The discussions of unity in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 2, 4, both mention church officers, but as gifts to his church that is one (1 Corinthians 12:28-30; Ephesians 4:11-16). Nothing in these texts suggests that the officers constitute the unity as Rome believes. Rather, officers serve the one church. In 1 Timothy 3:1-13, which gives... Continue Reading

Secular propaganda leads us astray on this point and tries to make us more “spiritual” than God. But he made our bodies. As a master artist, he judged them very good (Genesis 1:31). He took a body for himself — and by taking, forever hallowed. When God became man, he definitively declared the permanent goodness... Continue Reading

The impossibility of God being wrong is attributable to his infallible middle knowledge of what one would freely choose as opposed to could freely choose. Consequently, there is no surface mismatch of God’s beliefs about possible indeterminately free choices that could occur, if certain possibilities are infeasibilities that would not occur. Of course, from a... Continue Reading

Earthly kingdoms rise and fall with all the emotional swings of human pride. The dream house we finally finished can be burned to the ground in a moment. About the time you get used to one thing, it is time to move on to another. And the constant shiftiness of our lives injects us with... Continue Reading

The devil actually quoted the Bible. He got it right. Word for word. But did he notice what he missed? Surely he didn’t overlook it. Maybe he was hoping somehow that Jesus wouldn’t be familiar with that text. The devil quoted Psalm 91:11-12. Let me share Psalm 91:13: “You will tread on the lion and... Continue Reading

In spiritual growth, we tend to follow a generally upward trend in which our ups and downs, over time, become less severe. As we grow in maturity, we settle into a more consistent pattern of spiritual behavior. But rebirth is merely the beginning point of this process that goes on until we’re glorified in heaven.... Continue Reading

Your Bible reading habit (or lack thereof) won’t increase or decrease God’s love for you. But your spiritual discipline will very much affect the warmth of your heart toward truth. Your devotion to Scripture will very much impact your delight in the glories of Christ and the gospel.   The claim in my title might... Continue Reading

Drawing near to God was only possible in a limited, cultic fashion under the Old Covenant, but those who draw near to God through Jesus Christ and his saving work experience the fullness of what was promised in connection with the New Covenant (Heb. 10:14–18; 12:22–24). The “better hope” by which Christians draw near to... Continue Reading

Just as the sprinkling of blood sealed a particular people in the old covenant (Ex. 24:1–8), so here the inauguration of the new covenant requires Jesus to shed his blood for a particular people. That particular people is the “many” for whom Jesus gives his life as a ransom (Matt. 20:28). The combination of “many”... Continue Reading

Few things in life are as painful as watching a loved one drift away from Christ. Yet few things in life give as much pleasure as watching him or her return to Christ in repentance and faith — and to know you played a part. Don’t grow weary in doing such matchless eternal good; keep... Continue Reading