If we are going to grow in holiness, we need to be clear about the relationship between Satan and sin. We err if we shift our focus on Satan to such a degree that we downplay sin in our own hearts and lives. Likewise, we run the risk of making Christianity a merely rationalistic and... Continue Reading

Because of their poetic and stylistic features, the hymns we encounter in the New Testament cannot simply be understood as doctrinal statements created for cognitive assent. Rather, their rich poetic language, metaphors, and elevated style were well-suited to engage the emotions and hearts of those who would hear them or recite them.   A concern... Continue Reading

Simply put, the only logical belief to hold is to believe that something must have always existed. But a universe defined by space, time, and matter cannot be that something.   Christians often make an argument for the existence of God based on the origin of the universe. We may say, for example, “Because there... Continue Reading

Our obedience is important—necessary, in fact—for glorifying God and becoming more conformed to the image of Christ. But if we wake up each day thinking this work hangs on our efforts, we will be setting ourselves up for discouragement at best, despair at worst.   The Daily Blessing of Imputation One of the saddest phenomena... Continue Reading

The Christian realizes that before God he or she possesses no “rights” by nature. In our sinfulness, we have forfeited all of our “rights.”   It was years ago now, but I still remember the discussion. I was making my way out of our church building some time after the morning service had ended, and... Continue Reading

When we have the word hidden in our hearts, we won’t easily be satisfied with falsehood and contradictions. In order to be discerning, we need to know our Bibles.   Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.— Charles H. Spurgeon When it... Continue Reading

The superiority of Western culture can be objectively demonstrated when cultures are appraised based on the only befitting standard for judging a society or culture—the extent to which its core values are life affirming or antilife.   Relativism, the idea that truth is a historically conditioned notion that does not transcend cultural boundaries, has existed... Continue Reading

The church has the true message for reconciliation in this world: the gospel of Jesus Christ. The church has the true model for reconciliation in this world: the one new humanity found in Jesus Christ.   The name Benedict Arnold is forever associated with treason. What most people don’t know is that Benedict Arnold was... Continue Reading

Christian fellowship and unity are vital, but so too is Christian truth. When bad behavior or bad beliefs are being allowed to go unchecked, Scripture makes it clear that this needs to be called out, and if need be, fellowship may need to be broken.   When there are serious differences on serious issues, how... Continue Reading

God must work in us before we can move towards him. Our hope is founded upon the reality that God first moves graciously towards us and works within us before we come to him in faith. We thus are dependent upon God’s grace from the first to the last.   According to the Bible, humanity... Continue Reading