Two Cheers for the Spirituality of the Church
Church power is ministerial and declarative not civil and coercive, the church cannot bind the conscience except as the Word of God binds the conscience, and the church can only make decisions and pronouncements founded expressly upon the Scriptures.
The spirituality of the church teaches that given the nature of the church under the mediatorial reign of Christ there are limits to church power and that this power must not be confused with the power of the state. Through most of Reformed history, the spirituality of the church has not entailed a silence on all political... Continue Reading
5 Myths about Complementarianism
We’ll highlight three myths imposed onto complementarianism from the outside, plus two myths sometimes perpetuated by those on the inside.
At the very outset, it should be noted that every label has a history and its own limitations. In the present case, some who don’t fully embrace the divinely created differences between men and women (egalitarians) still espouse some form of complementarity, recognizing biological and possibly other differences yet minimizing or denying biblical male authority,... Continue Reading
Context Matters: Where Two or Three are Gathered in Jesus’ Name
What is our quorum for ensuring the blessing of Jesus’ presence?
Jesus’ speech in Matt 18 addresses what the new covenant community of Christ-followers should look like. It speaks to such things as humility, compassion, initiative, conflict, restoration, and forgiveness. This speech particularly highlights how to handle the sin that will inevitably infect the community. Perhaps you’ve heard that Jesus is specially present when two or... Continue Reading
Mis_ _ _ g
The whole notion of ‘sin’ has gone from our diagnostic toolkit.
The British philosopher C.E.M. Joad said, as he journeyed away from agnosticism, “It was because we rejected the doctrine of original sin that we on the Left were always being disillusioned by the behaviour of the peoples, nations, and politicians and by the recurring fact of war. Because I didn’t believe in original sin I... Continue Reading
Creeds, Confessions and the Development of Doctrine: Some Thoughts on Systematic Theology as Poor Relation, Part Two
We need to see how and why the church has come to confess Christ in the way she does.
Proper Christian theology is always speculative, in the specific sense that it has to address matters not only of economy (how God acts in history) but also of ontology (who God is in eternity). The great creeds of the ancient church, and the confessions and catechisms of the Reformation which affirm their teachings, are the fruit... Continue Reading
You Will Die Someday
In this post I want to reflect on why believers need to think about the end of their own lives, and the fundamental difference our death makes to living here and now.
I will die someday, and so will you. I will not rage against the dying of the light but reach toward the dawning of the day, to so repent, and plan, and live that eternity is the welcome realisation of where my eye has been fixed in time. I will need God’s daily grace and... Continue Reading
Canons Of Dort (21): The Atonement Is Not Universal But The Offer Of The Gospel Is
The whole of salvation, deliverance from the wrath to come and reception of Christ and all his benefits, is God’s gift.
There is no fault in the gospel because it announces not merely the hypothetical possibility of salvation but rather its accomplishment. The good news is that Christ has done it all and further that he freely gives it to his people as a free gift. It is not conditioned upon their obedience and perseverance. It is received... Continue Reading
Christian Good Works are by the Grace of God
What should our attitude be toward God when we have an opportunity to serve Him?
Instead of being all wrapped up in trying to please people, the genuinely humble believer is concerned only about their relationship with their Saviour. It is the only one that truly matters. When Christians do this they let everything else go as they cling to their Saviour at all costs. It is these believers that... Continue Reading
You Are Not Your Own
With God’s wonderful grace in mind, we can take a good, honest look at ourselves and ask: do we really believe that we are not our own?
Since all of us redeemed short-fallers are in this fight of faith together, we can keep encouraging and exhorting one another every day to press on towards the Great Goal (Philippians 3:14), so that none of us becomes hardened in deceitful, habitual sin (Hebrews 3:13). Your body does not belong to you. Do you... Continue Reading
How Anxiety Can Feed Anger, Irritability, and Frustration
Martha’s anxiety caused her to miss out on spending time with the most important visitor to ever grace her home!
There are many tasks to complete before welcoming someone into your home, but once your guest arrives he or she should be made to feel valued. Your guest is more important than the details surrounding their visit. This is where Martha went wrong, but her sister Mary got it right. Mary knew whose presence she... Continue Reading