I feel sure that this is the kind of grace that peaceful marriages are built on. When husbands and wives resist the urge to be right, to drive their point home, to prove their own righteousness and their spouse’s wretchedness, when they give up their freedom to be offended, when they choose forgiveness over anger—this... Continue Reading

The outpouring of the Spirit means empowerment. Sinners are weak and enslaved. The Spirit sets them free. He is like a grand conductor of life from God the Father though the humanity of Christ and into us. It is Jesus’ Resurrection life that the Spirit infuses into us both as it is an indestructible quality... Continue Reading

Old Testament passages that describe Israel or her king conquering the nations in the future occur because Jesus conquers the nations as the king of Israel by the cross and resurrection. So he conquers by faith. Yet this does not preclude his conquering by force those who do not believe when he returns.   One... Continue Reading

Genuine Christians have the Spirit of Christ in them or they do not belong to Him. Because of this, they are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. Because of this, genuine Christians have νοῦν Χριστοῦ, the mind of Christ. What this tells us is that by the Word and the Spirit, genuine believers... Continue Reading

The new legalism doesn’t say ‘keep away.’ The new legalism says do more and more and the doing becomes the new law. Like with the old legalism, it takes a biblical principle and pushes it too far.   I have previously commented that we have a surprising problem with gospel freedom. More often than not,... Continue Reading

For many, the worship wars are long over and entertainment music, center stage with all its obligatory paraphernalia, won. Before complete surrender, however, we would do well to hear practical ways the Reformers employed music in worship. Luther agreed with Calvin about the power of music: “We know by experience that music has a secret... Continue Reading

If we know ourselves to be God’s, and God to be ours, then such knowledge is remarkably stabilizing. It doesn’t mean that we will not walk through measures of pain or defeat, but it does mean that we are assured a final victory. It doesn’t mean we take every battle, but it does mean that... Continue Reading

Understanding “subversive habits” starts with the recognition that we are habitual people. Every day, we engage in habits and practices that either increase or decrease the position of the Scriptural Story in our hearts. Here is the question we must ask: What practices or habits would have the effect of lifting up the Scriptural Story... Continue Reading

Sometimes we dig, meditate, intensify our spiritual disciplines, get help from others, and the Spirit uses these to change us. Sometimes a phrase or a comment arrests us, and we are changed. The other thing that stands out is that change often comes when the Spirit renews old teachings.   My wife and I were... Continue Reading

To be saved means to be rescued. De-theologizing that the word salvation for a moment may help us here to answer the question. We need rescue. We are in dire straights and without rescue, we will be lost. What sort of rescue do we need and what does it mean to be lost?    What... Continue Reading