“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses... Continue Reading

In the words of Martin Luther, we are simul justis et pecator — at the same time justified and sinners. Our sanctification will only be complete when Christ returns to take us home. However, to argue that gross and heinous sin is normative and acceptable in the Christian life makes a lie of the gospel.... Continue Reading

Joy transcends the highs and lows of life. This leads naturally to peace. The word is eirene, which in both the Septuagint and the New Testament is the equivalent of shalom, and peace was an essential component of Old Testament theology. That is why Paul so often says, “grace to you and peace.” Grace is... Continue Reading

If you are a slow reader, don’t be intimidated by others or feel like you are an efficiency failure. The important thing is to read and read good stuff.     Maybe this doesn’t apply to some of you because you are a fast reader. Congratulations! Maybe. But slow reading applies to many of us,... Continue Reading

If you affirm the word of God, it means that you will affirm the justice of God. It means accepting, as painful as it is, that if your loved one rejected Christ as their Savior, there are eternal consequences for that rejection. As we just said above, all who face God having rejected Jesus face... Continue Reading

It is worth noting that some epistles are much tougher to grasp. Galatians, for example, resists simple interpretation. First, there were two areas called Galatia in ancient Rome. Second, we don’t really know who the opponents were that Paul wrote against and what exactly they taught. We get general ideas, but we need to be... Continue Reading

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). He is tender toward the weak, the burdened, the failing, and the struggling. He gathers lambs into his arms and carries them close to his chest (Isaiah 40:11). He doesn’t break the bruised reed or quench... Continue Reading

Instead of seeing that the growth of the word in the hearts of men is because of the faithfulness of God, we desperately desire to see ourselves as the hero of the growth. But I’d encourage a small exercise in gardening. Take a real seed and plant it. Then every day, go out and begin... Continue Reading

God has not left the nations without witness. The human heart, though darkened by sin, still bears traces of a God-consciousness that helps explain why many cultures preserve dim memories, expectations, or categories that can prepare the way for the proclamation of Christ.     Why do people in every age and in every place... Continue Reading

It is somewhat complex. I want to admit from the outset that, this point is not simplistic. “When does the Christian not submit to the state? Or is the Christian to universally, categorically in every instance submit to the state, such that to rebel against the state is in every case to sin against God?”... Continue Reading