Why Death Is the Final Stage of Salvation
John Owen's preaching was urgent because he believed that life was short.
Owen completed his series on preparing for death with theological reflection. He recognized that “ever since it had a being,” the soul had never had to experience life without the body to which it was attached.17He understood that an injury to the body, and especially serious and disabling head injuries, could have consequences for the... Continue Reading
You Keep Using That Word
I do not think it means what you think it means.
Christians have to be engaged in discussions on important topics, and Christians need to be discerning in order to notice when and if false teaching is creeping into the church, but Christians need to be well-informed before attempting either. It’s a matter of simple honesty and integrity. The Princess Bride is one of the... Continue Reading
Apologetic Discourse
God has called us to suffer and then to explain what keeps us going.
When someone strikes us, we may want to strike back, but when we patiently endure, we convey an astonishing message by our actions. We have hope that the world does not know. We expect to win in the end because God has promised to save us. We have an inheritance that we cannot lose. This... Continue Reading
Paul and His Rights as a Roman Citizen
Paul repeatedly displayed a strong insistence that his legal rights as a citizen be recognized and respected, and objected to government usurpations and violations of those rights.
Government authority exists for our benefit by maintaining order in society, punishing evil doers and protecting the innocent (in recent weeks, numerous state governors and city mayors in America have abnegated their responsibilities in this area, allowing evil doers to literally run riot, without consequence). We follow the law not simply because we don’t want... Continue Reading
A Young Victorian Mum has Died and is Now with Christ
Suffering didn’t reinforce Christine's atheism, it led her to seek out God.
“I remembered in the Luke, Jesus replied, ‘What is impossible with men is possible with God.’ That probably was my first real pray from the bottom of my heart, I kept asking Jesus Christ to save me and hoped he could guide me and change me if I had done anything bad and wrong. I... Continue Reading
The Exodus Prefigured
The vision of Yahweh, as recorded in Genesis 15, had confirmed that one day Abram’s seed would be delivered through death and brought in to possess the land of God as an inheritance.
God’s character and attributes are changeless. Even before delivering the Israelites out of Egypt, he was the God of the exodus. In this chapter, we will look at the major events in the life of Abraham and find that they were divinely stamped with an exodus impress. LEKH! LEKH! Abram swung his staff vigorously,... Continue Reading
Such a Time as This
Esther’s book is so good that screen writers from the silent era into the twenty-first century have adapted it for the cinema at least a dozen times.
Esther is great literature, but it is more: It is God’s revelation of historical events directed for a redemptive purpose, namely preserving the Jews to maintain the seed line for the coming Messiah. For some, Esther is good literature providing a good story; for Christians, it not only has literary value, but more importantly it... Continue Reading
The Secret of Sanctification
The message of the cross meets our deepest need for pardon and power as we seek to overcome indwelling sin.
Few things trouble the soul of the child of God as much as the presence of indwelling sin and the sober realization of the inability of the flesh to overcome it. True believers often come to the end of themselves and cry out: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body... Continue Reading
Is Guiltlessness the Same as Righteousness?
"I mean, if I haven’t sinned, am I not righteous?"
Think about Christ on the cross. We are not just in a place where we cannot be punished anymore. Christ lived the perfect life. He fulfilled all the requirements of the law. He has justly received the reward, and his righteousness is now counted as ours. We are co-heirs with him. I recently had... Continue Reading
Love Your Enemies
Where are we going in order to learn what our response to our enemy should be? Scripture or Twitter?
In the United States, as in many countries, there are different groups who take different positions on all manner of issues. Quite often, those in one group have heated and angry disagreements with those in other groups. Each group tends to view those in other groups as the enemy. Sometimes, those in one group treat... Continue Reading