Freedom From Accidental Heresy
Until my late twenties, my greatest fear in life was finding out I was an accidental heretic.
If Jesus makes us right with God, then we have the freedom to come to him even when we aren’t theologically correct. To put it in the language of the Bible, we are invited to come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace... Continue Reading
Judas Is A Warning
Few figures in the history of Christianity are as notorious as Judas Iscariot
“It is not for us to say who are the apostates. That is God’s business. Our pastors and elders administer the Word, sacraments, and discipline. We pray that those who fall away will be convicted of their sin, that their eyes will be opened, and they will be brought to new life and true faith.... Continue Reading
Escaping From the Love of Money
We all need God’s help to escape from the clutches of materialism and money-love
Now, the next thing that He’s going to ask is, “Okay, so what did you do with what I gave you on Earth?” And, wow, that’s going to be a tough exam. I know that it’s going to be filled with grace. And yet, when I stand before God, I don’t want to hand Him... Continue Reading
What Does God Think of My Pain?
Suffering gives us the opportunity to find out if the faith that we’ve given lip service to is the real thing
“But there is the promise in the midst of this suffering that it’s never meaningless. It’s never random. We tend to look for big answers that are personal and singular in terms of that question why? And sometimes we look all over to find an answer to that question why? when the Scriptures themselves have... Continue Reading
The Pastoral Heart and Inevitability of Suffering
We must preach so as to make suffering seem normal and purposeful, and not surprising in this fallen age.
If we would see God honored in the lives of our people as the supreme value, highest treasure, and deepest satisfaction of their lives, then we must strive with all our might to show the meaning of suffering, and help them see the wisdom and power and goodness of God behind it ordaining; above it... Continue Reading
What’s the Purpose of … Marriage?
The highest purpose of marriage is to display to the world the sacrificial love of Christ for his bride, the church.
Before God united Adam and Eve in the very first marriage, he already had something else in mind. Before he joined the first husband to the first wife, he was already thinking forward to what that marriage and every subsequent marriage would portray: the relationship of Jesus Christ and his church. Every marriage is meant... Continue Reading
If All My Sins Are Forgiven, Why Must I Continue to Repent?
When we confess sin, we are not experiencing a new justification but a renewed application of our justification.
We are always complete in Christ, yet we are also in real relationship with God. By analogy, in human relationships we know something of this truth. As a parent, I am in relationship with my five children. Because they are my family, they will never be cast out; the relationship is permanent. Yet if they sin against... Continue Reading
A Brief, Biblical Response to the Stoicism of Tim Ferriss
If a person rejects the love of God offered through Christ, then Stoicism may be his or her best option.
Stoicism does nothing for a person in the next life. Indeed, Stoicism denies the existence of a life beyond this world. But God has put eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We don’t want this life to be all there is, and intuitively we sense that we were meant for something more than eventual meaninglessness and imminent annihilation.... Continue Reading
Hope for Perfectionist in Progressive Sanctification
Perfectionism has placed heavy chains over our necks, telling us that we will not be free until everything is in perfect order.
Sanctification is the process that begins after salvation in which we are being conformed to Christ. This is through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts as we yield in obedience. This process will not be finished until death when we are glorified and taken to heaven. I am a perfectionist at... Continue Reading
When You Don’t Love the Church
Discerning the difference with the nature of true godliness and what is living fueled by culture and legalism.
I know that I need the church and the church needs me. We are not called to walk out our faith alone. Paul gave us another picture of our mutual need for one another in 1 Corinthians 12:12–26. The church is one body with many parts, each part possessing an important role to play. But... Continue Reading