Aspiring evangelical elites must adopt the mindset of being a minority in a pluralistic elite. America’s historic Protestant elite was a hegemonic majority. Today the old WASP establishment is long gone. Protestants are a minority in America, albeit still a plurality. They are a tiny minority among the American elite. The rising generation of evangelical... Continue Reading

Paul does not say Jesus was born, though He was. Paul chooses a word that reaches backward before Bethlehem. Came. Arrival implies origin. It implies movement. Someone leaving one place and entering another. It implies intention. Christ. The anointed One. The One promised through centuries of waiting. The Prophet who would speak God without distortion.... Continue Reading

In ancient times, most ‘formal family trees’ projected strength, purity, and worthiness. Scandal was white-washed; weakness was removed; women went unnamed. The purpose of such a genealogy would be to prove status and claim power. But not Jesus’. Far from what was common, conventional, or clean, Matthew presents Jesus’ family tree with its corruption, compromise,... Continue Reading

The same sun that sank beneath the horizon will rise again—dawn is as certain as dusk. Cling to the days of health, joy, and intimacy with God, fellow church members, your children, and any other that God might bring across your path, for seasons of sickness, sadness, and loneliness will surely come. When they come,... Continue Reading

We may be in danger of becoming like the quarreling Corinthian church that Paul admonished because some identified as followers of Paul, others of Apollos, and still others of Cephas (1 Cor. 1:12–13). Ultimately, we follow Christ and are united with other believers under his lordship. But one way we can guard the unity of... Continue Reading

I get this question from some parents: What should they do? They want steps, clarity, a plan. But this is not a formula kind of pain. It’s slower work — deeper and quieter. It’s the choice to remain in one’s child’s life even when it feels lopsidedly of service. It’s truth telling with a whisper not a shout. It’s praying... Continue Reading

Through the Law, God will reveal our sin. Through obedience to the Law, God will fulfill all righteousness on our behalf. And by His grace, God will not only save us, but He will give us totally new hearts that love Him and, in a surprising twist, are finally able to obey Him in a... Continue Reading

In the Incarnation, God adds to himself a nature that is like ours in every way, yet unblemished by the problem of sin. This uniquely qualifies Jesus to be the representative of a new human race, and at the same time bestows unimaginable dignity to our bodies. Immanuel means “God with us” for good reason…In... Continue Reading

God reigns over all creation. He raises up kings, and he brings them low. There is no reason to question God’s anointing of Cyrus as his shepherd, since God rules and reigns everywhere. Incidentally, this is why Christians can learn from the wise anywhere in the world, since God is at work preserving and guiding... Continue Reading

When we think about it, we realize that every cognitively-able human person believes that he or she practices the “true religion.”  Otherwise, why would they be practicing the religion they are practicing?  (And this includes everybody–overtly “religious” people; and those who claim to have no “religion.”)    Have you ever asked yourself this question?  What... Continue Reading