Fictitious Forgiveness: Why We Cannot Forgive Ourselves
We must flee any and every notion that we need to forgive ourselves, and instead look outside of self and to the risen Christ.
The psychological techniques are missing something huge. It’s the absolute key to unlocking the problem of fictitious forgiveness. Guilt is not something that we can actually do away with. We can only suppress it. But doing so is soul-suicide. Guilt can only be removed by something outside of ourselves. Why? Because the things we do wrong are first and... Continue Reading
On Lament, Hope, and Divorce
Because we love God and His word, we grieve and wrestle with God deeply when the sin of others disrupts our relationships, our churches, or our homes.
If my story feels scary for you, remember what my friend said, “It’s not catching.” Divorce not of your choosing, or children who walk away from the faith, or cancer, or whatever the trial, isn’t a communicable disease. And it won’t manifest in your home just because you walk with someone else who experiences it.... Continue Reading
3 True Obstacles to True Rest
To get at the heart of what’s keeping us from true rest, we must first understand what true rest is.
Rest is not necessarily sleep; it’s not necessarily increased leisure; it’s not even necessarily inactivity, though all of those things matter. Rest goes deeper. Rest is a state in which we live which we can only enter into through the gospel which tells us that because of what Jesus has done on our behalf, we... Continue Reading
From What Got Done to What God Did
Asking ourselves what God did orients our hearts away from discouragement over our lack of accomplishments, and toward the goodness of God.
When we’re struggling in a season marked by fruitlessness, the Sunday school answer is to center our thinking on the gospel. We shouldn’t worry about what we’ve done or not done, but remind ourselves of what God has done for us in Christ. Now, it’s never a bad strategy to spend time thinking about the gospel!... Continue Reading
Dear Christians, Please Don’t Romanticize…
There is too much romanticizing of either time periods or cultures (or both!) by many Christians–and by too much, I mean to say that any is too much.
What is wrong with this? Why is it wrong to “hearken back” to when things were simpler and outwardly more “noble?” Why is it wrong to fantasize that you were born in/live in medieval or Victorian or Edwardian Eras? (For whatever reason, these seem to be the two of which I see most Christian pining.) What is... Continue Reading
What Mysticism Misses and the Gospel Gets Right
Mysticism sounded so very spiritual and even got some things partially right, but the focus was wrong
The gospel was seen as baby stuff that got us in the door. The bigger and better stuff was up to us to achieve. This left two options. No assurance which leads to fear of not being able to measure up or being deluded into thinking you could actually do what only the Holy Spirit... Continue Reading
Can There Be Forgiveness Without Repentance? Part 2
Along with this claim that repentance is necessary to forgiveness, I am aware of the need for at least four caveats.
Second, what if the offender does not repent? For example, the other person refuses to acknowledge that she has wronged us, and she goes further to blame us for what she did—as if we should be apologizing to her instead of the other way around! As noted above, we cannot pursue a vulnerable, trusting relationship... Continue Reading
When We Hunger
As adults, we often forget what children know intuitively. We forget the One who meets our needs, not just for food but for all things—including salvation.
Not only do we forget our need for God and his grace, but such forgetfulness often leads to pride, “My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.” We readily trust in ourselves, thinking that what we have comes through our own hands. We are ungrateful and fail to give God... Continue Reading
What Is Saving Faith?
Faith is central to Christianity
Faith is effectual only if one personally trusts in Christ alone for salvation. It is one thing to give an intellectual assent to a proposition but quite another to place personal trust in it. We can say that we believe in justification by faith alone and yet still think that we are going to get to... Continue Reading
The Amazing Holy Spirit – He Goes Wherever You Do
Do you go to church to have your spiritual batteries recharged? If so, will the charge last for an entire week?
The Protestant doctrine of vocation sure looks a lot less complicated and a whole lot more compelling. By the Holy Spirit Christians offer up sacrifices to God through the duties they perform as part of God’s providential care for his creation. By the Holy Spirit, Christians are priests. By the Spirit, they perform a small... Continue Reading