The Church, Israel, and “Replacement” Theology, Part 1
Not every person who is a physically ethnic Israelite is a spiritually elect Israelite.
Israel has a right to exist in the land and that we have a moral and political obligation to stand with her against all enemies. But this is not the same thing as saying that Israel has a biblical or covenantal right to the territory over which so much blood has been shed in recent... Continue Reading
Perfect Peace in the Face of a Loved One’s Cancer?
To live by faith means to believe that it will continue to be sufficient on a daily basis, come what may.
In all times of life, good and bad, we need to stay our minds on God. This means we need minds that are well-stocked with truth about Him so that we can draw on that truth to sustain us. Just as food in the stomach nourishes the body, so truth in the mind nourishes the... Continue Reading
Eternal Subordination of the Son and Focus on the Family
There is nothing to be gained by appealing to an eternal relationship of authority and submission within the Trinity, and plenty to lose.
We need to stop doing damage to the doctrine of the Trinity in our attempts to explain how submission works in marriage. ESS, while tempting, is not a viable answer to the question of marital submission. For over four years now, I’ve been writing about a popular doctrine of the Trinity called the eternal... Continue Reading
Seven Letters Seven Dangers: Zeal & Complacency
I have found that one of the most pernicious dangers to the Christian life is a cold-hearted complacency.
There are Christian believers who were once enlivened by the vivifying effects of the Gospel but have now, over time, been cooled into a stone-cold stoicism; living statues no different than the impassive victims of Narnia’s White Winter Witch. One of the causes behind this coldness is the unfortunate stigma now tied to zeal and excitement.... Continue Reading
Drops of Vinegar
I would like to highlight Geree's reasons for engaging this theological battle, for the manner in which he engaged it, and for his focus on Crisp.
Vigorous polemic aimed at an individual is not a relic of a bygone era; it is very much a part of our own culture. Indeed, with the advent of social media, it seems like it is everywhere, which is why many people today are turned off by it and argue against it. While the misuse... Continue Reading
Five Practical Strategies to Fight Temptation (Part 2)
Satan is skillful, but predictable. The better we understand how he works, the better chance we will have to resist him.
Counter-intuitively, we cannot effectively fight sin by obsessing about the final act of taking sin. In some ways, this is a restatement of the second fundamental principle of spiritual warfare: we cannot fight temptation by managing behavior. This time, however, let’s go a little deeper. In the previous article, I offered a scouting report of Satan’s tactics in temptation from... Continue Reading
In Praise of Rest
When you are resting, you are doing something.
When you are resting, you are recovering and recharging and I think most importantly you are breaking routine. And you are doing something very biblical. Of course God rested on the 7th day, the Sabbath was commanded for Israel and Jesus said the sabbath was decreed for the benefit of man. But I’m not a... Continue Reading
The Late-Modern Oppression Olympics In Biblical Perspective (3)
Under the Old Testament, the Lord who redeemed and liberated his church consistently instructed her (the church) to live in light of gracious redemption.
“I am Yahweh.” This was a declaration pregnant with meaning. To say, “I am Yahweh” is to say, “I am the sovereign God who freeely entered into covenant with your forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who elected and saved you unconditionally. Therefore, out of gratitude, you shall serve me.” Christianity Is Not Oppressive Last... Continue Reading
Submit to One Another
Modern Christians have had their own struggle to understand authority.
Much more than one’s felt needs, love language, or personal preferences, these are the most important words in the universe for building a God-glorifying marriage. The husband, like Christ, is the head of his wife. His wife recognizes this headship and responds graciously to it by following him, just as the church does not rule... Continue Reading
Two Benefits of Justification
Only perfect obedience can meet the demands of eternal life; imperfect obedience simply cannot suffice.
Justification consists in more than the forgiveness of sins. For if we are “only” forgiven for our sins, we still have not realized the requirements for eternal life, as laid out in God’s law. Attaining eternal life requires perfect obedience. Here we must consider Adam, who was promised eternal life on condition of personal, entire,... Continue Reading