Reformed Christians have the richest account of God’s love in all of Christendom. We trace it from before the foundation of the world through the golden chain to the certain glorification that awaits us in eternity. The doctrine is there. It just hasn’t finished the journey from our heads to our hearts.   Insecure people... Continue Reading

The adoption thesis must be abandoned, as it denies that Christ was the Son of God by virtue of the hypostatic union at the moment of conception. Instead, it inaccurately suggests that he who is already the personal Son was somehow adopted into sonship. If this were true, the Father’s love for the Son would... Continue Reading

We never know what will come about because of our ordinary acts of faithfulness—be it a kind, passing word, a whispered prayer, or even a simple question. Indeed, Pascal had his wager, my father had his—“Have you been born again?   Blaise Pascal was a Renaissance man—among other things, he was a philosopher, mathematician, physicist,... Continue Reading

Spiritual leaders are those called by God through the local church not merely to proclaim the Gospel but to exemplify the power of the Gospel through genuine godliness. This is the heartbeat of the qualification passages of 1 Timothy and Titus 1.   Any discussion about the qualifications of pastors/elders must begin with 1 Timothy... Continue Reading

Most people find it easy enough to accept that heaven is everlasting. The harder question is whether hell is equally everlasting, and this is precisely where several alternative views have emerged.   For Christians, it is important to understand the Bible’s fundamental teaching regarding the doctrines of heaven and hell. In recent months there has... Continue Reading

The purpose of creation is Jesus. We might enjoy God’s world and ignore Jesus, in which case we’ve missed the most important thing.   Another thing we notice in this highly structured creation account of Genesis 1 is that God does things intentionally here. God chose to create this thing here, and then that thing... Continue Reading

We have all that we truly need in our union with God, and even when good things are held back by the hand of our Father in heaven, it is for our good and sanctification.   But godliness with contentment is great gain —1 Timothy 6:6 Jeremiah Burroughs’ classic work The Rare Jewel of Christian... Continue Reading

Christian liberty is a beautiful, delicate balance. We are completely free from the traditions and commandments of men, meaning we bow the knee to Christ alone. Yet, because we are subjects of Christ the King, we joyfully submit to His moral law and the lawful authorities He has placed over us.    In Chapter 19,... Continue Reading

The good news is that God makes His resurrection power available to us to walk in victory over sin. The Christian life is not a choice between loving and trusting Jesus, and making an effort to avoid temptation and sin. It is not either/or—it is both/and.    Scripture says, “His divine power has given us... Continue Reading

Beauty stirs in us a longing for Heaven. We can appreciate the beautiful things of this world, but they don’t fully satisfy. They are merely echoes of the true, lasting kingdom. A longing for Heaven, for our “true country,” has been written on our hearts. We are, after all, image-bearers of the one who made... Continue Reading