Is Faith What We Do to Be Saved?
The weakest faith clings to a sufficient Savior.
Most people on the street today would say that one’s subjective act of faith has nothing to do with the object [of that faith]. The significance of faith becomes determined entirely by the quality of our choosing rather than on the quality of what is chosen. According to reports, Prince Charles intends—if he ever... Continue Reading
Could Jesus Have Sinned?
The Temptations And Triumph of Christ
Majestic though Christ’s provision for us is, it is also mysterious. It leaves us with significant Christological questions: For Christ’s temptations to parallel our own, must he have been able to sin? In theological terms, was he peccable?2 Or was Christ impeccable — that is, incapable of sinning?3 If so, how can he truly sympathize with his tempted disciples? ... Continue Reading
Created in Christ for good Works
‘For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them’ (Eph 2.10).
These words in his letter to the Ephesians are familiar, but perhaps not appreciated as much as they need to be. Our reading of this epistle can be so focused on the benefits that are ours in Christ forensically that we fail to grasp the equally important benefits that flow from him experientially. However, if... Continue Reading
The Difference Between the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
When Jesus sets out these two men, he does so by appeal to their ethical, social and religious standing.
The Pharisee was a respected, religious member of the covenant community. The tax collector was a despised and questionable figure in Jewish society. Throughout the gospel records, tax collectors are identified with “sinners”—a term usually reserved in Jewish society for those known for their sexual immorality. The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax... Continue Reading
Don’t Perish on Your Platform
When we use Jesus to make much of ourselves we start wading into very dangerous waters.
When we use what is meant to glorify God to glorify ourselves we are stealing what doesn’t belong to us. When we pile up the praises of men and build a platform where we’re the ones being exalted then we look a lot like the Pharisees. When we use Jesus to build our own kingdoms... Continue Reading
Ordinary Faithfulness in the Smallest Tasks
Striving for excellence in the small, mundane tasks that God has given today often seems boring and unsatisfying.
Many, it seems, in the church today struggle to believe that God has called them to a life that seems so mundane. Whether it be an ordinary pastor called to an average church, a salesperson just trying to get their quarterly numbers up, or a stay-at-home mom who can’t understand why she got a master’s... Continue Reading
Reason and Faith
Christian theologians used to define reason differently, not considering it to be the ultimate and independent authority.
For Christians, God’s revelation is the supreme authority by which all notions must be judged. This does not mean Christians rejected reason prior to the Enlightenment; rather, Christians acknowledged reason as a God-give tool that allows people, by employing various laws of logic, to judge whether or not a notion corresponds to reality, that is,... Continue Reading
Reactive Theology and the Importance of Thinking Biblically
Whilst we might all recognise this reactive tendency in the more extreme cases, I wonder whether we recognise it in ourselves so easily?
The goal of woke culture is not to hold views that one necessarily holds. The goal is to ensure that you hold all the appropriate views and are evidently woke as a result. And so people wait to react rather than think through issues and come to a conclusion. One’s personal views are immaterial, what... Continue Reading
Christ the Victim
If you have ever felt removed from God, you must realize that God knows what that is like.
When Jesus cried “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” the reality behind this cry staggers the imagination. God was forsaken by God. What we formerly knew of the Father in infinite holiness turning his back on his Son who had become sin for us remains true. But now we see God’s action... Continue Reading
The Secret to Seeing Sin
The most natural way to expose sin is by knowing God.
Isaiah was never more aware of his sin and sinfulness than when he found himself in the presence of the Holy God. He was impacted negatively not only by the presence of His sin but also by its pollution. Even his righteousness he would have seen as a menstrual cloth. I used to say... Continue Reading