How the Kingdom Arrives in Matthew’s Gospel
The king took the sins of the people lay them on his shoulders and heaves them up on the cross.
If the Jews were expecting a red carpet to be rolled out for the new Davidic king, then they have not been paying close attention to the story of David’s kingship. David’s journey to his kingship is anything but smooth. The journey of the King is one of deportation and distress. This specific movement, this... Continue Reading
Is Discouragement Always an Enemy?
Knowing that God has not failed us, and we are still dismayed should be an indication that we have misplaced our trust.
If God’s plan for us was to reach a point of discouragement, doesn’t that mean that God is causing us to sin? The problem is that this way of thinking is too simplistic. The disconnect is in failing to realize that we are already sinful. The fact that the Lord allows us to face situations that... Continue Reading
Definite Atonement at Dort and the Unity of the Trinity
Put Down TULIP and Pick Up the Canons of Dort
Today, when we consider the extent of the atonement, we should remember that the Synod of Dort wrote a biblically-saturated and pastorally-useful statement that stands above anything written in the last four centuries. Rather than stressing what Christ did not accomplish in a limited atonement, the second canon of Dort edifies the believer as it... Continue Reading
Sanctification and Union with Christ
It is in Christ where our obedience is found and the Spirit of Christ where that obedience, which God prepared beforehand, is worked out in our lives.
The whole warp and whoof of Paul’s theology (including his theology of sanctification) is grounded in his understanding of who he is (and thus, who we are) in Christ. It is his doctrine of union in Christ that pulsates like a great melodic line running through the entirety of Paul’s thought. He’s a theologian of... Continue Reading
Paul’s Conversion
Jesus met and changed Paul on the Damascus Road.
Facing men who seek to undermine his ministry, Paul describes the events surrounding his conversion to prove the Judaizers are liars for making accusations that Jesus never directly called him to be an apostle. He reminds us that he persecuted the church before meeting Christ. Such an explanation provides a powerful contrast with his new... Continue Reading
Are You Hearing or Understanding?
Could it be that a counter-cultural Christianity in a world of non-stop talking simply looks like a person willing to sit down and listen?
In a culture marked by talking heads, Christians, in particular, need to be marked by a desire to listen and understand. Rather than turning people into arguments that need to be defeated, believers should take time to listen with patience and genuine concern. If you were to turn on the cable news, you would... Continue Reading
The 3 Words That Changed Missions Strategy—and Why We Might Be Wrong
We have to ask ourselves if we’ve been faithful to fulfill the original mandate.
The point is that we need to align the way we talk about the world and its peoples with how Scripture speaks of them. We should define our missionary expectations by the Bible, not going beyond what it has said. And we must ground our endeavors and formulate strategies in ways primarily driven by God’s... Continue Reading
Salvation by Ideas? God Forbid!
Paul repeatedly warns people about having a "Christian Faith" that is simply about knowledge.
Is faith mainly about believing facts, or is it primarily about a relationship of trust with “the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). Here’s where the rubber hits the Scriptural road, because over and over again when faith is used in Scripture it is not about intellectual assent.... Continue Reading
Sabotage Sanctification
Backwards and downwards is the strategy.
Tell them how unworthy they are and that they need to be far more holy if they intend for Him to listen to them. Encourage a sense of unease about their relationship with Him and the idea that to gain His favor, they need to obey a little more. Uncertainty about their relationship with Him... Continue Reading
The Holy Love of God
God’s love is not ordinary or profane, it is a majestic, sacred love
“Whatever else God’s love is, it is holy. His love is therefore characterized by the qualities that define holiness—transcendence and purity. First, God’s love is transcendent. It is set apart and different from everything we experience in creation. Second, God’s love is pure. His love is absolutely flawless, having no selfishness, wickedness, or sin mixed... Continue Reading
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