Davenant Hypothetical Universalism Even Denies Its Own Claim of Efficacy for the Elect
HU entails a non-Reformed view of the extent of the fall while implicitly affirming a doctrine of resistible grace.
[Hypothetical Universalism] betrays not just a few but several core features of Reformed soteriology, and cannot make good on its own claim upon the efficacy of Christ’s death for the elect. But why should that be surprising given the intricate nature and interdependence of Reformed Christian doctrines? An entailment of the Reformed doctrine of... Continue Reading
What Is Positive Church Discipline?
To be subject to discipline is simply to be a disciple, and church membership is a disciple’s proper desire for instruction and guidance in its fullest sense.
That discipline is a privilege does not mean that it is always enjoyable. It is often unpleasant. The wilderness wandering of Israel was a period of forty difficult (though not wasted) years. This time of testing and humbling was the “way of the wilderness” (Ex. 13:18). Moses describes it in Deuteronomy 8, saying in effect:... Continue Reading
A Biblical Precedent for Dissent
In a time of increasing polarization and secularization of campus politics, Christian higher education is positioned to benefit from the rich resources that its faith tradition offers in the form of its holy text.
The Bible highlights a wide variety of (often disruptive and disobedient) activities that it describes without censure. The implication for student life staff and college administrators, then, might be to help channel students’ energies for dissent in positive directions that align with the biblical witness rather than to be quick to quash dissenting activity, even... Continue Reading
3 Things You Should Know about 1 Peter
Christians are not called to a bed of ease, but to a life of “obedience” (1 Peter 1:2).
Remembering that we serve Christ as our Master will help us make the right choices and choose the right words when we find ourselves in the war zone. In 1 Peter 4:12–19, Peter focuses on the trials that Christians might face, urging his readers to “not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes... Continue Reading
The Death of My Son Awakened Me to the Reality of Heaven
When we are saved, we now live in the heavenly realm. We are now citizens of heaven.
I like to say that I made a friend, and my friend was the apostle Paul. I started reading Paul’s letters and started to see how Paul integrates things of eternity into every aspect of the Christian life. Not just, “This is what happens when you die,” but, “This is why you repent from sin,... Continue Reading
When Her Suffering Shakes Your Faith
Sympathy is a right response when someone is suffering, but when you allow your emotional response to a situation to define who God is, your view of Him will always be distorted.
Satan began by questioning what God said and the truth of who He was. All the serpent needed to do was begin to shift the woman’s thinking about God, a little at a time. The serpent also knew that if Eve began rewriting what she knew to be true in her own mind without going... Continue Reading
3 Essential Aspects of Godly Manhood
Men, if the cultural onslaught against your manhood has started to dampen your ambition to lead, protect, and provide for the people under your care, let Scripture renew your desire to fulfill this glorious calling.
The man’s calling in relationship to the woman is reaffirmed throughout redemptive history. Man is tasked in Scripture with spiritual and institutional leadership (Lev. 4:22; Judg. 11:6; 2 Sam. 23:2-4; 1 Kings 14:7; 1 Chron. 15:27; Neh. 11:17; Eph. 5:23; 1 Tim. 2:12-14; 3:1-8; Titus 1:5-9), as the physical and spiritual protector (2 Chron. 17:13;... Continue Reading
An Odd Detail That Points to Christ’s Cosmic Reign
Knowing that the Gospel writers give us nothing superfluous should inform our reading.
The Gospel writers include only the most pertinent information in their narratives. They don’t give us every historical detail at their disposal. For example, here in Mark 16:5, only one angel is found in the tomb, whereas Luke 24:4 says there were two. Is this a contradiction? No, Mark doesn’t claim there was only one... Continue Reading
How Should Pastors and Elders Relate to the Sheep?
The Lord is concerned not simply with saving an innumerable throng from every tongue, tribe, and nation but with saving a people made up of distinct individuals, where every single person matters.
Pastors and elders should relate to the sheep humbly and with ongoing personal repentance. When one thinks about the responsibility of being a faithful shepherd of God’s people, it is awe-inspiring and, in a very real sense, terrifying. The stakes are high, and shepherds will be called to account for their work in shepherding the... Continue Reading
What Is in a Day?
We do not know what all the pressures are in our day ahead; yet, we choose to remember these promises from God and will allow them to impact us throughout the pressure.
Essentially, our day becomes a twenty-four opportunity to worship our God, seeking to live a Christ-exalting life as we walk in the Spirit. We walk with Christ. He goes with us everywhere we go. The Spirit indwells us. We live in God’s world and in His presence. We are not alone today. Instead, we are... Continue Reading
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