This Is How We Know We Know
The Holy Spirit not only designates a Christian by the knowledge of God, but also characterises knowledge by keeping the commandments.
Religion is not defined by a number of opinions, or by a collection of articles of faith, but rather by practice and obedience to the known will of God. This is because knowledge is a duty in relation to something else—it is instrumental to something else—it is not principally intended for itself, but for obedience.... Continue Reading
Absorbing Frustration in the Home
The Hidden Usefulness of Steady Strength
Christ doesn’t lead His bride with irritation and volatility, and He doesn’t abandon her in distress. He leads with strength under control. So when frustration rises in the home, the first response shouldn’t be explosion or retreat, but self-government. In my article yesterday about kingdom utility, I wrote that a husband is useful to... Continue Reading
A Fence, Not a Cage
Why the PCA needs a Directory for Worship that guides the church we have, not the church we imagine.
The work of reforming and strengthening worship is never finished by adopting a document. But it can be helped by one. A good Directory will not do the work of pastors and elders for them. But it can help pastors and elders do their work better. A constitutional Directory for Worship will not, by... Continue Reading
No Church, No Problem?
The individualistic emphasis of evangelicalism stands in sharp contrast to the covenantal paradigm that we find in Scripture.
Like any family, the church needs proper discipline and order so that our personal and corporate life together will imperfectly but truly reflect the fact that the church is an embassy of Christ and the age to come even in this present evil age. God’s law, not our spontaneous sincerity, defines what we should do.... Continue Reading
The Visible Church As a “Corpus Per Mixtum”
There are only two categories of persons in the visible church: the regenerate in Christ, and all the rest (who are not regenerate).
In any body of Christians (of any size), there will be a “mixture” of those who are regenerated, and those who are not. The problem is, it is not always that easy to discern between the two. The good news is, God has not called us to know this. “Corpus per mixtum,” is Latin,... Continue Reading
What Should Christians Remember amid Tragedies?
Even when His goodness seems hidden by the shadow of a difficult providence, we can trust in the goodness of God.
Through suffering, God is conforming us to the image of His Son. When we are faced with personal tragedies, we should remember that God is not just working outside of us, but He is working in us. It was just after 11 p.m. on an unusually cold January night in north Florida when the... Continue Reading
A Reading in John of Damascus, with Commentary: Or, Another Problem with Theological Retrieval Demonstrated. (Part One)
Beware of those who have begun to commend retrieving the teachings of Eastern Orthodoxy. Of particular interest is John of Damascus.
Basil also said that “the idea of the image would be lost were it not to preserve throughout the plain and invariable likeness”. By that standard any image purporting to show Christ cannot be deemed his image, since we cannot know it preserves “plain and invariable likeness” to him—and since there are as many purported... Continue Reading
Facets of Gospel Grace (Part 2)
The Gospel as a Diamond
If the hearers of the gospel do not witness the glory of Christ in the image of God through all the blessings of the gospel, then we have not yet seen what finally makes the gospel truly good news—the Person of God himself. We have pictured the gospel as a glorious diamond reflecting biblical... Continue Reading
The Third Best Gift to Give Our Children
Adults have allowed children to not accept the responsibility of work.
From an early age, work must be taught, positively modeled by adults, and regularly practiced by children. This is one of the best gifts we can give to children. I guess it could be subjective as to what is best to give our children. Even though God is the one who changes their heart,... Continue Reading
Walking with an Unseen Limp: God’s Enduring Faithfulness in the Private Pain of a Pastor’s Wife
The pain of a pastor’s wife is often as unseen as her work.
When other Christians cause us pain, we can be tempted to think, I love Jesus, I just don’t want anything to do with the church. But Jesus is not a brideless groom. His bride is the church, and he has called every believer to be a part of her and to fiercely love her because... Continue Reading