The Doctrine of the Standing or Falling Soul
“If justification is confused with regeneration or sanctification, then the door is opened for the perversion of the gospel at its center."
Whoever loses sight of the truth of Scripture regarding our justification before God loses sight of the unmerited grace of God in the Gospel. When we forget about our justification by faith alone in Christ alone we inevitably put ourselves back on the “never enough” hamster wheel of good works. However, when we remember the... Continue Reading
Is the Wall of Separation ‘Bad History’?
Separation of church and state has a negative connotation for many evangelicals and other religious conservatives, who believe that the Supreme Court has used it to exclude religion from American public life.
The First Amendment was originally ratified in 1791. It guaranteed Americans the “free exercise of religion,” and it prohibited Congress from making any “law respecting an establishment of religion.” In 1791, Americans widely understood an “establishment” to be a tax-supported denomination, such as the Church of England. The First Amendment prohibited the United States from... Continue Reading
Must We Choose between Winning the Argument and Winning the Person?
If we understand arguing as offering reasons in support of one’s claims and assessing the reasoning put forth by someone holding an opposing position, I think we’ll see that to pit winning an argument against winning a person is unwarranted.
The word “win” together with the word “argument” evokes, in the minds of many, images of an adversarial, hostile, and competitive encounter, a fight to the finish with a victor and a vanquished, a belittling gloater and one shamefully gloated over. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Some people are uncomfortable with... Continue Reading
7 Things You Need to Know about the Silence of Jesus
Our Lord masters the art of the silence for us, so that we might speak better for him and so that our words may be conformed to his words.
It appears that the many words of the crowd have won. Jesus didn’t even defend himself (Luke 23:9). In his quietness, we hear no eloquence, no powerful reproaches, no clear condemnation of wickedness. The loud speaking of the people appeared to have defeated the silence of Jesus; yet, nothing could be further from the truth.... Continue Reading
When Your Christian Liberty Becomes a Sin
We are called to let love drive our decisions with a specific goal in mind.
In many Christian circles, Christian liberty can be taken for granted and we can easily forget what it is all about. Our liberty can easily be used in a way that is harmful. But how can we know if we’ve crossed “the line”? Can drinking alcohol or eating meat be considered wrong before God? Scripture provides... Continue Reading
The Spiritual Shape of Political Ideas
Taken just as a concept, considered purely in its moral shape, white privilege is something we’ve seen before—for the idea is structurally identical to the Christian idea of original sin.
We live in a highly spiritualized age, I argue, when we believe that our ordinary political opponents are not merely mistaken but actually evil. We live with religious anxiety when we expect our attitudes toward social questions to explain our goodness and our salvation. The anxiety appears today on too much of both the left... Continue Reading
Christianity at the Crossroads: Superstitio
Pliny summarized Christianity as a “depraved, excessive superstition” and wrings his hands that “the contagion of this superstition” has spread not only to the cities but to the countryside (Letters, 10.96).
Charging second century Christians with superstitio declared them a threat to the common good. This is especially vivid in Pliny who notes how in Bithynia the pagan temples were being deserted, religious rites were being neglected, and sacrificial animals were not being purchased, all declines Pliny links to Christianity breaking out like a contagious superstitio. A... Continue Reading
From the Ears to the Brain to the Heart
Frankly, I fear that far too many sermons passed through my eardrums without registering in my brain or reaching my heart.
I suspect that most people don’t how to listen to a sermon. I say this not as a preacher, primarily, but as a listener. During the past thirty-five years I have heard more than three thousand sermons. Since I have worshiped in Bible-teaching churches all my life, most of those sermons did me some spiritual... Continue Reading
They Never Saw This Coming
“Say to Joseph, ‘Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” (Gen. 50:17)
I do hope you have felt this type of desperation. I do hope you have entered into this type of pleading. I hope this not out of a twisted desire for your suffering but a biblical desire for your joy. I hope this because their pleading looks remarkably similar to the posture of the sinner... Continue Reading
The Power and Purpose of Small Community Churches
I saw an ad in a local paper advertising Sunday services at a Contemporary Community Church in the town where I was living.
In 2009, after spending nearly two years caring for a terminally ill parent, which I knew was going to cost me my home, I was not looking for something that would turn around my material situation. I was looking for a place in a community where I could find solace for my loss, grief, trauma.... Continue Reading
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