Aquinas lays down a basic principle: “One’s obligation to love a person is proportionate to the gravity of the sin one commits in acting against this love.” To say it another way, we are to love with deeper devotion those for whom we have a bigger responsibility. Those against the concept of Ordo Amoris are either being dishonest or... Continue Reading

God does not need our perfection. Such striving undermines his grace and reinforces our self-sufficiency. Instead, God receives the humble, whom he will exalt at the appropriate time (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6). In our failures, we trust that God will fulfill his purposes for us according to his steadfast love (Psalm 138:8).   Most of... Continue Reading

In Colossians 4, Paul provides unique insights into his ministry team and their connections. We learn that Aristarchus was imprisoned with Paul, Barnabas had a cousin Mark, and Epaphras was a dedicated pastor in Colossae. Luke was confirmed to be a physician, and Demas, who later deserted Paul, was once a valued co-worker.   Here... Continue Reading

Christians are commanded to love God with all of their minds, and when we refuse to do so, we are being disobedient and sinning against God. If things can be more easily twisted or misunderstood online, then that is all the more reason to take greater care in what we share and how we present... Continue Reading

The most neglected step of leadership at home may be equipping our children to become all they can be in Christ. While the church and our wives are tasked to assist fathers, we [as fathers] are the ones charged by God with the responsibility to equip children for life by teaching them the ways of... Continue Reading

Seeing the parallels of the means of grace in tabernacle worship and new covenant worship gives us a greater appreciation of all that Christ won for us in His mediation, as the writer of Hebrews reminds us: the High Priest of the order of Melchizedek—Jesus (Hebrews 7:17)—entered the Most Holy Place, into the presence of God,... Continue Reading

God is honored by our recognition of his sovereign right to judge. Thus, he demands we acknowledge that what happens in history is not mere happenstance, but his direct sovereign oversight over all human history, and that we praise him for it (Psalm 75:6-10).   It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands... Continue Reading

Broken families, bad decisions, momentary lapses in judgment, youthful indiscretions, blunders, rebellion, immoralities, foolishness…the list goes on and on. Thankfully, these are the kind of people Jesus loves to save; to rescue.    As the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So, I suppose that if it is broken, we should fix... Continue Reading

“Following the breadcrumbs” scattered throughout the Bible to investigate the mysteries in Revelation shows them fitting together into a “beginning and end” story of redemption, as told by the glorified, resurrected Savior from his heavenly perspective.   When first considering whether we should begin this study on Revelation, one of my great concerns was the... Continue Reading

In the economy of redemption, the ordinary way in which God is to be addressed in prayer is as “our Father,” even “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” in the name of Jesus (i.e., through his mediation) by the power of the Holy Spirit. As the apostle puts it, “For through him [Christ] we... Continue Reading