We cannot separate Christian ethics from the life of the mind and the internal drives of the professing Christ-follower. It is for this reason that Jesus runs his own reductio ad absurdum in the Sermon on the Mount, equating lust with adultery and hatred with murder (Matthew 5:21ff). To put it plainly: wanting to sin... Continue Reading

Think about God; He is pure, unfailing love. But He is also pure, unfailing goodness, justice, truth, mercy. There is no tension in God in this. He never has to choose between love and goodness. He is always only love; always only good; always only just. His love is unfailing, nothing can stop God from... Continue Reading

Those of us ploughing on with fruitless endeavours might be faithful in that particular work, but we’re not actually hearing what Christ says about a whole bunch of other things that we’re letting slide. The problem, at heart, is one of faithfulness.   We live in a instantaneous society, don’t we. Everything ought to be... Continue Reading

When we rightfully evaluate righteousness and holy living according to godliness, we realize “I have sinned and rebelled against God way more than any human being has ever sinned and rebelled against me. If God can forgive me my transgressions and debt and still remove the death penalty from me, then certainly I can show... Continue Reading

The elders of God’s church need to be known by the people and know the people. The people of God’s church need to be known by the elders and know the elders. That means opening ourselves up to one another; spending time together; being involved in day-to-day life with one another. This is how we... Continue Reading

Since the beginning of the new millennium, theologically educated Christians have been drawn increasingly not only to “hopeful universalism” but to forms of “assertive universalism,” insisting that God must save all sinners. David Bentley Hart’s new book, That All Shall be Saved (2019), is one of the most militant affirmations of “assertive universalism,” since he... Continue Reading

Frustrated expectations, painful memories, and difficult relations can turn some of us into Scrooges. For Christians, they may validate the objections of some Reformers and Puritans against what they saw as a recycled pagan holiday. But whatever we think of Christmas and the way it is celebrated, we are still called to be a witness... Continue Reading

Those who try to make a case for Jesus not being divine will point us to passages of the Bible that show the humanity of Christ, while neglecting those passages that demonstrate the divinity of Christ. But the accounts make it clear that Jesus is God.   This Advent series explores the identity of the... Continue Reading

Our prayer to God is an inclination of our hearts in trust toward Him. As our hearts look to God, we can know that He is bigger than the biggest trial we face, and therefore we can also praise by faith…before we see any answer to our prayer.   As we live the Christian life,... Continue Reading

Do I uphold the truth or conceal it or give it a certain spin? Do I pursue honesty, truth, and justice at all costs even if the spotlight shines closer than I would like? Has God been honored by my words and underlying attitude or dishonored?   At face value, the 9th commandment could be... Continue Reading