Joseph’s Decision
Actually Joseph is a great hero of our faith, one of the greatest ingredients in the profile of the Messiah.
It points to his integrity and his tenderness. He “considered these things.” He didn’t just rush to a conclusion. He looked at it from every possible angle. Only after that, he “resolved to divorce her quietly.” He believed it was the right thing to do. However, he resolved to do it quietly, because that would... Continue Reading
8 Marks off True Reformers
What will it look like to be a reformer today?
Christians who are eager for change need to be careful not to supplant the gospel with whatever issue has captivated their zeal. “If you make Christianity begin…with giving up” of particular errors, “you will nullify rather than implant your teaching.” We don’t become Christians by changing bad habits. We change bad habits because Christ becomes... Continue Reading
God Has a Heart for the Vulnerable. Do You?
The truth, according to God, is that people are valuable because they are made in His image.
When my son was a toddler, we attended a lovely event for people with his particular disability, Williams Syndrome. There was much good in this gathering, but I left deeply troubled. In almost every conversation I heard some form of that utilitarian worldview, that lie. Parents seemed bent on defending the worth of their children... Continue Reading
Is Tolerance the Highest Virtue?
G.K. Chesterton once said, “Tolerance is the highest virtue for those who have no others.”
Christians are called to be discerning, but in our day, “toleration” is a by-word that characterizes our pluralistic society. To be sure, being tolerant of other people and what they believe is important for living peaceably with other human beings in this world. And, of all people, Christians ought to be examples in loving our... Continue Reading
Peace on Earth
Peace in Scripture means health, wholeness, spiritual robustness.
Do you long for peace? Do you feel stressed and anxious, burdened by all kinds of pressures and fears? Here’s a promise from the word of God that is tailor-made for you. Here our Heavenly Father promises peace to certain people. What is this peace? In English, we tend to think of peace as the absence of... Continue Reading
Born of the Virgin Mary
Our one Mediator, who stands as an agent to reconcile God and man, is the One who participates both in deity and in humanity.
We see then the purpose of the first advent of Christ. The Logos took upon Himself a human nature, the Word became flesh to effect our redemption by fulfilling the role of the perfect Mediator between God and man. The new Adam is our champion, our representative, who satisfies the demands of God’s law for... Continue Reading
Unchanging Love, Unchanging God
Does God love you now as much as He ever will? Is there anything you can do to gain more of His love?
If you cannot find motivation enough in scripture to follow God’s commands without having His love for you called into question, then perhaps you are not His child. But if you are His child, know most assuredly that His love for you will never change, for it is not based on your choice of Him,... Continue Reading
How to Engage the Culture Without Losing the Gospel
The greatest challenge always facing the church is whether it will preach the gospel.
We don’t really engage cultures, but people: spouse, family, neighbors, co-workers, etc. There are specific cultural contexts, as I acknowledged above. But for the most part, we’re dealing with people who are dealing with pretty universal aspects of the human condition: the joy of childbirth, the sorrows of life, and the pain and fear of... Continue Reading
The Translation Of The Lord’s Prayer Is Not A Mere Convention
The urge to revise the Lord’s Payer rests partly in a misunderstanding of it.
As Christians who confess sola Scriptura, i.e., that Scripture is the sufficient and final rule for the Christian faith and the Christian life, we affirm both things. God tempts no one and our Lord taught us to pray, “bring us not into temptation.” James 1 is a Holy-Spirit inspired commentary on the first clause of the sixth petition.... Continue Reading
The Peace We All Long For
Jesus Christ, born of Mary, born in Bethlehem, born on Christmas morning, brings permanent and ultimate peace on earth. The peace we all long for is found in Christ.
God gave Adam and Eve the promise of a Seed, a Seed who would be born of a woman. That Seed would make all that was wrong, right. He would make all that was broken, whole. This Seed would bring peace and harmony where strife and conflict raged like a storm-tossed sea. In order to... Continue Reading