On Lament, Habakkuk, and My Favorite Passsage
While we know in our mind that God is always present, it often feels otherwise, especially when we are going through a trial.
This passage is my favorite because it reminds me that my faith in God rests not in what he provides or doesn't provide, not in whether he moves in my life the way I desire or whether he rescues me from hard things. It reminds me that my joy is not dependent upon what I have. My joy is found in God, who is my salvation and my strength. Whatever my circumstances, whatever fears or anxieties I have, whatever darkness lurks on the horizon, whatever is happening in the world around me, God is my salvation and my joy.
God is Much Greater Than Her Experience of Him
The kindest thing that God did in the midst of my suffering was to turn my gaze away from my circumstances to Himself
This breakthrough in my understanding (via doctrine) and the desire to learn more (theology) were the means that brought me out of despair. I began to see that God was trustworthy, not because He gave me a happy ending, but because He is who He says He is in His Word.
Soli Deo Gloria: To God Alone Be the Glory
Soli Deo gloria is the motto that grew out of the Protestant Reformation
“What Reformed theology teaches is that it is true the believer makes the right response and the non-believer makes the wrong response. But the reason the believer makes the good response is because God in His sovereign election changes the disposition of the heart of the elect to effect a good response.” Soli Deo... Continue Reading
Imitatio Sanctorum
"The things related in Scripture are not always proper to be imitated."
Clear biblical mandates, rather than dubious examples, are to be our moral guide: “Whatever the Lord commands in general terms is to be accounted as an inflexible rule of conduct; but to rely on particular examples [of characters in the biblical narrative] is not only dangerous, but even foolish and absurd.” “The things related... Continue Reading
Deep Time Out
New documentary presents science behind young-earth claims
“Deep time has a way of obliterating God. If you have enough time, you can do anything, you can make the argument for anything, you can make the rocks stand up and sing.” That’s why he believes adherence to the deep time paradigm of billions of years is a spiritual issue rather than a scientific... Continue Reading
Discontentment Says Something about You, Not Your Circumstances
The spiritual geography of Israel's exodus from Egypt can be mapped onto the experience of our own souls.
Our own complaints are not caused by our outward circumstances; rather, they reveal the inward condition of our hearts. Really, the Israelites had nothing to complain about. They were not running out of food, but were confusing what they wanted with what they needed. This is often the source of our discontent: thinking that our “greeds” are really our... Continue Reading
Debunking the “Our Citizenship is in Heaven” Motif
In the political realm, there seems to be only two choices—either liberal humanism or conservative humanism.
The point is that heaven is the place from which we get our identity. Our lives as we live in this world reflect the character of heaven and the Christ who is in heaven. As we enter daily into our places of work, into our homes, and even into our churches, heaven goes with us. ... Continue Reading
The Fairness of God?
Fairness is the last thing we want—mercy from the King is what we need.
Our great problem is that we are inherently rebels—we either rebel politely or obnoxiously, but we rebel nonetheless. We de-god him and deify ourselves. Yet the incredible thing is, the God whom we seek to dethrone, got up off his throne, came down here, put on a crown of thorns and went to the cross so that we could be forgiven for our cosmic treason. He offers to pay for my rebellion—and people want to accuse him of not being fair!
4 Tips for Defending Your Trust in the Bible
In a world that’s decisively against the Christian faith, it’s crucial that we as Christians be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us.
But if Jesus did rise from the dead, then that fact has enormous implications for how we look at the Bible. Then, it’s not nearly enough to stop at saying, “The Bible is historically reliable.” At that point—because Jesus, the resurrected one, endorsed the Old Testament as the very Word of God and authorized the New as... Continue Reading
The Design and Scope of the Atonement
The real issue was the design, or purpose, of God’s plan in laying upon His Son the burden of the Cross.
Was it God’s purpose simply to make salvation possible for all but certain for none? Did God have to wait to see if any would respond to Christ to make His atonement efficient? Was it theoretically possible that Jesus would die “for all” yet never see the fruit of His travail and be satisfied? Or was... Continue Reading