Whose ‘…Father who art in Heaven’?
Often it is only when God takes us out of our depth and beyond our natural limits that the words he himself has put on our lips in prayer begin to resonate with us in fresh ways.
The question that needs to be asked (though seldom is, because we are too quick to assume we know the answer) is, ‘Whose Father?’ Our instinct is to say, ‘ours’ in the sense of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and have received his gift of salvation. After all, did not the apostle... Continue Reading
Souls Always Need More Curing
Souls are cured, but they also sicken in new ways.
Who among us could be so blind to the fact that our souls are constantly in need of more curing? The reality is that most of us are not readily aware of our need for more curing–particularly when it regards a self-righteous attitude or posture toward others who are struggling with sins other than our... Continue Reading
Anti-Gay? – Get Out of the Way!
Opinions about sexuality are driving a deep wedge in society at large, in Christian colleges (and among other Christian institutions), and in the Church.
Politics is almost exclusively defined in terms of gay rights. Without apology or embarrassment, gay TV producer Ryan Murphy announced his 2020 plan for a multimillion-dollar initiative to vote out of office all anti-LGBTQ lawmakers, filling their seats in the Senate and House with pro-gay legislators. Forget economic and political theory: this is a moral crusade. Murphy,... Continue Reading
Immutability, the Promises of God, and the Christian Life
God’s immutability breathes a joyful certainty to every believer.
These links between immutability, promises, and the Christian life are basic, but far from superficial. Probing the relevant doctrinal connections yields valuable insights about the nature of God and how we live in Him. This essay is then an exercise in peering under the surface of doctrinal connections that we usually take for granted. ... Continue Reading
Canons Of Dort (9): The God Who Elects Unconditionally Does Not Change
Our doctrine of God is, as it is for all Christians, at the headwaters of our theology, piety, and practice.
Consider the first line of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” The first thing we say about God is, implicitly, that he is triune and second that he is almighty. The ancient Christian church knew nothing of a God who is contingent upon creatures. I doubt that... Continue Reading
Why God’s Love is an Immutable Love
God has an infinite, eternal, unconditional love for his chosen people in Christ.
His love is infinite, greater than we can measure or understand (Ps. 103:11; Eph. 3:19), which God demonstrated by giving the gift of infinite value: “his only begotten Son” (John 3:16 KJV). His love is eternal (Ps. 103:15–17). His love is unconditional, giving the best good to those who do not deserve the least good... Continue Reading
A Different Kind of Profanity
We tend to reason that grumbling is not a big deal because it is not actually doing anything it is simply talk.
In contemporary American culture grumbling is often ingrained as a way of life and many treat it as harmless personal therapy. We tend to rename it as something like venting in order to remove the stigma. Grumbling is so habitual that we often miss the irony of our words when we stand in front of... Continue Reading
The Discipline That God Despises
There is such a thing as “ungodly discipline” — a form of hard work, persistence, effort, and commitment that drive him farther away, instead of inviting him near.
Think about the resolutions we might make a month from now. Almost all of them involve some kind of discipline. Some of us have been thinking about them since our last round failed in February or March (or sooner) — weight to lose, new rhythms in important relationships, bad patterns to break, consistency and depth in... Continue Reading
Love & Hurt Feelings – Refresher
“Love…does not take into account a wrong suffered.”
Someone commits a few small sins against us and look out; like the graceless insurance company, the relationship gutters. We place them on our spiritual detention list for relational prosecution. We are no longer trusting, but suspecting. We are no longer caring, but gossiping. We are no longer inviting, but ignoring. We are no longer... Continue Reading
Most Popular Bible Verses in 2018 Deal with Fear
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God."
“This year’s data shows people worldwide are continuing to turn to the Bible in search of comfort, encouragement, and hope,” said Bobby Gruenewald, pastor at Life.Church and YouVersion Founder. “We’re humbled that 10 years after its release, people continue to use the YouVersion Bible App in record numbers to connect with God’s Word.” From... Continue Reading