The Danger of Thinking You’re Morally Good
“Although evangelicals believe that Jesus died on the cross for their salvation…many do not fully understand the gravity of sin.”
While much of modern secular sensibility seems attracted to the idea that human beings, at their core, are basically good, this belief isn’t peculiar to non-Christians. It has found its way into the Church, as well. But this confidence in the inherent moral goodness of humankind has its root in original sin. Perhaps second... Continue Reading
Three Old Testament Pictures of Baptism You Should Know
Here are three Old Testament pictures that help us understand, according to the Bible,what baptism is a sign of.
The beauty of baptism is that it actually points us away from ourselves, what we do, and onto the Creator-Judge who delivers us out of the sea of death and iniquity. How does he do this? Well, Jesus Christ went down into the sea of our sins and conquered them when he rose from the dead. When... Continue Reading
Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks are Not Useless to Jesus
Since when did God love us based on what we can offer him?
Jesus never turned away a person who came to him broken, hurting, and deemed “useless” by society and religious people. In fact, it seems that he often gathered these people around him. Think about how staggering this is. Lepers. Prostitutes. The blind. The physically disabled. The demon possessed. Jesus did not crush them, but rather... Continue Reading
The Christian’s Call to Purity
“For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.”
In 1 Cor. 12:27, Paul declares to the faithful in Corinth, “Now you are Christ’s body, and individuallymembers of it.” Paul’s words are just as applicable to every believer today as they were when they were initially uttered more than 2,000 years ago. I say that in the context that the church, to which Paul refers metaphorically... Continue Reading
“Give Us This Day”: Exalting God by Humbling Ourselves
God is our starting point in every theological and spiritual endeavor.
Up to this point, the Lord’s Prayer has revealed a great deal about the character of God. We have seen that for those who are in Christ, God is a caring Father. Jesus emphasized God’s transcendence and omnipotence by observing that he is “in heaven.” He established the worth of God and the value of... Continue Reading
Why It’s OK that God Loves Himself Most
Where God’s love is fundamentally different than a fallen human being’s love is that it is holy.
The Father beholds the Son and he loves the Son because he wants the Son’s glory in all things. His love for the Son is premised on the Son’s perfection, beauty, and righteousness. He says, “This is my beloved Son.” God’s Love Is Different As fallen human beings, we tend to think that God’s... Continue Reading
Overcoming Pride in Ministry
Some of the most difficult issues many churches encounter revolve around men who feel entitled to the office of deacon, elder, or pastor.
Yes, we are weak; and yes, we are unworthy. Titles mean nothing; faithfulness means everything. By God’s grace, let us cease seeking after our own glory, and let us rather seek to display Jesus, the Lord of the church who is the perfect deacon, elder, and pastor. Few things are more dangerous in the... Continue Reading
I Want To Be Famous
I have a firm theological conviction that our mission is to make Jesus famous, not ourselves.
Would it not be wonderful if we all could fill little spaces and be satisfied, if we were being faithful to Jesus in that place? It will take much spiritual work in our hearts before that restlessness is settled, so may the Lord convince you that he loves you, and may he convince you that in... Continue Reading
The Self-Forgetfulness of Real Love
God’s love produces not a black hole but a universe exploding outward, growing ever larger and larger.
Truly loving another person means forgetting yourself long enough to pay attention to his or her section of the universe. Look at that planet! Look at that solar system! There’s always self-sacrifice at the beginning of love: you have to stop thinking about your own planetary system long enough to take notice of the other... Continue Reading
The Bible: Reading the “Ordinary” Way
When critics agree with the point of a passage, they take the words in their ordinary and customary sense
“If I’m asked if I take the Bible literally, I would say I think that’s the wrong question. I’d say instead that I take the Bible in its ordinary sense; that is, I try to take the things recorded there with the precision it seems the writer intended.” I never like the question “Do... Continue Reading