On the one hand, Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Bearing a Roman execution stake doesn’t seem like it has a lot to do with taking time off. On the other hand, Jesus calls us to care for others, especially the needy and the poor. Who are we... Continue Reading

Love commands that the church warn people about their eternity.  Yet the church struggles to do so. On the one hand, too many churches do not want to offend those in attendance. So they endanger souls by failing to teach and warn properly about sin, the final judgment, and hell. On the other hand, I... Continue Reading

So, for all who think that if there aren’t bruises there can’t be divorce, answer me this. What are you wanting to happen? A man systematically tears down his wife for years with his words. He doesn’t use fists, for he is skilled at destructive speech. He comes to church every Sunday and professes Christ.... Continue Reading

In truth we do not know how Jesus entered a room with locked doors but there is good biblical evidence and ecumenical Christian truth to make us reject the “celestial flesh” Star Trek Christology. If anything changed, why not the door? After all, our Lord walked on water without changing his true humanity. That was a defiance... Continue Reading

To love God with our minds is to hold Him in high esteem, to think about Him with reverence and with adoration. The more we love God with our minds, the more we’ll be driven to do that other thing that is alien to us in our fallen condition, namely, to worship Him. To pursue... Continue Reading

As we eagerly await Christ’s return, Christians must put their faith in our covenant-keeping God; live pure and blameless lives; and teach their children the beauty of God’s creational and gospel design for sexuality and marriage, which are foundational to true human flourishing.   In our present world, decadence is replacing decency. For the sake... Continue Reading

“From the reader’s perspective, it is not hard to see how these dark shadows over the history God’s people on earth seem to fill our horizons. But, as we have noted already, there is another thread that not only runs in parallel, but actually runs right through that of the recurring failures of the church... Continue Reading

“O weary traveler, do not allow your heart its desired detours. Sin’s empty rest will only slow your step. Set your face toward Zion, let nothing slow your pace. We are almost home.”   A Christian is a traveler whose heart is set on heaven. The psalmist portrays what abides within him—a highway leading to the land of Zion.... Continue Reading

For the world, grieving sin is regressive and constricting; for the Christian, it is the pathway to joy. Imagine the implications. If Matthew 5:4 is true—if Jesus really meets repentance with comfort, not condemnation—then no longer do you need to fear being exposed. No longer do you have to present an airbrushed version of yourself to fellow... Continue Reading

A servant is at the beck and call of his master. A servant is not free to do what he wants when he wants to do it, but must always do the will of his master. The Christian willingly puts himself at God’s disposal instead of his own. He longs to do God’s will, no... Continue Reading