Christ’s Exaltation: The Ground of Our Hope
The nineteenth century’s humanistic faith in inevitable moral progress was destroyed on the battlefields of two cataclysmic world wars.
The Christian worldview stands in stark contrast both to the humanistic idea of progress and to modern secular pessimism. At the center of the Christian worldview stands a hope centered in the rule and reign of Christ—a reign that will one day be revealed to the entire cosmos. “The twentieth century, it is safe to... Continue Reading
I Left Same-Sex Romance for Love
Knowing Jesus has continually revealed just how superficial and man-made the things I used to treasure were.
Like a diamond that weighs down your hand, that makes you avert your eyes for its rainbow brilliance, coming to know Jesus has continually revealed just how dingy, superficial, and man-made the things were I used to consider treasure. But God has saved me and shown me that saying yes to Jesus is far better.... Continue Reading
Confusing Pleasure and Joy
I discovered that the more pleasure I acquired, the less joy I possessed, because I was seeking pleasure in things that required that I disobey God.
When I became a Christian, I found myself wishing I had paid more attention in my catechism class. The only thing I remembered from the Shorter Catechism was the first question and answer, and the only reason I remembered that question was because I never could make sense out of it. The question was this:... Continue Reading
What Is Progressive Revelation?
The Old Testament is the beginning of God’s progressive revelation of himself.
Hebrews 1:1 notes that God revealed himself “at many times and in many ways” in the past. Adam received a bit of God’s truth, and so did Noah; God spoke more fully to Abraham, unveiling more of himself and his purposes. He revealed himself supremely in the Old Testament through Moses. Progressive revelation is a... Continue Reading
How Not to Read the Parables
I want to share with you what the parables are, but first, it is helpful to establish what they are not.
The first error many readers make is to believe that the parables are simplistic religious illustrations, almost spiritual folktales. In this erroneous reading, the parables are read superficially like moral lessons. The parables are of course fairly simple up there at the surface—some of them simpler than others—and there are clear moral lessons in the... Continue Reading
Identifying Our Identity
Both the traditional and neo-traditional positions on homosexuality exclude from acceptable Christian behavior sexual acts that are outside of Scriptural marriage between one man and one woman.
This difference in identifying the desires, and not merely the acts, as sin is not mere semantics. It has profound consequences in how we address the person who desires to live the Christian life who has experienced same-sex attraction. When we are called to repentance, are we called to merely do different things or to... Continue Reading
The Unforgetting God
However old (or young), however manifestly weak (or apparently strong), whatever our circumstances, there is our hope. Whatever we forget, He forgets us not.
She may yet forget more. But, no matter how much she forgets, the Lord who has loved her and saved her will never forget her: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of... Continue Reading
Envy: Tearing Down Those in Front of Us
One of the seven deadly sins and its antidote.
Ultimately, the solution to envy is found in humility, an attitude that is not focused on ourselves and what we think we deserve, and in charity, agape love that rejoices when good things happen to another person. We must learn to follow Paul’s instructions in Philippians 2 to do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but... Continue Reading
What Happens after Death (and before Resurrection)
For Calvin, the very idea that the soul “sleeps” until the resurrection made no sense, given the unique properties of the human soul.
Redemption from sin and the overturning of the consequences of the fall on human nature (death) are therefore necessarily eschatological in their orientation. The redeemed soul has been given eternal life through the work of Christ, by the Holy Spirit, who is the “earnest of our inheritance, that is, of eternal life, unto redemption, that... Continue Reading
Abiding: By the Rules, or In Christ
Either a person tries to improve his lot in life by what he does, or he will rest in Jesus Christ
Seeking to create a better future, every person will live in one of those two ways. Either we try to abide by the rules (and force others to abide by the rules). Or, a person will abide in Jesus Christ. In biblical terms, each person seeks to live by law or by grace. English... Continue Reading