Scapegoating & the Gospel Story
During troubled times, society often claims innocence and shifts the blame to marginalized individuals or groups.
The real Gospel demands that we admit we are the guilty party and that Jesus was and is blameless. Thus, human societies, to the extent that they are prone to scapegoating, are intrinsically organized around a counterfeit Gospel. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to... Continue Reading
‘Raised for Our Justification’: Is It Enough That Jesus Died?
If we’re justified by his blood, then what role (if any) does his resurrection play?
Our justification depends not only on Christ’s death for its foundation but also on his life for its continuation (Romans 5:10). The reason you can’t be condemned is that you not only have a bleeding atonement, but you also have a living Advocate (1 John 2:1–2). There’s a well-known hymn by E.E. Hewitt called... Continue Reading
A Pastor’s Letter of Prayer for An Aging, Dying Saint
See beyond the present and hope for what will come.
My dear aging saint, my beloved dying saint, see your situation for what it is. The wages of sin are death. But see beyond your situation. Your Savior awaits, and glory will be yours. But until then, be a suffering servant, serving until the end. And then, your greatest days will have only just begun.... Continue Reading
An Open Door
We are prone to interpret antagonism toward the gospel as evidence that God has withdrawn his blessing from the work.
As you labour in the face of many adversaries, remember that Christ himself will overcome all opposition and will cause his work to prosper. He will build his church (Matthew 16:18), and neither the gates of hell nor the adversaries of the gospel will ever overcome him. When you think of “a wide door for... Continue Reading
Calvin’s Fourth Rule of Prayer
Calvin exhorts us to pray in humility, yet with the resolute expectation that our prayers will be answered.
“For the saints the occasion that best stimulates them to call upon God is when, distressed by their own need, they are troubled by the greatest unrest, and are almost driven out of their senses, until faith opportunely comes to their relief. For among such tribulations God’s goodness so shines upon them that even when... Continue Reading
The Greatness and Tragedy of Winston Churchill
What is it about “cultural Christianity” that is appealing to people of great achievement?
In many ways, Winston Churchill saved his nation. But his nation will outlive none of us. Ten thousand millennia after the United Kingdom and every other part of this planet have disappeared, Churchill’s eternity will only have begun. If he did not turn to Christ as his Savior, “the greatest Briton of all time” will... Continue Reading
Sin Makes You Stupid
There is no rational calculation that can explain why men would throw away a lifetime of ministry faithfulness for a few moments of fleeting pleasure.
Big sins almost always begin as little compromises: lingering looks, raunchy entertainment, lurid rabbit trails on social media, YouTube videos that get seedier and seedier. When we justify “little” sins, we invite bigger sins to track us down—and over time, with the help of Satan and the algorithm, they will. Like every pastor who... Continue Reading
Prayerless Theologians
Meaningful prayer flows from a heart that loves the Lord.
Knowing God is more than knowing things about him. Though proper doctrine is necessary in knowing God, it also involves a reliance upon him for all things and ascribes to him the worth he is due. Prayer is one of the most significant indicators that this is the state of our hearts. Worshipful theology is... Continue Reading
The City of Man: Without God and Without Hope
Rejoice in the mercy of God toward us, undeserving sinners who also at one time were members of this doomed city of man.
Every unbeliever is a member of this spiritual kingdom of the city of man. Unbelievers do not experience the peace that comes from knowing their sins are forgiven. They do not know the love of a merciful and yet just God. They do not know the joy of a permanent and lasting eternal blessedness in... Continue Reading
Jesus the Temple
The Holy of Holies, a place of death, has become the fount of life.
As we pull back the veil or open those doors, to our amazement, we see the Word made bloody flesh on that tree with two brigands on either side of him. This horror is also his glory. The glory hidden behind the veil all those years is revealed: Yahweh is the sacrifice for his people.... Continue Reading
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