The Real Reason God Judges Evil
God’s holiness is such that sin either must be forgiven or avenged; it can’t be left alone because sin defaces, deforms, and destroys.
God’s dazzling beauty and loveliness can’t allow sin to coexist with him; doing such would compromise his holiness, his very being. Isaiah 6 is rightly famous, and it casts more light on our theme. Yahweh sits transcendently and magnificently as the King in his temple. The seraphim stand around the Lord with their six wings. They... Continue Reading
Don’t Regret Your Past—Redeem It
When you are tempted to regret your past, remember these truths and testimonies from Scripture and redeem your past.
Everything that happens in life is under God’s sovereign rule and will have eternal ramifications. Whether it is sickness, suffering, or seemingly pointless pursuits, recognize that God has brought you through it all to mold and shape you into the person you are today and the person you are becoming. Christians are promised that all... Continue Reading
Our Love Might Be Blind, but Jesus’ Love Is Not
Jesus now looks on us like the groom of Song of Songs looks at his bride, perfect in every way.
On the spiritual level, we should rejoice in the fact that Jesus sees us as perfect in God’s sight despite our flaws. Yes, we see our own flaws and we feel our sins and limitations and history so deeply. God is also aware of our sin; after all, He sent Jesus to die for us... Continue Reading
God’s Name on You (Numbers 6:22–27)
God has given you his name. He owns you; he bought you; you represent him.
Christian, you represent God in the world. You bear God’s name. Don’t bear it in vain. Bring him honor in how you live. “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). The good news of the gospel is... Continue Reading
What Should We Think about Paedocommunion?
Only at the point when a covenant child attains maturity and can demonstrate repentance and faith may the church admit him or her to the Table.
If the child of at least one believer is, by birthright and by calling, a disciple of Christ, then that child is entitled to receive baptism (see Mark 10:13–16; Acts 2:39; 1 Cor. 7:14). Baptism summons this child to look in faith to Christ as Savior and Lord. Christ has appointed the Supper, on the other... Continue Reading
5 Things You Should Know about Heaven
The ultimate hope is not the destruction of creation but its full renewal and restoration.
Although the Bible is clear that the souls of believers go to be with Christ in heaven when they die, there are also texts that say Christians have already been seated with God “in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6). Since believers who have not died are presently on the earth, this must... Continue Reading
A Sidelight on a Recent Controversy in the Presbyterian Church in America: The Church’s Independence Asserted
The church’s spiritual independence means that she is to be aloof not merely from leftwing causes, but also from being a direct subservient entity of the political right.
There may be considerable overlap between the American political right and the Christian church in moral values, especially in matters like abortion, sexual morality, euthanasia, and the like. But at the end of the day we serve Christ, not any party or social movement; for such things are temporal and of human origin, and therefore... Continue Reading
Honorable Conduct in the “Negative World”
Crenshaw has decided that America in 2024 is analogous to Jericho in redemptive history and worse than first-century Rome.
Perhaps Crenshaw thinks Biden’s America is more of a “negative world” than Nero’s Rome and that the New Testament’s normative expectations of Christian behavior therefore do not apply. Or perhaps he thinks New Testament ethical teaching represents a kind of slave morality in our current political moment. If so, QED. The conclusion of Crenshaw’s article is,... Continue Reading
God Sets the Terms and Conditions
God gives us what Christians have long referred to as “means of grace.”
By giving us these means, God shows that we really do have the privilege of relating to him, but he also shows that we cannot relate to him in whatever ways we may want or we may deem suitable. While we can genuinely be friends with God, he is the one who sets the terms... Continue Reading
What Do You Love More? The Law of God and Second Commandment Violations
Any earthly image we could ever make fails to convey the reality of who Christ was, is, and will forever be.
To attempt to capture the essence of the immortal, divine Christ in a mere physical image is to engage in the most extreme folly. Jesus was not like other men. He is the God-man! In Him, all of the fullness of God dwells in human form. To make an image of Him is to create... Continue Reading
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