Love Theologically
I’m always shocked to hear pastors warn against theology, because it amounts to an act of self-sabotage.
The Bible nowhere suggests that good theology can hinder love. Paul spends the first half of his letters expounding good theology. When he transitions to application in the second half, he never warns that some of that good stuff he mentioned up front might now become a hazard. And neither should we. I learned... Continue Reading
An Open Letter to Christian Parents of Unbelieving Adult Children
Remember the past, pray in the present, and hope for the future.
Dear Christian parent, your trial is great, but your God is greater still. He is not blind to your anguish and He does not ignore the prayers of His children. May God hear your heart’s cry, answer, and work in your child’s life. May He take your child and make him or her His own.... Continue Reading
I Love Your Love But I Hate Your Tolerance
Often, we compromise in areas where we shouldn’t because we want to give the benefit of the doubt
“We want to be loving. We can be loving in so many other areas, and yet our tolerance could be the very thing that gives a green light for God’s people to sin. Protecting perpetrators of both spiritual and physical harlotry is not loving.” One thing that really stands out to me while I... Continue Reading
The PCA And The Right Against Self-Incrimination: Against Overture 7
Overture 7 seeks to change BCO 35-1 such that "church officers under accusation shall be required to testify before the court."
How did the right against self-incrimination become part of the BCO? As we will see, it was not because the PCA was influenced by civil protections, such as the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Instead, it was the contributions of our Reformed forefathers that helped shape the American religious and civil protections against self-incrimination we... Continue Reading
Do Churches Fail the Poor?
It’s a more basic failure to reach out, integrate, and keep them in the pews
“This is the striking story of the last 30 years: Despite the stereotype of religion as something that people “cling to” (to quote a different moment of condescension from this president) in desperate circumstances, actual religious practice has collapsed more quickly among Americans with weaker economic prospects than it has among the college-educated upper class.”... Continue Reading
The Tapestry of Sovereign Grace
In the air conditioned sanctuary on a Sunday morning, theology is precise in theory
“It is not just that all of creation and providence contribute together in totality to the glory of God. It is that these two strands are inseparably tied together. This theological knot, so evident in Scripture, is nevertheless at times hidden from view in our lives—like a tapestry’s beauty on top is so contingent on... Continue Reading
Can Someone Who Believes in Limited Atonement Plead With Sinners?
If you believe that Christ did not die for the entire world what then of proclaiming the gospel?
“A belief in limited atonement does not make you unable to proclaim the gospel directly to every sinner. In fact if taken whole such a doctrine may actually give you more confidence in proclaiming—knowing that His sheep will indeed answer the gospel call.” When we think about what Christ accomplished on the cross we... Continue Reading
In Praise of the Dying Art of Civil Disagreement
Why is civil disagreement so hard? It cannot simply be a matter of dogmatic certainty
“I think the lack of civil disagreement in the classroom is best understood as a function of larger social and political trends. As I have noted on this site before, oppression is now a psychological category. This subverts the crucial moral difference between an actual crime, a speech crime, and (increasingly) a thought crime.” ... Continue Reading
Keeping Faith: The Changing Face of Religion in Canada
Many immigrants come to Canada and bring their religion with them
“An online survey on religion released in March by the Angus Reid Institute suggests that the percentage of God-denying Canadians has doubled from six per cent of the population in the 1970s to 13 per cent now — with about one in four Canadians saying they’re inclined to reject religion.” When the sad time came to say good-bye to her late husband, Marie Diane... Continue Reading
Alabama Senate Passes Bill to Effectively Nullify All Sides on Marriage
The Alabama state Senate passed a bill that would end the practice of licensing marriages in the state, effectively nullifying the contentious national debate over government-sanctioned marriage.
The bill would replace all references to marriages “licenses” in state law with “contracts.” The legislation would not invalidate any marriage licenses issued prior to the bill being passed. The contract shall be filed in the office of the judge of probate in each county and shall constitute a legal record of the marriage. A... Continue Reading