James instructs us that there are two categories of faith—(1) faith that has works and is thus living and (2) faith that does not have works and is thus dead. Works and faith are not the same thing. Rather, works are produced by a genuine faith and are, therefore, evidence of it.   Dead Faith... Continue Reading

Pastors, the most gospel-centered thing you can do is to preach the whole Bible fearlessly. Don’t let the false peace of gospel-onlyism rob you of your prophetic voice….We are called not merely to make converts, but to make disciples who obey all that Christ has commanded (Matt. 28:19–20).   Pastors, the most gospel-centered thing you... Continue Reading

Not only does God provide the best government possible for a fallen world, but he also provides the best government for a redeemed world. The rule of Christ, a Christocracy, is the best and future government.   Exodus 18:1-26; Hebrews 3:1-6 A seventeenth century political theorist, Johannes Althusius, extolled: “I consider that no polity from... Continue Reading

If you’re feeling exhausted or guilty about resting today, remember that the type of productivity which pleases God isn’t the hustle-til-you-drop kind, it’s the type that admits, “He is God, I am not.” Learn to view rest not as a necessary evil, but as a blessed gift from a loving Father.   When my wife... Continue Reading

The root of our problem is a failure to worship God. But here’s the hope: when we turn to him, when we repent and place our faith in Jesus, He doesn’t just forgive us. He transforms us. He reorders our hearts, restores our relationships, and renews our lives. What sin distorts, God redeems.   Big... Continue Reading

The Wonderful Counselor, our Messiah, wants our minds transformed by Word of God. From the day Adam and Eve fell and our sinful mind became clouded, we have needed the wisdom of the Wonderful Counselor. Now we have the Holy Spirit to help us—but we must still be the ones to seek it. And if... Continue Reading

The Stoic conception of duty implies a law. They often spoke of “Natural Law” as a binding force on the conscience of man. But a law implies a lawgiver. A command implies a commander. In the Christian worldview, moral laws are coherent because they reflect the will and character of a personal God. We ought to... Continue Reading

No office celebration can match the warmth of a family table. No salary bonus can replace the sound of children running through the house. No empowerment slogan can drown out the pain of a life lived alone.   Two weeks before Christmas, a young lawyer sits alone in her upscale apartment. A tree glows in... Continue Reading

Vos finds the sacramental intent in the Angel being God, showing God’s desire “to approach closely to His people, to assure them in the most manifest way of His interest in and His presence with them.” The spiritualizing intent, Vos finds in the Angel speaking for God as if to guard against the wrong conclusion... Continue Reading

The Christmas story is the story of mankind being captive to the monsters and ghouls and beasts. Man was under bondage to Satan’s tyranny at every turn. Yet God was not bound by this tyranny. His promised seed would soon be planted, and grow into a new Eden. The Lord raised up godly men at... Continue Reading