Grieve To The Glory Of God
Our grief sends a message about what is truly valuable
“We grieve the loss of people we love, yes, but also the loss of circumstances. I had longed to celebrate our son’s 2nd birthday, but this day came and went with no boy in my arms. I had longed to see him in that crib in our room soon after it was assembled, but months... Continue Reading
What Christians Should Ask of Government: To Do Justice
These days, “justice” and “social justice” do seem to be increasingly popular rallying cries
The primary goal of government, we said, was to seek peace by doing justice. Several times I’ve mentioned 1 Kings 3:28, which gives us the political philosophy of the Bible in a nutshell: “Israel stood in awe of the king [Solomon], because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.”... Continue Reading
Total Depravity: Leprosy, Sin, and Jesus
In the first chapter of Mark's gospel, a man with leprosy stopped Jesus
“How did this OT form of leprosy have any relevance to their spiritual wellbeing? And for that matter, what does OT leprosy have to do with us? Some scholars understand the snow-like nature of this leprosy to come from the scales and flakes of the skin disease. This particular effect of the disease indicates that... Continue Reading
Are Pragmatic Exceptions in Abortion Policy Morally Inconsistent?
If pro-lifers honestly believe a child in the womb is a human being, they must reject abortion exceptions and reject the politicians and church officials who tout them
At root there is only one objection to abortion; a moral objection to killing children. This argument is based on the premise that an unborn child in the womb is a human being with an inherent – Christians believe, God-given – right to life. If either component of the premise is fallacious (i.e. If a... Continue Reading
Thanksgiving in All Things
How do we offer the hard thanks, the sacrifice of praise when everything in our life is sorrow-filled and broken?
Paul isn’t telling us to have a Pollyanna outlook on life. Contemporary culture may tell us to think happy thoughts and that’ll make everything okay, as though counting our blessings will make us forget the loved one that was ripped from our arms. Rather, Paul is reminding us of the bigger story. He is reminding... Continue Reading
Religious Liberty Requires Royal Loyalty to Christ
As Christians, we emphasize that Jesus is our Savior from sins (priest) and our Source of truth (prophet); but most of us have downplayed that Christ is our Sovereign King, who demands loyalty in every area of our lives.
It is because enough did understand Christ as King that Christians have, for centuries, started hospitals, universities, schools, soup kitchens, newspapers, businesses, and even entire governments. Because enough Christians understood Christ as King, they have continuously worked to reform the secular institutions and systems in which they labor Monday through Saturday. If Christians believed their... Continue Reading
Myths on Love & the Lack Thereof
What is love? What is unloving? What criteria determines if something is loving or not?
Myth #1: Identifying error in the beliefs of another is unloving. “Why do you need to say that I am wrong? Why can’t you be more loving and focus on the good?” We often go wrong here because we have not started with God at the center in matters of belief. Though we may profess... Continue Reading
Love Your Neighbor Enough to Speak Truth: A Response to Jen Hatmaker
When we fail to discern the true nature of sin and then advocate for laws and policies that bless sinful relationships, we may think we are more merciful than God.
If this were 1999—the year that I was converted and walked away from the woman and lesbian community I loved—instead of 2016, Jen Hatmaker’s words about the holiness of LGBT relationships would have flooded into my world like a balm of Gilead. How amazing it would have been to have someone as radiant, knowledgeable, humble,... Continue Reading
Aquinas Not a Safe Guide for Protestants – Part 2
Why Aquinas is not a theologian you should closely study or follow.
There are more quotes from Aquinas that could be given, but these are sufficient to show that he taught that baptism bestows forgiveness, the grace and virtue of the Holy Spirit, incorporation into Christ, newness of life in Christ, enlightenment, and the opening of the gates of the heavenly kingdom. Anyone familiar with the Federal... Continue Reading
What Christians Should Ask of Government: To Not Play God
For a government to “play God” is to pressure its citizens into idolatry
“Playing God is the greatest temptation that human beings face. In Genesis 3, the first sin involves wanting to be like God. So it’s not surprising that governments, made of human beings, face the same temptation.” In the first half of this course, we thought about what government could ask of Christians. In the... Continue Reading