What Is the Gospel of John about?
What we have in the Gospel of John is eyewitness testimony.
The Gospel book splits into two halves. Chapters 1–11 narrate seven miracles of Jesus that John calls “signs.” Each sign signifies that Jesus does the works of the Father so that readers might identify the Son with the Father (John 10:37–38). The Gospel of John aims to persuade readers that “Jesus is the Christ,... Continue Reading
After the Love is Gone
Spending your life with another fallen human being will require more than emotional love.
The love that God demands of husbands and wives is a love that goes far beyond mere emotions and feelings. It is a love that willingly takes up its cross and carries it—as Jesus did—even unto death (Philippians 2:8). That kind of selfless and sacrificial love is beyond the capability of any man or woman... Continue Reading
Luke’s Secondary Audience
Luke is deeply concerned with salvation.
Luke constantly appeals to the Jews—perhaps even the same Jews who now accuse Paul before Caesar—to find the very hope they seek (Acts 26:6-7). But to find it, they must stop doing what they are doing (Luke 3:7-8) and receive cleansing on the inside from the mighty one (Luke 3:15-16). Upon analyzing Luke’s treatment... Continue Reading
What Came Before God?
If there ever was absolutely nothing, then nothing could possibly be now, because you cannot get something out of nothing.
God alone is from everlasting to everlasting and possesses the attribute of eternality. That majestic aspect of God’s nature so far transcends anything that we have ever conceived of in this world that it alone should be enough to move our souls to praise and adore Him. People may argue that if every effect... Continue Reading
What Is A Biblical Theology Of Sexuality? Part 2
For both Jesus and Paul, sexual immorality, along with other vices like greed and malicious thoughts, has the power to ‘defile’ and prevent our inheritance of the kingdom of God.
Paul’s explanation of his understanding of the gospels to Christians in Rome starts by demonstrating (in chapter 1) how Gentiles are captive to sin and, in parallel, how God’s people the Jews are also mired in sin—so that he can conclude that ‘all [i.e. both Jew and Gentile] have sinned and fallen short of the... Continue Reading
Whatever My Lot
Embracing the Day God Has Made
Scripture teaches us to cultivate joy in the midst of sorrow through the daily habit of looking for God’s good gifts (Ecclesiastes 2:24–26). Each day, our heavenly Father gives comfort for today’s sorrows and blessings for today’s joys. Happiness in him comes one day at a time. Nine years ago this month, my dad... Continue Reading
It’s All About the Conscience
Our task as spiritual physicians is to treat bad consciences, continually delivering the healing balm of the living word of God and his life-giving sacraments.
Our goal is not to build people up to utilize their own inner resources or become better spiritual athletes. The cure of souls is instead geared to address spiritual dysfunction and disease, restoring health and life to souls burdened by guilt and torn by shame. I’ve made it no secret that Harold Senkbeil’s The... Continue Reading
Dort: Reformational Rebar for Revival
Calvinism Should Cultivate Piety in the Christian Life
When we teach the doctrines of grace, we must aim for the head and the heart. Mind-only discussions of the doctrines from Dort will fall short of promoting a piety that is well-pleasing in the sight of God our Savior. Heart-applications and affections-aimed teachings of TULIP will shame us into humble and holy disciples of... Continue Reading
Sent Into Orbit
God has given us every reason to have high expectations for marriage.
How can it be that something most of us once thought of as permanent (“till death do us part”) has become so fragile? Why have our expectations been so radically lowered that we’re scared, when we meet someone we haven’t seen for 10 years, to ask how the family is doing? I’ve been watching,... Continue Reading
Grace and Peace: How These Two Terms Summarize Christianity
Paul’s “grace and peace” greeting is full of theological brilliance.
God’s shalom is one of the main themes of the Old Testament. The Israelites were redeemed as God’s people through God’s covenant, receiving God’s hesed (covenantal love), so that they could be a holy nation and worship God, all so that there might experience and share God’s shalom—an everything-as-it-should-be peace. The apostle Paul begins... Continue Reading
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