“The catechisms are excellent tools to focus like a scope of a rifle. They give us clearer insight into who we are, who God is, how we respond, and how to live life with others. Because of the many faithful pastors who have gone before us, we have at our disposal a collection of confessional,... Continue Reading

If so, then these passages prove, argues Cara, that at least some first-century Jews did, in fact, believe in works righteousness.  Even if Paul didn’t write these books (though Cara thinks he did), they still show that a works-righteousness mentality was a problem in the first century.  It was a big enough problem that the author... Continue Reading

Paul’s question, “what advantage has the Jew?” comes immediately on the heels of his distinction between those who are Jews inwardly and those who are Jews outwardly. He knew that the moment he made that distinction that he faced the same sort of problem he would address in Romans 9: if it is all down... Continue Reading

To be sure, Grudem, Ware, and others have taken the error of Eternal Subordination of the Son to new heights (or lows). And Southern Baptist seminaries have failed in many ways to train their seminarians in “classical categories of theology developed in Patristic, Medieval, and Reformed orthodox thought.” But much more troubling to me is... Continue Reading

We can interpret a painful trial in various ways. Interpretation #1: God is not good. He doesn’t care about me. This interpretation will not bless you, but bring you trouble. Same trial, Interpretation #2: Though this is extremely painful, God is sovereign, loving and good. He has ordained this trial ultimately to display his glory and conform... Continue Reading

There can be an apparent disconnect, at least in the short term, between a person’s spiritual life and their outward circumstances. Sometimes evil people prosper while godly people may face enormous suffering (Psalm 73). Turning to the Lord is not a quick fix for all our difficulties. It may bring on greater difficulties. Ultimately, the Lord... Continue Reading

  If there’s anything that would refute the idea that you can be saved by believing in the doctrine of justification by faith alone would be the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Because the doctrine of justification by faith alone precludes the idea that you could be saved by believing other than believing in... Continue Reading

Worthen characterizes this [presuppositionalism] as the idea that although all people view the world through inbred preconceptions, only Christians have access to absolute truth. The result, she concludes, is that “if this sounds like the forerunner of modern cultural relativism, in a way, it is.” Rephrased, the evangelical contention that only a biblical worldview affords... Continue Reading

No one can really know what hell is like. While we can affirm certain characteristics, we cannot be dogmatic about it, but we must acknowledge it is real. It relates to the justice and wrath of a holy God, inflicted upon all those who reject the One who suffered its torments on Calvary’s cross.  ... Continue Reading

…The resurrection IS true, which means that Jesus is alive, which means that everything he promised will happen. It’s not a myth, fairy tale, or children’s tale. Christ is risen from the dead and is achieving EVERYTHING he said he would.   The resurrection baffled everyone. When the disciples came to Jesus’ empty tomb, they... Continue Reading