Don’t Belong in the PCA Book of Church Order.
This will Set a New Standard by Which to Amend the BCO for Every Cultural Issue. Rebuttal: Almost every year the BCO is amended so that we are guided and aided in our practice as new issues with it present themselves. These changes directly affect and guide the practice of the church. We have entered... Continue Reading
Everyday Prayer with the Puritans
Book Review: Prayer is not only our life’s breath but life-changing.
McKim points out that “The first act of Paul after he was converted was to pray! Richard Baxter referred to this incident and wrote the following: ‘Prayer is the breath of the new creature.’” McKim comments and asks, “our breath should be devoted to prayer! Do you regard prayer as essential to your life as... Continue Reading
Trials Prove True Joy
What Jesus Says About Happiness
The wheat and the tares grow together, and their joy can sometimes look identical. And so we are looking for joy that endures. We are looking for joy that works its way into all of our lives and grows from seed to tree. We are especially looking for joy that keeps rejoicing even in the... Continue Reading
How “Conversion Therapy” Bans Are Akin to Apostasy Laws
We must protect our right to promote the gospel even when it conflicts with secular religious beliefs.
Based on the text of the [proposed] ordinance, counseling teenagers by telling them what God says about sexuality is a form of punishable heresy since it violates the sacred texts (e.g., statements by the American Psychoanalytic Association) of some West Lafayette city council members. The Story A proposed city ordinance in Indiana highlights why... Continue Reading
NASCAR Goes Gay: Every American Sport League Is Now Actively, Unashamedly Pro-LGBT
With NASCAR’s move, virtually every American sport league is now actively, unashamedly pro-LGBT, committed to promoting sodomy as good, and essentially tossing the complementarity of man and woman into the dumpster of history.
Why wouldn’t LGBT activists come for your children? They’ve already come for NASCAR and every major American sport league and won. If NFL offensive linemen and defensive tackles can be captured by LGBT forces, and MLB and NBA players be held hostage, grabbing your kids’ hearts and minds is no big deal. (LifeSiteNews) –... Continue Reading
What Year Is It Anyway?
What will God, in his goodness and wisdom and grace and power, do with us in the new year?
The great goodness and compassion of God liberates us to say with Matthew Henry: “Firmly believing that my times are in God’s hand, I here submit myself and all my affairs for the ensuing year, to the wise and gracious disposal of God’s divine providence.” In her rich fantasy novel, Piranesi, author Susanna Clarke... Continue Reading
Is Deconstruction the Same as Deconversion? A Few Reflections on Reforming the Church
Some use deconstruction as a functional synonym for deconversion. To say “I deconverted” is the equivalent of saying, “I deconstructed my faith.” Thus, it’s a rejection of historic Christian beliefs.
The fact that the church is the beloved bride of Christ is not a reason to care less about her shortcomings, but more. Indeed, the church is the most important institution on the planet. So, if someone raises good-faith concerns about the state of the church, let’s be quick to listen and slow to speak.... Continue Reading
Church Planting In The Hood
Planting healthy, confessionally Reformed churches in the hood!
We, Reformed Church of Los Angeles, have been probably one of the most conservative churches in the RCA since we planted, but they were always good to us and always let us be. The RCA is egalitarian, but we’re complementarian. The RCA has made accommodations for Baptists, but we’re Reformed. The RCA is confessional and... Continue Reading
Turning the Tables on Unbelief
Because you believe God’s Word, you know more about the unbelief of your friends than they do.
It is right to critique unbelief as an incoherent, unsustainable worldview. But we must also offer an alternative. Apologists don’t merely answer questions or defend against accusations. They proclaim and invite. Apologetic conversations aren’t about hypothetical truths, but about life’s most important matters. We mustn’t simply stick to the scripts of critics; we must... Continue Reading
The ARP Session’s Authority and Responsibility Concerning Public Corporate Worship
An overview of Session’s authority regarding a congregation’s public corporate worship in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.
How should the Session deal with these providential hinderances? When dealing with such rare and unavoidable circumstances, the Session must clearly be guided by biblical wisdom and principles, objective certainties, and sound reasoning, and not by speculation, worldly wisdom, and unsupported fear. The Session should lean on what is “known” rather than what is “unknown”... Continue Reading
The Sorry State of Evangelical Rhetoric
Social justice evangelicals employ certain socio-rhetorical devices as substitutes for reason.
What evangelicals need most today is actual moral reasoning, one that recognizes complexity; clear distinctions; clarified principles; competing goods; the penultimate and ultimate ends of the civil, ecclesiastical, and domestic societies; a multiplicity of responsibilities and duties; and prudence. Reacting to the unprecedented degree of rancor and acrimony in American evangelicalism today, many evangelicals have called for... Continue Reading
In Ur, the New World Religion Was Launched On March 6, 2021
On 6 March, 2021 the Pope officially launched his new religion.
The Pope is calling for an International Pluralistic religion, centered around himself. It is not difficult to see where this is all going, since he himself makes that clear; “It is up to us, today’s humanity, especially those of us, believers of all religions, to turn instruments of hatred into instruments of peace.” On... Continue Reading
That One Common Ache
Oh, the common ache of mankind! To be known and loved unconditionally.
How devastating to neglect this staggering fact: if you are in Christ, you already possess this unconditional love. You are known and fully treasured by God himself. What an imperishable delight: one that cannot be withdrawn. Nor can it be earned. God’s love is a majestic gift. We are his image-bearers, and therein lies our complete worth.... Continue Reading
