Scorched Earth Sanctification
Christians are engaged in a bitter struggle against a brutal enemy.
The scorched-earth policy is a retaliatory retreat in which, as civilians and military personnel abandon the frontline, they take or destroy anything that could be utilized by the enemy. In a speech delivered shortly after the invasion began, Stalin implored his countrymen, “to the enemy must not be left a single engine, a single railway... Continue Reading
How We Read the Bible Rightly and Get It Wrong
Let's show mercy to those who 'misinterpret' Jeremiah 29:11 and other favorite verses
“How will you respond? Your exegetically and theologically trained mind immediately populates a list of problems with her use of this verse: this is a horrible translation of the Bible; this verse is taken out of context; this is a word spoken to the nation of Israel in the Old Covenant and therefore can’t apply... Continue Reading
The Confession of a Grace Abuser
There have been times I’ve used my “grace card” like it was some kind of unlimited hall pass
“If you and I are at all serious about personal holiness, we’ll need to look under the hood of our hearts and try to figure out why we do what we do and then have the wisdom and courage to do something about it. I think two of the most spiritually crippling words for followers... Continue Reading
The Aesthetics of Worship
Why do we sing in church, in our living room, at a concert, etc.?
“Is there (or should there be) a palpable difference between the aesthetics of worship and other opportunities for singing together? Does the context of a coffee house, campfire, concert hall, stadium, living room, or sanctuary change our expectations and practice of making music?” In my last post, I set out a series of questions–including... Continue Reading
Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: The Prologue
"For the knowledge of God is the door by which we enter into the enjoyment of all blessings."
This saving knowledge, received by faith, is very different than being saved by mere knowledge. For Calvin (consistent with the Wisdom School), the divine Wisdom is a rich and comprehensive wisdom. The divine Wisdom is filled with every blessing, with power and vitality, and with all the holiness and righteousness for which we hunger and... Continue Reading
Worshiping a Golden Calf on Sunday Morning is Deceptively Easy
The hottest “worship war” going is the one taking place daily in the sanctuary of our own hearts.
We worship the worship experience; we tithe with expectation of return from heaven’s slot machine; we dress to impress; and we serve and lead to compensate for the inadequacies in our hearts that only Christ can fill. Every weekend, hundreds of preachers extol a therapeutic gospel from the pages of the same Bible where the... Continue Reading
The Damning Devastation of a Single Coddled Sin
Just a single sin left in your life is as dangerous as just a single rattlesnake left in your bed.
Christian, do not be ambivalent with your sin. Do not be complacent with sin in general and be doubly sure you are not ignoring a single treasured pet sin. There is great danger in any and every sin; there is great joy and freedom in every measure of holiness. We can never be ambivalent.... Continue Reading
Just What Is Godly Sex? – Part 2
Sex, like all of life, is profoundly theological, while being gloriously earthy and physical.
Some Christians believe the world’s lie that maximum pleasure is the goal of sex. Scripture warns that in the last days people will be “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4). God wants us to know him more fully in all of life, to worship him as our Creator and see... Continue Reading
The Marrow Controversy: The Book
Fisher’s work is filled with practical advise and tidbits that are relevant your Christian living today and current debates on the nature and role of sanctification.
The Marrow of Modern Divinity is still worth reading today. It gives not only doctrine but great pastoral wisdom. Regardless of whether or not one reads the book, the issues remain current today. We must always guard the gospel against legalism and antinomianism. In resisting one, we must not fall into the error of the other. We... Continue Reading
5 Passages Your Pastor Wishes You’d Stop Taking Out of Context
How we get them wrong and what church leaders can do about it.
Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2 NASB). Sometimes misinterpreting a passage boils down to decontextualizing a single word—in this case prosper. “This passage has typically been used as a proof text that God is mandated to bless in a very... Continue Reading