It Was Not So From The Beginning: What Nature And Grace Teach Us About SSA
Is same-sex attraction (SSA) or homosexual attraction “natural;” that is, is SSA (sexual desire for someone of the same sex) per se sinful?
The Lord is not surprised by your disordered sexual attraction (heterosexual or homosexual) but neither does he approve of it. Christ obeyed in the place of sexual sinners but he did not die to ratify their disordered sexual desires. Rather, he is graciously leading his people, in his Word, by his Spirit, to order... Continue Reading
God’s Glory May Be in the Scars
Our struggles and our sufferings are never wasted in the hands of a good God.
I have no doubt that she would have been perfectly content to hide in her room while this disease alters her face. She could have easily justified her choice to stop singing, to stop traveling, to stop having this experience of explaining over and over again to a brand new group of people why her... Continue Reading
The Pursuing God
Maybe God's questions are not to gain information but to gain attention; not to accuse but to alert.
It is noteworthy that God begins questioning after the fall. In Genesis 3 and 4 questions prompt Adam and Cain to take stock of their situation and to take responsibility. The questions represent God’s interest and intervention. They lift eyes and ears to the God who cares and calls to be circumspect in the face of danger. ... Continue Reading
Why Is It So Hard to Pray?
When we pray, we are entering into real warfare against our flesh and against the flaming arrows of our accuser and his host.
Christians don’t actually believe in the power of prayer—we believe in the power of God, and that is why we pray. So, when we pray, we are reminded of who we’re not—we’re reminded that we’re not God and that we’re not in control. We’re reminded that God is sovereign and in control, and so we... Continue Reading
Killing Sin by the Spirit
It is an abuse of grace that makes us OK with sin thinking, I’m going to heaven anyway.
There is an old word that describes going to war and killing sin. Mortify it. When you see that word, it means, kill zone. DEFCON 1. Going nuclear. Annihilation. Is this the posture of your heart toward your sin? For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit... Continue Reading
I Decided to not Know Anything Among you Except Jesus Christ and Him Crucified
It has been revealed that many former solid Christian groups, denominations, and seminaries have bought into it and are actually teaching it and turning out new pastors who now “Woke Christians.”
I have been aware of many so-called Christian leaders proclaiming that the Gospel is not complete or not really preached unless it is within the framework of “Social Justice.” This “Social Justice,” however, is not simply Christians taking care of the widows and orphans and helpless as we are commanded in the Bible. No, this... Continue Reading
The Perfectionist’s Enemy: How It Paralyzes And Procrastinates
Once I begin, my weakness will most definitely show.
I must simply begin, and then I must continue with consistency and perseverance. Like the dust dwelling in my house, no progress can be made if I don’t begin to clean it. And no house will remain clean without a human (or a Roomba—though it has its limits) who consistently cleans it. I lay... Continue Reading
“Hell Anxiety”
Those who are frightened of God, naturally, have high “Hell anxiety,” as do those who do not feel in control of their lives.
The more religious you are, the less you worry about going to Hell, which makes sense. Those who are not religious at all, of course, don’t believe there is such a place. But among those in the middle, lots of people are scared. Some 13% think it’s more likely than not that they will end... Continue Reading
Remembering the Future
That Christ has kept His promises in the past assures us that He will keep His promises regarding the future.
Frankly, remembering what Christ has done in the past and is doing in the present, while necessary, isn’t enough. We must also remember the future. Paul shows us this in 1 Corinthians 15, arguing that the historicity of the resurrection and what the Lord has done in the past is nonnegotiable. If Christ hasn’t been raised,... Continue Reading
The Story of Marriage in Seven Verses
One couple said they love the word of God, every jot and tittle, from cover to cover, and gladly submit their lives to anything and everything God has to say.
That may be the first time any couple has put it back on me to pick the passage. What would you choose for them? Instead of just one verse or passage, I tried to select what I thought (imperfectly, of course) might be the Bible’s seven most important verses on marriage. Here are the seven,... Continue Reading