The Master-Slave Relationship
All Christians, including slaves and masters, are spiritually equal.
Just as the human institution of marriage and the concomitant institution of the parent-child relationship will pass away in the consummated new creation, so will the institution of slavery. In the inaugurated form of the new creation, all Christians, including slaves and masters, are spiritually equal, though each have particular roles they must continue with... Continue Reading
Our Enemy the Devil
Contending with spiritual forces of evil.
Why bother with spiritual warfare? The reason is two-fold. One, it is evident throughout the Bible, part of living in this fallen world, what Paul calls the “present evil age.” Two, we are called by God to wage spiritual warfare. With Paul in the School of Spiritual Warfare (1 of 5) Grace to you... Continue Reading
Why Pastors Should Engage John Bunyan’s, “The Pilgrim’s Progress”
There is more here for those with the eyes to see it.
It must not be forgotten that John Bunyan was, first and foremost, a pastor, and his magnum opus owes its very existence to pastoral concern. In the author’s apology – the least read part of the work – Bunyan explains why he set out to write his allegory in the first place. He compares himself... Continue Reading
ERAS Cannot Distinguish The Spirit from the Son And Father
Eternal generation, the immaterial procession of Logos from God, best explains how God is three yet a unity.
Eternal Relations of Authority and Submission (ERAS) does not articulate how the Spirit can be distinguished from the Father and Son. In short, it cannot explain our worship or liturgical practice of baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christians speak of the Son as being “the only begotten Son”... Continue Reading
Why Do We Sin?
We are not sinners merely because we sin; we sin because we are sinners.
We must be delivered from both original sin and actual sin. The Holy Spirit removes the corruption of our natures by breaking the power and dominion of sin. Christ removes the imputation of Adam’s sin through the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. This restores us to a right relation to the Father through faith. The Holy... Continue Reading
How a Crippled Old Testament Refugee Shows Us the Gospel
Mephiboseth was crippled. Cast out. Helpless. Without hope
Mephibosheth sat and ate at David’s table. And it is comforting and exciting to think of that at the end of history, we are all headed for a meal, too. Whenever a new king took over an empire in the days of the Old Testament, there were certain threats and dangers that went along... Continue Reading
Does Romans 8:9–11 Require Believer’s Baptism?
There is a great lot of verses in Scripture (approx. 31,000) and our Baptist friends believe everyone of them demands believer’s baptism.
This passage answers not a thing about baptism. This teaching about the Christian life was all true under under Abraham, when the Lord instituted infant circumcision. Isaac was regenerated and was united to Christ by grace alone, through faith alone. Ishmael was not (at least not clearly). Jacob was united to Christ and Esau was... Continue Reading
Grab Hold of God
The Importance of Wrestling in Prayer
Sometimes resting can be a cover for resignation because we’ve given up hope. Sometimes saying we are trusting is a way of protecting ourselves from disappointment. Sometimes not asking is a sign of drifting from God, unwilling to actively engage him. We need to understand where our rest is coming from. I struggle with... Continue Reading
An Attribute of God Simply Too Serious to Ignore
Dutch apple caramel pie is a poor illustration for what God is like.
Simplicity [as an attribute of God] may be a concept that is new to your theological vocabulary, but it is one that has been affirmed by the majority of our Christian forebears over the past two thousand years of church history, even by some of the earliest church fathers. And for good reason, too. Let’s... Continue Reading
The Most Difficult Verse in the Bible?
Which of the Apostle Paul’s statements are hardest to understand?
Paul’s arguments about consciences and food offered to idols prove to be some of the most perplexing portions in the New Testament. Then, when you make it to [1 Corinthians] Chapter 15–and the glorious teaching about Christ’s resurrection and our own–you feel as though you’ve made it out of the woods and into the clear.... Continue Reading