Pleading With Sinners to Be Reconciled to God
Being reconciled to God means dying to our old selves, our old lives, and our old interests
Reconciliation to God isn’t a little bump in the road of life—it’s a radical transformation and reorientation of your entire being. We become new creatures entirely. Paul had just made that very point in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things... Continue Reading
The Comfort and Security of Knowing that God is in Control
The sovereign Christ rules over all, including you.
“As you look at pictures of Atlas, he is shrugging. He appears almost to be buckling under the weight of the world, barely able to maintain his grip and keep things in place. But not Jesus Christ. By his omnipotent power and infinite wisdom he easily upholds all things in place and is guiding this... Continue Reading
Hope for Waiting Hearts
When the trials come and you are called to wait and be patient, wait well by anchoring your hope in the One whose promises are sure and whose character never fails
“Waiting, by definition, has something hoped for at the end of the wait. We are waiting / hoping for the right job. My friends are waiting/hoping for a good report, relief, and a baby. But what if those things aren’t given?” I had a horse named Carson who was practically perfect in every way—as... Continue Reading
What Do We Do with the King James Version? (Book Review)
Ward begins with an excellent overview of what we stand to lose as the church stops using the KJV
Which Bible translation is best? Well, it turns out that’s the wrong question and, in fact, the source of many of our issues. The tribalism that keeps us fixed on one translation over all others is unhealthy. “All Bible-loving-and-reading Christians need to learn to see the value in all good Bible translations.” It’s indisputable:... Continue Reading
Gregory of Nazianzus and Why Knowing the Nature of the Holy Spirit Really Matters
Gregory of Nazianzus played a vital role in exploring the nature of the Spirit
“During this time, Gregory, like Augustine, was consecrated priest against his will and with the acclamation of the people. Unlike Augustine, he literally ran away – back to Pontus. He returned a few months later, and apologized to his congregation, who forgave him slowly. Later, he produced a letter to explain his desertion: he was... Continue Reading
Is It Possible for Christians to Idolize the Bible?
The question, “Is it possible for Christians to idolize the Bible?” is inaccurate, because it forces us to drive a false wedge between God and His voice
The Bible cannot be emphasized enough in our lives, in our small groups, in our churches, for it is how we hear the very voice of God speaking to us! To cultivate a day-to-day relationship with God incarnate, we must listen to his voice. How bizarre would it be to worry that you over-prioritized your... Continue Reading
When Life is Hard
Hard days are Divinely placed opportunities for us to learn and grow in our faith.
God is sovereign over all things. He controls every event, every circumstance, every irritation, every moment— even determining when a piece of hair falls from our head. So when hard days come, it’s not because God has stepped away and taken a break from his work of Providence. Rather, he has orchestrated the series of events... Continue Reading
Why You Desperately Need the Holy Spirit
I’d like to remind you of a simple truth that we all tend to neglect, that is that we must be dependent on the Holy Spirit for help in three major areas of life.
“For a man solemnly to undertake the interpretation of any portion of Scripture without invocation of God, to be taught and instructed by His Spirit, is a high provocation of Him; nor shall I expect the discovery of truth from anyone who thus proudly engages in a work so much above his ability.” When... Continue Reading
The Mystery of the Trinity
“No sooner do I conceive of the One than I am illumined by the Splendor of the Three; no sooner do I distinguish them than I am carried back to the One.”
When the fullness of God’s self-revelation in Scripture is not taken into account, heresy is the result. Those who emphasize the oneness of God to the neglect of what Scripture teaches regarding the deity of the three persons fall into errors such as Adoptionism, Modalism, and Arianism. Those who fail to grasp what it means... Continue Reading
Is Homosexual Practice No Worse Than Any Other Sin?
Christ’s universal coverage of sin through his death on the cross does not mean that all sins are equal in all respects but only that all sins are equal in one respect: They are all covered.
If I encountered a brother in the Lord going a bit overboard with money or material things; or beginning to have loose boundaries in interactions with persons that might be of sexual interest or beginning to have more struggles with sexual desire in his thought life; or complaining a bit much, I wouldn’t likely conclude... Continue Reading