Why Did the Pharisees Hate Jesus So Much?
The Pharisees were exposed, and because they were exposed by the true and authentic holiness of Christ, they hated Him.
A lot of things had happened between the day of the formation of the Pharisees and the time of Jesus’ incarnation, when they masqueraded as devotees of righteousness and obedience. In a word, they were counterfeit. They were fake. And nothing reveals a counterfeit like the presence of the genuine. When you talk to... Continue Reading
How to Read Joel Theologically: Part One
Joel does not only call on people to return to the Lord and call on his name. His invitation to seek the Lord wholeheartedly is associated with a vision of God’s coming into his creation.
Joel begins with the awesome experience of the locust plague and transforms the experience into a transcendent message of the nearness and awesomeness of the Day of the Lord. Both the plague and the Day of the Lord occasion a renewed search for God without any pretense or self-justification. God promises his presence and vindication... Continue Reading
Don’t Just Live, Christian – “Walk”
We are to walk with God. That is the journey of intimacy.
There is a way you can live in which you don’t just live – you walk. And this is God’s intent for all of us who are in Christ. It’s to live in such a way that’s so different – so distinctive – that you can’t even describe it as “living” any more. The Hebrew word... Continue Reading
Hell Will Not Unsettle Heaven
The horror of judgment and promise of joy.
When the clouds roll back, and we peek into heaven, we see martyrs cry out for justice: “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10). We hear an angelic call to worship “because the hour of his judgment... Continue Reading
The Inspiration of Scripture
We see that Paul had a very high view of God’s Word.
What does it mean that “All Scripture is breathed out by God”? I translated as “God-breathed” the Greek word θεόπνευστος or theopneustos, which is a compound word comprised of θεός or theos, “God,” and πνέω or pneō, “to breathe hard, or blow.” What does this tell us? The word πνέω speaks of of a conscious... Continue Reading
Revisiting Revoice: Same-Sex Attraction in Sanctification
One cannot remain neutral with regard to whether SSA is morally culpable sin or a gift from God. Far too much is at stake.
The way forward in the journey of sanctification is not a selfish focus on sinful desire, but a freeing focus on the fatal wound dealt to our sin in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so... Continue Reading
The End of (Secular) Babies
The West is defined by its incredible shrinking families.
Having children, multiple amounts of them, will make your families outliers in the culture. In this late modern age having children—and plenty of them—is an increasingly outrageous, if not to say subversive and scandalous act. Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior... Continue Reading
Taste Spoiled By Sweetness
Aesthetic immaturity is one of the reasons for a discrepancy in taste among people.
Since Scripture describes man’s propensity for self-deception, and his inclination towards self-worship, it is no surprise that sentimental art is popular and that unreflective people consider it their preference. A discussion of taste is one of the most difficult (and unrewarding) ones to have, for most people are unreflective about their likes. “I know... Continue Reading
Rejoice Always
Obedience to this command is not accomplished by an act of the will.
The tribulations of life are inevitable. But they do not have the last word. The crucified and risen Christ is the world conqueror. The Lord Jesus Christ reigns over heaven and earth. This includes all of the blessings and burdens of your private world. Do you know what the shortest verse in the New... Continue Reading
Why the cancellation of Franklin Graham should concern us all.
If we value our right to speak, and if we think free speech matters, we should be bothered about this case.
You may or may not agree with Graham’s politics. You may or may not agree with his religious views and the way he puts them across. But that he should be permitted to voice them was once a universally accepted basic right. But not any longer. One of the difficulties of being a free... Continue Reading