Confessional, orthodox Protestants should take no satisfaction in Rome’s increasing resemblance to the old enemy of liberal Protestantism. Rome still has the money and institutional weight to make a difference in these great struggles over what it means to be human. If Rome equivocates and falls on these issues, the world will become colder and... Continue Reading

This is the sacred calling given to those who suffer—to lift trembling hands, to raise tear-stained eyes, to sing with wavering voice, to praise God as much in taking as in the giving.    Imagine that you are sitting in a prison cell. This is not some posh or even stark 21st-century prison cell, but... Continue Reading

In Jesus Christ, God pours out His wrath, taking it upon Himself. He thereby shows Himself just, for sin is punished in Christ, and also full of mercy, for the atonement of Christ means that He can now be propitious, or favorable, to sinners who turn from their sin and trust in Jesus (Romans 3:21–31).... Continue Reading

As we plead before our heavenly Father for his intervention on behalf of our nation, as we plead for a mighty work of the Holy Spirit throughout our land bringing people to repentance and faith, it is essential that we take Ezekiel’s words seriously.   Then the word of the LORD came to me: “Son... Continue Reading

During this Advent season we are reminded that in glory the Lord Jesus—our Messiah—does not stand alone; He is surrounded by a multitude whom no one can number, a multitude that sing the endless Hallelujahs before his throne. As we long to join that worship and look eagerly for His coming, Christians can find great... Continue Reading

We should be slow to accuse God of being unjust or not caring for justice because our life does not look the way we want it to at the moment. God does care, more than we ever could, about justice. We see that not only in the natural world, of course, but in what God has... Continue Reading

If we’re honest, our hearts are prone to wander. We return to false hopes because they seem tangible and immediate. We trust in money, achievements, or relationships to fill the void. That’s why God, in His mercy, sent His Son—not just to show us the way, but to be our hope.   It is no... Continue Reading

Because the church doesn’t exist for you, it’s somewhat easier to find the right one. God should be central in the life of any local church. His greater glory should be its mission. So too should be the aim of every believer.   We all desire a church that would make us feel comfortable. A... Continue Reading

God actively wrestles with us. He’ll hold us at arms-length (still graciously hanging onto us) and letting us swing ourselves dry. And then in those moments, when we’re but a heap of tears and helplessness, He makes himself “grabbable.” He makes Himself able to be held onto and able to hear us cry out for... Continue Reading

You and I are exactly as holy as we want to be. We are exactly as holy as we’ve determined we will be through every opportunity to act righteously or sinfully, to move forward or fall back, to be more like Christ or to forsake him altogether.   Every Christian is a work in progress.... Continue Reading