In our own day Reformed theology has almost become a brand unto itself—we have somehow convinced ourselves that there is a unique Reformed approach to all doctrine. Yet, our Reformed forefathers knew better—they benefited from the riches of their common patristic and medieval heritage. We should do likewise.   I can remember hearing a colleague... Continue Reading

Men, pay attention: don’t waste your marriage. Don’t settle for a life of comfort and consumption. You were made for more than this. Your marriage was made for more than this.   In today’s culture, marriage is little more than a mutual agreement to share a life and expenses while grinding away at work and... Continue Reading

The better we prepare to fulfill our calling as witnesses, the more consistent and effective we will be in this work that God has appointed to us. And the more we discover just how gracious and kind God is to have chosen us for this vocation, the readier we will be to step into His... Continue Reading

Jonah teaches us about the heart of God—a heart of mercy and grace for sinners. Jesus fulfills that lesson fully. The question for you is the same one that faced the Ninevites and the Pharisees: How will you respond?   Two summers ago, I preached through the book of Jonah. It remains one of the... Continue Reading

Jesus’ reign is unlike any other. It is marked by justice, peace, and sacrificial love. His dominion spans all nations and endures forever, firmly established by the zeal of the Lord of hosts. Rejoice Christian!   Isaiah 9:7 declares: Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of... Continue Reading

The Larger Catechism lists examples like “patient bearing of the hand of God,” “quietness of mind,” “charitable thoughts,” and the characteristics of love, compassion, and the forgiving of injuries. This gets at Jesus’ application of the heart (with reference to the Sixth Commandment) in Matthew 5:21–26 and Paul’s instruction in Romans 13:9, 10. True obedience... Continue Reading

It is not the number of days  lived in this world that signals holy wisdom, but the days, and even the moments of eternal consequence, spent in humble, adoring, obedient, active faith in the living God – time that is saturated with Scripture and filled with ongoing prayer or prayerfulness.  These moments, infused with eternity,... Continue Reading

Jesus, in the incarnation, took a human nature upon the deity, but without mingling or mixing the two. It brought no change upon who He is as God. The human nature did not change the God nature, and the God nature did not change the human nature. Yet, at the same time, these two natures... Continue Reading

It’s not always people who appear good, beautiful, and powerful by worldly standards who truly know God. (After all, Jesus didn’t look glorious on the cross.) “One deserves to be called a [true] theologian,” Martin wrote, “who sees God even in suffering.” The Bible says that even broken and weak sinners can know God if... Continue Reading

We must guard ourselves against looking to the Bible for confirmation of our longings rather than looking to the Bible for truth that may contradict our longings. Elisabeth Elliot’s admonition is an appropriate one: “We must quit bending the Word to suit our situation. It is we who must be bent to that Word, our... Continue Reading