Architectural Metaphors for the Christian Life
When Jesus comes to establish our lives on the only sure foundation, we would be fools to build anywhere else (Matt. 7:26).
No matter how fine the materials of a ministry appear, the important question is, Will it last? Durability is the key. Paul’s sustainability test was much more an assessment of the worker himself. Does he trust the Master’s means, or is he wise in his own eyes? Ministry built by faithful workers committed to an... Continue Reading
The Tragic Results of Denying the Resurrection
The pressures of this evil place to become temporally focused must be overcome and resisted.
Those who have the blessed hope of life after death are willing to serve God no matter the temporal risk. However, those who are backslidden or deny the resurrection do not have this hope and would rather hold the philosophy of life of, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Also, hope in... Continue Reading
Identical Equity?
Equity among humanity comes from our created endowment, bearing God's image.
Surely no one imagines that equity is some sort of nightmarish carbon copied cul-de-sac, where everyone lives in the same type of house, wears the same clothes, drives the same car, and goes to the same schools? We recognize that a proper celebration of diversity celebrates the expansiveness of who God is, and what only... Continue Reading
The Dawning of the Age of Pelagius
This notion of freedom says you can emancipate yourself not just from God but from society, family, and tradition.
The triumph of the will in every area of life means not liberation but slavery (John 8:34). Pelagius and his followers are preoccupied with human glory, but they miss the realism and the grace of the Cross. Christianity Today has published a remarkably insightful article by the junior senator from Missouri, Josh Hawley entitled... Continue Reading
Androgyny: The Pagan Sexual Ideal
Clearly God is interested in sex, or Satan would not be so passionately committed to its deconstruction.
The media has shaped the sexual fantasy-world of America’s youth. The “gay” and mainstream presses are now documenting a disturbing trend. Young people are declaring themselves “homosexual” at earlier and earlier ages. Others are embracing bi-sexuality, as an expression of personal freedom and autonomy. Observers note “a growing trend [in contemporary youth culture]…to refuse to... Continue Reading
On Platt and Priorities
In the Lord's house, the greatest priority is to honor Christ.
Have we elevated our disdain for Trump above the cause of Christ and the fact that He can turn the most wretched of human beings, or those we deem wretched, into His followers by softening the hardest hearts? It’s been an amazing past few days watching the fallout from David Platt’s prayer over president... Continue Reading
Agricultural Metaphors for the Christian Life
God uses metaphors to convey His saving message to us in a way that we can understand.
Out of the many ways God could have communicated with Israel, He chose agricultural metaphors. Israel was a people whose existence depended on the soil. Israel was liberated from Egypt to enter the land God promised to her father Abraham. Yet notice how this land is described: it is a land flowing with milk and... Continue Reading
Seven Letters Seven Dangers: Speaking Truth
It is always right to speak the truth in love.
Dear brother, the church flounders at putting away falsehood. How so? Well, I am not saying that the church has become an out and out liar. No, it is more insidious than that. The church has become nice. Dear Theophilus, You have been so inquisitive. Your questions demonstrate your great desire to learn more... Continue Reading
The Democracy of the Unborn
Abortion is a fundamental violation of the natural rights of human beings. We must fight it at all costs. Not just for the unborn, but for the entire web of obligations on which society is built.
The duties of motherhood and the lifelong commitments that come with child rearing are the quintessential examples of living selflessly for others. The duties of motherhood entail sacrifice in the present for the benefit of the future. The sacrifices our parents and ancestors made for our benefit are not, nor cannot be, forgotten in the... Continue Reading
Why Is Ecclesiastes In The Bible?
Ecclesiastes seeks to convince us that life “under the sun” (used 29 times) is meaningless, frustrating, fleeting, and incomprehensible, inducing us to turn our attention to eternal things.
The author of Ecclesiastes spends twelve chapters seeking to convince the reader that devoting one’s time and effort to the things of this life is futile and meaningless. He ends his book with an admonishment: while enjoying the basic pleasures of our very brief lives, we must fear God and keep his commandments, for He... Continue Reading