The rise of the fragile Christian: How ease is becoming a way of life
Jesus who created heaven and earth and conquered the grave lives in us, and His Gospel is still the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).
“While most Western Christians accept the idea of self-sacrifice, many seem ill-prepared for what the Gospel actually requires. Rather than the saints showing up for the work of ministry, we are witnessing the rise of an army of fragile Christians who would rather cling to privilege than carry their cross.” When life is hard,... Continue Reading
“The head of Christ is God”: ESS, Complementarianism, and the History of Interpretation
1 Corinthians 11:3 is a/the linchpin passage in the Eternal Subordination of the Son (ESS)-meets-Complementarianism argument.
Three premises are required for the ESS/Complementarian argument to succeed. “The head of Christ is God” must mean that the head of the Eternal Son of God, even prior to the incarnation, is God the Father. “Head” (kephale) must mean “authority over” or similar. There must be an intended analogy (or parallel) between the headship... Continue Reading
Four Reasons Why Every Christian Should Study Psalm 110
Study Psalm 110 to hear what the Lord says.
What do you cling to when your faith is challenged? Your friends, your church attendance, your family, your quiet time, your emotions or psychological health? A prayer that you prayed? These are times in our lives when we really want to know God’s will. Psalm 110 delivers again. Here we see the covenant of redemption,... Continue Reading
Every Dark Shadow
No one has ever really seen every dark shadow inside of us.
When we do take a head-spinning moment to recognize how deep and pitch black the pit of sin really is, not in other people, but in ourselves, we don’t have to despair. We don’t have to live in fear of being abandoned by our all-knowing God. He sees every dark shadow inside of us. Every... Continue Reading
Is Your Faith Working For You?
True faith is about how you live your life out of the overflow of your heart, much more so than it is about what you believe with your brain.
I love theology, doctrine, and academic study of the Bible. But the purpose of the Christian faith is transformation, not information. When you embrace a lifestyle of faith, God will transform you from who you are into someone entirely different (see Isaiah 55). Your faith should transform you from a thorn bush into a cypress... Continue Reading
Jury Duty and Judgment Day
One of the greatest days of my life was when I was summoned for jury duty
“The judge’s job was to ensure that the people were able to remain unbiased. Her questions were simple. Questions like: are you willing to consider giving someone a financial award based on pain and suffering? Is there any reason why you wouldn’t be able to be fair in your judgment in this case?” One... Continue Reading
5 Tasks Every Pastor Needs To Do Today (And Every Day)
Several principles rise to a high level of importance when considering the subject of pastoral ministry
True pastoring always begins with personal holiness. In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul tells Timothy “Keep a close watch on yourself.” The word “watch” means “to be vigilant” or “to pay close attention.” A pastor needs to give careful attention to his own soul because he is called to be a holy man. Whole books... Continue Reading
John Calvin: Method of Preaching
In Calvin we have a man who gave his all for Christ
“By examining historical data about his manner of life and written material from his method of preaching, I have deliberately aimed to prove that he is a worthy example for ministers of the Word of God.” While Calvin’s life certainly did leave ministers a worthy example, we will consider now the second matter of... Continue Reading
Calvin’s Theology: Nearly All the Wisdom We Possess
"Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves."
True wisdom comes from above and that involves our knowing God and understanding ourselves in light of this God who has revealed himself to us in nature and Scripture. We were never meant to understand ourselves and our world without reference to God. This is especially true now that we are in rebellion against the... Continue Reading
Understanding Spiritual Gifts: 4 Lessons from J.I. Packer
“All Christians have gifts and tasks of their own within the church’s total ministry.”
Perhaps it feels audacious to claim discernment as our gift and no less prideful to claim wisdom or mercy. For others, defining their gift puts pressure on them and they’d rather leave ministry to the “professionals.” Still others simply have no idea how to begin to discover what our gifts actually are. Ask your... Continue Reading