The Difference Between the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
When Jesus sets out these two men, he does so by appeal to their ethical, social and religious standing.
The Pharisee was a respected, religious member of the covenant community. The tax collector was a despised and questionable figure in Jewish society. Throughout the gospel records, tax collectors are identified with “sinners”—a term usually reserved in Jewish society for those known for their sexual immorality. The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax... Continue Reading
Don’t Perish on Your Platform
When we use Jesus to make much of ourselves we start wading into very dangerous waters.
When we use what is meant to glorify God to glorify ourselves we are stealing what doesn’t belong to us. When we pile up the praises of men and build a platform where we’re the ones being exalted then we look a lot like the Pharisees. When we use Jesus to build our own kingdoms... Continue Reading
Ordinary Faithfulness in the Smallest Tasks
Striving for excellence in the small, mundane tasks that God has given today often seems boring and unsatisfying.
Many, it seems, in the church today struggle to believe that God has called them to a life that seems so mundane. Whether it be an ordinary pastor called to an average church, a salesperson just trying to get their quarterly numbers up, or a stay-at-home mom who can’t understand why she got a master’s... Continue Reading
Reason and Faith
Christian theologians used to define reason differently, not considering it to be the ultimate and independent authority.
For Christians, God’s revelation is the supreme authority by which all notions must be judged. This does not mean Christians rejected reason prior to the Enlightenment; rather, Christians acknowledged reason as a God-give tool that allows people, by employing various laws of logic, to judge whether or not a notion corresponds to reality, that is,... Continue Reading
Reactive Theology and the Importance of Thinking Biblically
Whilst we might all recognise this reactive tendency in the more extreme cases, I wonder whether we recognise it in ourselves so easily?
The goal of woke culture is not to hold views that one necessarily holds. The goal is to ensure that you hold all the appropriate views and are evidently woke as a result. And so people wait to react rather than think through issues and come to a conclusion. One’s personal views are immaterial, what... Continue Reading
Christ the Victim
If you have ever felt removed from God, you must realize that God knows what that is like.
When Jesus cried “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” the reality behind this cry staggers the imagination. God was forsaken by God. What we formerly knew of the Father in infinite holiness turning his back on his Son who had become sin for us remains true. But now we see God’s action... Continue Reading
The Secret to Seeing Sin
The most natural way to expose sin is by knowing God.
Isaiah was never more aware of his sin and sinfulness than when he found himself in the presence of the Holy God. He was impacted negatively not only by the presence of His sin but also by its pollution. Even his righteousness he would have seen as a menstrual cloth. I used to say... Continue Reading
Tried with Fire: A City That Hath Foundations
Suffering teaches us by practice that even the good things of this world are very transient.
Life itself is a vapor. Each good thing that we own comes to own a part of us, for with possession comes the stewardship of maintenance and right use. Hence the maxim, bon pa dire—good don’t last. The better we learn this lesson, the greater will be our legitimate detachment from earthly things. On the other... Continue Reading
Is It Vain to Serve God?
Walk by faith and not by sight, and never buy in to the lie that it is vain to serve God.
It may not always be obvious now, but on the day of the Lord the distinction between the righteous and the wicked will be abundantly clear. On that day, “all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it... Continue Reading
But There are Many Interpretations!
We can come to the right understanding of Scripture because God does not leave His people alone in our sin to interpret the Bible.
We prefer to live our own way rather than the way that God wisely and lovingly created us to live. As a result, when we read Scripture, our sinfulness will affect our understanding. We all have beliefs, assumptions, and biases which impact our interpretation of the Bible. As long as we remain in sin against... Continue Reading