Are You Aiding and Abetting Apathy?
Apathy in the Christian life has become common for contemporary evangelicals.
There is no indication, anywhere, that either personal or communal apathy is even close to acceptable. In fact, apathy with the Bible is what we are supposed to be on the lookout for! We mustn’t miss this central tenet of our calling as Christian people (Heb. 3:13; 5:11-14). If you are involved in a local church and... Continue Reading
Jamie Smith’s Bait and Switch
Smith still thinks civil religion is salvageable.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” (Matt 10:34-35) I was afraid that neo-Calvinism’s refusal... Continue Reading
Advance! Advance in Favor
Just as Jesus advanced in the favor of God and man, so can you. So should you.
While the first priority of every Christian must be securing the favor of God, we also do well to pursue the favor of man. The two are often connected, as Solomon declared, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7). In general, the... Continue Reading
“I walked away from Alice, the love of my life”: same sex attraction and the cost of discipleship
Obedience to God’s word truly offers a quality of life that far exceeds the cost of commitment.
The angels may well have been rejoicing in heaven at the moment of my conversion, but joy was far from me. I knew that what I was doing was right, but I cried tears of sorrow knowing, at least in part, the immediate cost of taking up the cross of obedient discipleship. I walked away from Alice,... Continue Reading
Giving and Receiving Commendation
We are all guilty of having given unjust praise to men and having received unjust praise from men.
Like its counterpart, criticism, commendation interacts with pride and is easily misstated or misapplied. Thankfully, we are not left to our own reasoning capacity to sift through all of the attendant difficulties. As with every other important part of our lives, Scripture has much to teach us about how to give and receive commendation. ... Continue Reading
Why We Don’t Need to Fear the Moment of Our Death
"Only when you are free from the fear of death are you really free.”
The Lord Himself will be with us during our deaths. He has promised to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Nothing, not even death, can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). God promises that all who know Him will experience acceptance into His holy, loving, and gracious arms. Years ago, I interviewed... Continue Reading
Unhealthy Forgiveness: Why We Should Not Forgive Misinterpretations
There are times when forgiving only reinforces our pride or blindness.
Think through these situations for a moment: A husband feels hurt because his wife “disrespected him” when she asked a question about a decision he was making but genuinely didn’t understand (and he did not adequately explain). A wife feels hurt when her husband “failed to pursue her” when his plans for their anniversary did... Continue Reading
3 Things to Remember When You’re Feeling Anxious
It's not, "Don't be afraid, you lousy so-and-so." It's "Don't be afraid, I'm with you."
So first we’re able to normalize the experience, then we hear a tender promise at the heart of the solution, and then we’re given very specific guidelines about how to go forward. The whole thing is summarized very well in Philippians 4. It starts out by saying, The Lord is near—there’s the promise. Don’t be anxious about... Continue Reading
5 Principles for Disciplining Your Children
While not all methods work for all children, I’ve found these principles work for a variety of children, regardless of their age, sex, or disposition.
Praise is a powerful tool and a blessing for children. It helps them to know what’s right, and at the same time communicates you care about them. All of us would like a boss to see the good we do and praise it, not just correct our mistakes. Similarly, our children need us to be watching... Continue Reading
Inclusion And Exclusion: Getting It Right
In this way the church is the antithesis of the world, which is inclusive when it should be exclusive and exclusive when it should be inclusive.
When it comes to essential Christian truth, the substance of the faith as summarized in the ecumenical creeds and Reformed confessions, it is Christ, ultimately, who is the stumbling block and the rock of offense (Rom 9:33; 1 Peter 2:8). What excludes is not race, ethnicity, nationality, or sex (male or female). What excludes is... Continue Reading