The False Gospel of Nice
It’s not that we fail to talk about the cross or even sin; it’s that sin is presented as a problem primarily for how it messes up our lives and relationships and gets in the way of our goals.
Jesus, of course, does make a difference in the lives of believers; it’s just not the difference of a better life now in all the ways we might want. After all, what did Jesus say? “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). That... Continue Reading
The Christ-Haunted Song
Since "all that borrows life from Him are ever in His care," all that we have and possess (including our ability to think and reason in the realm of metaphysical truth) is nothing other than "borrowed capital."
“The truth is known and acknowledged by the unbeliever. He has no right to believe or assert truth in terms of his own presuppositions, but only on Christian ones. So his assertions of truth are based on borrowed capital.” The truth is inescapable for the unbeliever, though he or she constantly seeks to suppress it... Continue Reading
Promises Made, Promises Kept
“I will be their God and they will be my people”
The truth is, God is not anxiously waiting for us to claim his promises or try with all our might to believe they are true. They will come to pass because God said them. There is no need to name them and say they are ours for they already are—in and through the Word made... Continue Reading
Teach the Real ‘Personal Relationship with Jesus’
I’ve started describing our relationship with Jesus in terms of union with Christ.
While you may know little about union with Christ, some view it as the most comprehensive aspect of Christian salvation. Michael Horton, for example, shows how union with Christ draws together the various aspects of salvation—including “the past, present, and future, as well as the objective and subjective, historical and existential, corporate and individual, forensic and transformative.” ... Continue Reading
Some Encouragements To Frequent Prayer
Encouragement to pray for grace, from the sinless prayer stalwart, Jesus, to bring your requests and knock on your Father’s door as a many-times daily delight
Cultivation of Personal Communion. It is John Owen who stressed the privilege Christians have in the grace of mutual fellowship with each of the persons of the Triune God. This is our great glory, joy, and life, to commune with God in Christ and get to know our Maker, Provider and Redeemer better. Frequent prayer... Continue Reading
For Weak and Weary Pilgrims
Regardless of whether we feel strong or weak, the former does not add to our salvation, and the latter does not disqualify us.
It’s easy to get the idea that “good” Christians experience nothing but victory after victory with nary a temptation or struggle until they cross the finish line in a blaze of glory. But I wonder if the race looks less like a sprint and more like a marathon where the runners are exhausted with just enough... Continue Reading
Eternal Subordination of the Son and the ESV Translation
ESS does indeed appear to have influenced the translation of the ESV.
The truly dangerous result of the ESV translation of heautou/emautoú as “authority” is apparent in the John 16:13 passage. That passage is speaking of the Spirit. While the Son, after the incarnation, has a human will and a divine will, the Spirit does not. The Spirit’s authority is always the one divine authority. If the Spirit is... Continue Reading
Alienation from God
We are warped and twisted in our alienation from God. The gospel tells us that Jesus Christ came to replace that alienation with reconciliation.
With the rise of psychiatry and psychology, not least in their “pop” versions, we have now become a therapeutic culture—patients who need inner healing, victims who need a better self-image. Our deepest problem is now seen to be personal alienation—whether from those around us or from ourselves. Thus, many therapists set out to deal with... Continue Reading
Christ, the Giver of the Law
The Whole Law of God was part of the sufficiency and efficaciousness of Christ’s redeeming work in the Old Testament.
The Lord Jesus Christ formed this People of the Old Testament, redeemed them from Egypt, carried them on eagles’ wings through the Wilderness, and gave them His Law as their God. As we move on to the Content, Purpose, and Praxis of the Law, having our conclusion here firmly in place, it should become plain... Continue Reading
You Don’t Need to Sit at Jesus’s Feet
As surprising as it may seem, reading your Bible with the Holy Spirit’s help is better than sitting at Jesus’s feet.
But our reason for humility is also our greatest reason for hope! Understanding the Bible doesn’t depend ultimately on your IQ, your efforts, or how long you’ve been a Christian. Understanding the Bible depends on the Spirit of God in you. Even the lowliest Christian can see more than the greatest Old Testament prophets, because by the... Continue Reading