Better Late than Never – Thoughts on Deathbed Conversions
Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart.
It is clear from the example of the bandit on the cross that while his understanding was very limited, he understood enough to be saved – there was true repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. If these are real then salvation is guaranteed by God himself, for ‘whoever calls upon the name of the Lord... Continue Reading
Come to Me and Rest
Rest, child. Let it go. Put it off. Gather with God’s people.
God gave the Sabbath so that man would know that Jesus is coming. He pours the water. He sheds the blood. He gives the Spirit. He gives rest to the weary soul. And he gave us very practical instructions. One day in seven, rest. God gives you your daily bread. Your significance is found only in... Continue Reading
Is Christianity a Life of Love, not a Doctrine?
God’s saving love for His people in the gospel of Jesus Christ is the essence of Christianity.
The Bible never minimizes the importance of love. The Ten Commandments are all about how we should love God and love others. Jesus set an example of love and taught us to love. We must preach that true faith in Christ and repentance of sin leads to love for God and love for others. But... Continue Reading
Darkness Does and Will Descend
If we can still see Jesus when darkness descends, the miracle has occurred.
Darkness comes in different degrees. Though much of it can feel intensely painful and unbearable at the moment, some passes and some stays with us. The loss of a pet usually fades, the loss of a child or spouse does not. It is the persistent or enduring darkness that poses the most noticeable threat to our souls.... Continue Reading
Regeneration and Religious Fashion
Looked at from the perspective of God the Father, regeneration is the first element in the effectual calling of those for whom Christ died.
As we are in the divine purpose united to Christ in his death, God has ‘quickened us together with Christ’ (Eph 2:5). And looked at from the point of view of the Holy Spirit, regeneration comes about as a result of his activity in the soul. A man is born again ‘of the Spirit’. ‘Regeneration’... Continue Reading
Five Minutes for the Imago Dei
Christ said words matter (Matthew 12:36), so we should be intentional when we speak – especially in disagreement.
I listened to a fascinating book this year by Alan Jacobs, Distinguished Professor of the Humanities in the Honors Program Professor at Baylor University. The book, How to Think: A Survival Guide to a World at Odds, details the way we think or, more accurately, the way we don’t. Early in the book he relays... Continue Reading
How Discernment Is like Thrifting
Because we can’t custom order our lives, we must become people who can spot goodness wherever and whenever we encounter it.
I suppose the eclectic nature of thrift stores could be unsettling, even disorienting, for some people. After all, there’s no predictable supply, no reliable order, no telling what you’ll find or even what you’re looking at. Here, you might find a cut glass candy dish that looks exactly like the one your grandmother had, or... Continue Reading
The Good Samaritan
What made him a Good Samaritan is that he helped someone that wasn’t easy to help.
Jesus shared the parable of the Good Samaritan in response to a Lawyer’s attempt to limit his responsibility to love all of his neighbours as himself. Jesus started the parable by explaining that a Jewish man was attacked and robbed as he traveled from Jerusalem to Jericho. The robbers took all of his belongings and... Continue Reading
Eternal Functional Subordination…Continued
The Son is not objectively, eternally, subordinated to the Father.
Though Jesus was everlastingly God, equal in worth and power and dignity to the Father, He did not consider that equality something to be clung to greedily, but He veiled His glorious attributes and took on tangible, actual servant-hood at a particular point in time, namely when He became a human. God did not cease to... Continue Reading
Why is the OT Sacrificial System so Bloody?
The OT sacrificial system is a constant reminder that we are not, in fact, “all right.”
There’s blood everywhere! Why? It seems so barbaric to us, so primitive and backwards. For the author of Hebrews, however, the bloodiness of the OT form of worship speaks volumes. It tells us something about ourselves that we don’t like to think about. Our world is constantly trying to convince us that “Baby, you’re a... Continue Reading