The Smell of Christ
Christ’s death was like a smell that God breathed in deeply and which gave him joy.
In his death, Christ endured God’s wrath against our sin. Jesus carried out the full sentence, with no reprieve. This was a costly sacrifice, one that cost Jesus everything. And God accepted it. On that day there was no smoke that curled into the sky, yet Christ’s gift rose to heaven as a most pleasing... Continue Reading
How John’s Gospel Helps Us Understand God’s Mission
Perhaps nowhere is the glory of God more clearly displayed than in Jesus’s journey to the cross.
Jesus’s mission, according to John’s prologue, is to reveal God the Father. John 1:18 seems to imply that humanity needs the incarnation, not only to make possible the sacrifice of the Lamb of God but more fundamentally because humanity needs to see the Father: “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the... Continue Reading
Worship to the Glory of God Alone
There is a manner of worship that brings God glory alone, and it is worship in reverence and awe.
We draw near to God, not presumptuously, not as if we are the ones initiating worship, not inviting God to come down and join us, not concerned with pleasing ourselves, not concerned with making worship “feel” exciting. No, we come with humility and meekness, recognizing that we do not deserve to be in God’s presence; we... Continue Reading
Does the Bible Blame Women for Rape?
What Deuteronomy 22 Reveals About God's Care for Victims
When Deuteronomy 22 was written, there were few sexual protections for women. This law therefore moved culture forward by giving women some protection, creating a counterculture in its wake. It held the man responsible for the consequences he created in his sin against the woman. He had to pay her father a price worthy of the woman... Continue Reading
The Bible was Telling the Truth
The reliability of the Word of God is continuously confirmed with tangible, touchable discoveries.
From small artifacts to larger sites, recent discoveries lend proof to biblical accounts. For example, DNA found in the City of David confirmed that the Philistines, Israel’s main enemy during the reign of King David, turned out to be exactly the sort of people the Old Testament described. A smaller discovery was of a signet ring that confirmed... Continue Reading
Holiness in the Old Testament
What God was Teaching through these Laws and Rituals
God was teaching His people that holiness will be joined with prosperity and blessing in the ultimate consummated kingdom—that is, the world to come (see Heb. 3–4). Therefore, the measure of Israel’s obedience to God was both the purity with which its rituals were upheld and the morality of everyday conduct by the people. An infraction... Continue Reading
Building a Culture of Truth
Understanding the 9th Commandment
Living truthfully and promoting truth is not legalism. It is a manifestation of our love for the God of truth and our desire to see His truth permeate our lives and communities. By being truthful, we emulate God’s nature, contribute to the building up of a godly community, and shine as beacons of His grace... Continue Reading
Jack Phillips Dragged Back to Court
It may be easier to just bake the cake, but Christians have a higher calling.
After months of repeated harassment and increasingly bizarre and perverse cake requests, the trans activist who had requested the “gender transition” cake filed a civil suit against Jack Phillips. The request to dismiss was denied by a progressive judge, and a lower court ruled against Jack. The Alliance Defending Freedom appealed the decision in the... Continue Reading
Gay Nazarenes
The Nazarene teachers dismiss all the texts that deny the validity of homosexual sex.
The Nazarenes reject the Levitical texts because, according to them, such texts fail to show the love of God. Instead, they come from “ancient cultural biases.” The authors of “Why the Church” base their subjective argumentation on the power of love. God’s love must be shown to practicing homosexuals; to determine that their sexual practice... Continue Reading
The Fall of Pride
Support for same-sex marriage is declining among young Americans.
If Pride were being challenged only by a diminished, if persistent, religious right, then its recent setbacks could be dismissed as temporary. But in fact the challenges are more wide-ranging. Pride is now criticized not only by conservative Christians, but by progressive activists who make a claim on its deepest meaning. Long associated with youth... Continue Reading
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