One of the greatest benefits of explicitly stated creeds is that they protect the church from unwritten and unstated creeds. Everyone has beliefs about what the Bible teaches. But beliefs that are not publicly accessible in simple, clear, written form are not subject to public scrutiny. Furthermore, they are not open to correction because there... Continue Reading

“In order to uphold our ordination vows, before God, our Father, the Lord Jesus, our Savior, and the Holy Spirit, who guides us into all truth, and to adhere to the Holy Scripture with utmost honesty and integrity and therefore obey God over the ungodly whims of hierarchal human manipulations, this new presbytery is being... Continue Reading

Every one of us is now experiencing the sad effects of living in a broken world, a world where uncertainties confront us each day. This is our reality; we cannot ignore this truth and push it aside. The real question is not whether we will encounter and experience uncertainty but how we will respond to... Continue Reading

Despite the race’s fallen condition, Christians view human life as a blessing to be preserved, multiplied, and redeemed; and the human mind and spirit as resources more inexhaustible than any material we consume. We bear a certain resemblance to our Maker in that we can, in our limited and creaturely way, also create. Which is... Continue Reading

As Christian brothers and sisters united together in Christ, we must take time to be part of each other’s lives. True fellowship means knowing each other intimately. Fellowship is not done merely over a meal but in the sometimes private areas of life such as listening to a friend in pain or hardship. It means... Continue Reading

Jesus notes a proverb that was just proven true. A prophet has no dishonor, except in his hometown. When a prophet goes on tour, he is applauded and respected as God’s authoritative emissary, but he comes home and gets no respect. And Jesus extends this proverb to include his relatives and his own household. This... Continue Reading

First, we must understand how civil authorities’ policies and actions influence our world for good or ill. This obligates Christian citizens to civic awareness, banishing ignorance and acquiring an understanding of the form and function of the government under which one lives with attentiveness to its principals, principles, proposals, and proceedings. Second, we need to employ wisdom concerning how best to... Continue Reading

Overturning Roe v. Wade was a monumental achievement, one legions of pro-life activists spent half a century marching and praying for. It would not have happened had Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump in 2016. Pro-lifers should be grateful for what Trump did for us, but also accept that the post-Roe era and the post-Christian era now combine to... Continue Reading

While each chapter is brief (perhaps around a dozen pages each), they are filled with practical and helpful material, based on basic biblical and theological truths. One way to give you a flavour of the book is to look at a few of these chapters, and present some useful quotes from them. In his chapter on... Continue Reading

The person thinking about IVF or wrestling with whether to use preferred pronouns as demanded by his or her employer needs to know how to make a decision that could well be costly and painful. We need good Protestant ethicists who are able to come up with solutions to the various challenges that we face,... Continue Reading

Luke encourages us to pray always. We should not become practical atheists who cease to hope in God. If we stop praying, it is because we are beginning to think that God is not faithful, that he does not care, that he will not really help us out. But the real issue is not whether... Continue Reading

On our heavenly pilgrimage, we don’t settle for the ghettoization of Christian communities….We stand ready to defend our own with all the biblical masculine virtue we have to throw ourselves into the battle wherever it rages. We march forth, taking ground; we live with strength and courage because the Lord is with us. We don’t... Continue Reading

As aspens reveal hidden fall glory, unexpected faith transforms astonished sinners. Formerly tarnished outlaws interiorize/showcase/reflect Redeemer God’s brilliant love/truth stashed in Christ! Jesus tells Son-drenched new creations: “You are the light of the world!” (Matthew 5:13) “The ultimate experience of life is knowing God.” (Billy Graham) Who would have guessed? Hallelujah!   Friend, let’s contemplate... Continue Reading

The Christian knows that his ultimate joy is found in a saving relationship with God through Christ Jesus. The joy that the Christian knows in daily communion with God is greater than anything the world could offer (1 Peter 1:8) and provides the Christian with the ability to enjoy all of life’s good gifts in proportion.... Continue Reading

You are not perfect. Own it. See your deep weakness….We acknowledge our sin, and then we press on. We don’t roll over and give up. We don’t hide our faces. Instead we draw nearer to Christ through the cross. We pick up our Bibles and show up to the gathering of the saints. We press... Continue Reading

As the world closes in on the Church in the West, and politics becomes a more hostile space for Christians, sphere sovereignty offers an explanation of how the Christian life can be carried on in a meaningful way beyond the public square. Christ’s rule, and our response to that rule, is not limited to earthly... Continue Reading

The most important thing is that we are gathering regularly as God’s people to seek His face, ask His blessing, and thank Him for the manifold gifts He has given to us as a church. A right view of God assisted by the Holy Spirit will lead to warm, joyful, and vibrant practice, which includes... Continue Reading

The result of yielding to Satan’s temptation is always destruction. But wielding the sword of the Spirit fends off the thoughts and impulses that the enemy plants in our minds to lead us into death. The Word of God brings life.   Author, David Jeremiah observes, The biblical context for viewing all of life’s events... Continue Reading

“Postmodern witchcraft, then, is in one sense a kind of secular substitute for organized religion, and specifically for the Christian faith. With its focus on self-empowerment, self-care, and identity politics, you might even call it neopaganism for the “nones.” It is easy to see the appeal of all this to young people in a post-Christian... Continue Reading

Elder, it is your job to make sound moral judgments, to shine light into dark places. Morality is an invisible reality and the sheep under your care are looking to you for moral clarity. They look to you to speak with clarity and conviction on what is right and what is wrong. This is not... Continue Reading

The Eucharist is a true participation in Christ’s body and blood (1 Cor. 10:16). So to fake communion with Christ while having no saving interest in him is sacrilegious. We must examine and judge ourselves, respecting church leaders who either invite us to the Supper or insisting that, for now, we abstain (1 Cor. 11:28,... Continue Reading

Spiritual independence is the notion that the church must resist all attempts, no matter where they originate, to prevent it from faithfully carrying out its divinely ordained ministry. “When it is faithful in this duty” of preserving its independence, “the benefits of union [of church and state] can be appreciated and, if and when necessary,”... Continue Reading

We live in divided times—we live in polarized times. There are reflections worthy of making in this fractured relationship between two Puritan giants. Are all matters worth dividing over? Were the issues that Owen and Baxter divided over worthy of division? Are your divisions with your reformed and evangelical brother worth dividing over? Again, I... Continue Reading

Look at verse 22, “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being.” One of the proper uses of the law – and a part of heartfelt obedience to the law – is to love it. To delight in it. To cherish it. To derive actual pleasure from the righteousness, holiness, and... Continue Reading

The triune God has graciously revealed himself to us. Historically and on biblical grounds, Christians have held two affirmations about who and what God is—God is one God, and he exists as three persons. This identification of God as triune stands at the heart of the Christian faith, along with the confession that the second... Continue Reading

Spurgeon believed suffering could benefit believers in various ways, and he particularly reflected on the good a variety of evils could produce for pastors. In times of ease and prosperity, pastors might rely on themselves and not look to God’s promises, consider eternity, or lean on the strength that comes from the Spirit. Through suffering,... Continue Reading

Marriage is for the here and now reality, as many vows say, “For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live.” It’s not just for the times we feel loved or we feel like loving—it is for life. While God provides divorce as an... Continue Reading

In his new book, Cultural Sanctification: Engaging the World like the Early Church, historian Stephen O. Presley draws on the Bible and an extensive array of early church primary sources to tell stories of Christians (including Paul) engaging their pagan neighbors wherever and whenever they could. Faced with a hostile culture, the natural reaction would... Continue Reading

How is it that so few take care to make sure that the God they are worshiping is in fact the true God? How many people glaze over and become bored or disinterested when they hear teaching aimed at making sure that the God they are worshiping is in fact the God of the Bible—the... Continue Reading

God wants his people to know that we are part of his body. This is true even for the youngest members of Christ’s church. Long before they publicly profess their faith those baptized in infancy are part of Christ’s church and covenant. Baptized infants aren’t future church members but actual church members.   In places... Continue Reading