On Not Getting (Over) Getting Saved
James Baldwin and Go Tell It on the Mountain
I couldn’t be more grateful for the heritage of faith into which I have been born–I say with the psalmist in all passionate earnestness, “Truly I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains.” And my earthly father has a lot in common with... Continue Reading
The Threshing Floor and the Pestilence
The Cross of Christ is the best antidote to Coronavirus.
Epidemics and pandemics have come and gone in this fallen world and will continue to do so until Christ gives us a new home, free from all pestilence. As terrible as pandemics may be, they only typify the greatest plague imaginable—to be without God in this world and the next. As the world rushes after... Continue Reading
Jesus Prayed for Your Sanctification
Bear in mind that the very centerpiece of Jesus’s prayer as our great high priest is an earnest, urgent plea for our sanctification.
He prays for their preservation and for unity among them: “Keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:11). He expresses a desire to see his joy fulfilled in them (John 17:13). And he asks the Father to keep them from the... Continue Reading
Marks of a Spiritually Abusive Leader from an Obscure New Testament Bible Character, Diotrephes
Christian leaders needs to back up the message of God’s Holy Word with their holy lives.
Many examples exist of leaders who may have sound doctrine on paper, but fail to live it out—to the peril of their church and their church’s gospel witness. In the oft-neglected letter of 3 John, we hear about Diotrephes, a leader causing great harm for the church he serves. I’m grateful for God’s emphasis... Continue Reading
What Was God’s Purpose in the Cross?
Everyone whom the Father chose for salvation will be saved through the atonement.
Your salvation, from start to finish, rests on the sovereign decree of God, who decided, in His grace, to have mercy on you, not because of anything He saw in you that demanded it, but for the love of the Son. The only reason I can give under heaven why I’m a Christian is because... Continue Reading
Suffering for Righteousness’ Sake
Let’s prepare by learning how to respond when we are reviled for righteousness as Jesus would.
Peter is not commanding Christians to unite with pseudo-Christians who hold doctrinal positions that amount to heresy. Instead, he is telling us to not be disruptive or cause disharmony within the Body of Christ which is united by holding to the truth. How do we behave toward one another when we do this? 12... Continue Reading
Have God’s Promises about Pestilence Failed? No: Learning from a 17th Century Brother in Christ
The sting of the pestilence is lost.
We are in a condition that is “very grievous and miserable to others.” We can see this in the panic, in the instability this is bringing to the world. Pestilence—and the fear it brings—is perilous. But for the Christian, we know that, even as this “heavy hand of God” befalls us, “it is for some... Continue Reading
The Ordo Salutis: Sanctification
Because God is holy, people God brings into relationship with himself must be made holy.
The concept of definitive sanctification is distinct from the false notion of sinless perfection this side of heaven, because the other complementary way in which we should speak of sanctification is in terms of “progressive sanctification”. The very word “progressive” implies that there is progress to make in our holiness. “For this is the... Continue Reading
The Bible Gives Buckets of Answers about COVID-19. You May Not Like Them.
What are some questions that the Bible most assuredly does answer?
One day Jesus will return and remake creation, freed from all of the miseries and effects of sin, more glorious than ever. All those who believed in him will be bodily resurrected, and will share in this new creation (Romans 8:18-25). Ultimately there will be no death, no ruin, no disease—and no COVID-19. Time... Continue Reading
Let This Pandemic Change How We Think
Let’s think humbly, globally—and most importantly—eternally.
The powerful coronavirus can do many things. What it can’t do is erase God’s Word or its power. And it can’t dismantle the church. Though the virus’s impact is significant, it’s temporary. Global pandemics, though rare, are not new (Eccl. 1:9). And no matter what happens, God still reigns on the throne. If we... Continue Reading