Jordan Peterson at Liberty and A Cry For Help
"...These rules work. But they all stop short without the Ruler.”
At roughly the 21-minute mark in the convocation (link here), as Peterson is answering a question, there’s a commotion offstage. A young man rushes up and grabs a microphone, on the verge of tears: “My name is David [full name redacted], and I need help! I need help! I just wanted to meet you. I’m... Continue Reading
Like A Beast
If you allow yourself to believe that lasting fulfillment can be found in the comforts of the physical world, then your everyday life will be a hot pursuit of pleasure.
If we don’t protect our heart, we can function with a distorted worldview. This world was never designed to satisfy us, but we ask it to. People won’t submit to the law of our kingdom for very long, but we try to force them. Circumstances won’t obey our commands, yet we are surprised when they... Continue Reading
The Twofold Obedience of Christ
“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”
Believers’ union with Christ means that “in Christ Jesus” we are considered to have the same (perfect) “wisdom . . . , righteousness . . . sanctification, and redemption” that Christ possesses. This does not mean that we possess these attributes in our personal existence on earth. Instead, we are represented by Christ as becoming these things because of our... Continue Reading
‘Male and Female He Created Them’: Men, Women, and God
Although modern science emerged from a Christian worldview, many modern scientists have worked overtime to explain creation without reference to a Creator.
“The scientist’s pursuit of the past ends in the moment of creation…. For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final... Continue Reading
Why Not All at Once?
There are some benefits that precede others in the order of the application of the redemption accomplished by Christ.
Reformed theologians have commonly insisted that regeneration precedes faith and faith precedes justification, adoption and sanctification. An unregenerate man or woman cannot and therefore will not believe in Christ. John Murray explained the rationale for insisting on a priority of calling to faith and of faith to justification. Christ, by his perfect life, atoning death and resurrection... Continue Reading
The Apostles’ Creed: The Holy Universal Church
Some churches have avoided the creed entirely because of this one line.
The word “catholic” in the creed is not a subversive cheer for Roman Catholicism. It describes, rather, the unity of the church under Christ. It seems the first use of catholic this way was in the second century when Ignatius of Antioch exclaimed, “Where Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic church.” Notice he did... Continue Reading
Charles Spurgeon’s Outlook on Sharing the Gospel
Spurgeon's outlook on sharing the Gospel is worthy of our consideration and emulation.
“I did not see the lamplighter. I do not know his name, nor his age, nor his residence. But I saw the lights which he had kindled, and these remained when he himself had gone his way. As I rode along I thought to myself, ‘How earnestly do I wish that my life may be... Continue Reading
Fighting Sin with a New Identity
“Maybe they’re right; this is just who I am.”
Does the gospel have an answer to this crisis, the crisis of continually fighting sin? Yes. And a vital part of that gospel answer is what theologians call indwelling sin. Why would I bring up sin to someone in a faith crisis, especially one involving same-sex attraction? Because the Bible’s teaching on indwelling sin connects... Continue Reading
When Your Pastor Becomes A Social-Justice Action Hero
I fear that a kind of bully pulpit is (re)emerging by pastors who are pushing harder than ever these societal struggles upon their congregation (and everyone else), to the distraction of the one thing that is lasting and eternal.
“Gospel” in this scheme is nothing more than the deliverance of people from societal abuses. God’s word is simply a tool of the pastor to fulfill that agenda. The congregation is slowly conditioned to expect the pastoral tangent from the pulpit every Sunday usually over one issue the pastor has become obsessed with. I know... Continue Reading
Where and When Should I Pray?
Prayer is, as John Calvin often referred to it, “conversation with God.”
Like conversation within a healthy marriage, prayer is ideally frequent and organic. If I only spoke to my wife during scheduled periods of time either at the beginning or end of the day—or worse still, only on Sundays—there could be a problem. At the same time, scheduling purposeful moments to have deeper, uninterrupted conversation, perhaps... Continue Reading
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