Jesus Became a Curse for Us
He who is the incarnation of the glory of God became the very incarnation of the divine curse.
When on the cross, not only was the Father’s justice satisfied by the atoning work of the Son, but in bearing our sins the Lamb of God removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. He did it by being cursed. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the... Continue Reading
What Does God Know?
It will be my view that these three texts – and others like them – can all fit in with the traditional understanding of God and his knowledge.
In the 1970s and 80s especially a new challenge to the traditional understanding arose in the form of free-will theism, or open theism. These folks argue that God does not know the future exhaustively, that he may have mistaken knowledge, and that he in fact grows in knowledge. I penned an introductory piece on this... Continue Reading
What is Spiritual Warfare
Most spiritual warfare is not casting out demons. Most spiritual warfare is ordinary things.
Spiritual warfare looks like forgiving your enemies, like repenting of your sin, like loving your spouse and your friends. It looks like preaching the gospel and taking the sacraments. It looks like loving your neighbours. It looks like the fruit of the spirit. It looks like prayer. We contest not with flesh and blood... Continue Reading
Institutionalised Envy: How the Tenth Commandment Can Make or Break a Country
Truly the tenth commandment brings with it colossal consequences for the good or ill of society.
Every form of government is fallen, but not in the same way or to the same extent. Constitutional democracy and a free market are rooted in many biblical principles, when rightly applied. Socialism (and its end-goal, communism) is rooted in envy, greed, and covetousness. It has bred all kinds of theft and trampling over private... Continue Reading
What Must the Label “Evangelical” Do to Be Saved?
In a world of “raunchy Christians” and vulgar evangelicals, is “evangelical” a label worth saving?
Quite possibly, it is losing its usefulness as a word to describe people who cherish the Bible, prioritize on the gospel, embrace the new birth, and work for spiritual renewal and social good—as evangelicals historically have done. If so, this I know: the evangel itself—the joyful announcement about Jesus—will never outlive its usefulness. “What’s in a name?” asked... Continue Reading
The Dead Sea Scrolls, the Book of Esther, and the Argument from Silence
Why would the discovery of Esther among the Dead Sea Scrolls be so significant?
Ever since the discovery of the scrolls, scholars have been eager to learn which Old Testament books were represented in the manuscripts discovered there. And it turns out that we have a manuscript from every single book from our Old Testament except one. The book of Esther. As a result, the absence of Esther has led... Continue Reading
The Island of Lost Boys
Male survivors of the trans cult speak out.
The new free documentary Lost Boys: Searching for Manhood spotlights five young men who have decided to tell their stories. Alex, Brian, Njada, Ritchie, and Torren come from a variety of backgrounds. No two of their stories are exactly the same. Each is like a fingerprint, unique to the storyteller. But all five men have something in... Continue Reading
Sabbaths & Feasts | Exodus 23:10-19
The Sabbath day and Sabbath were instituted as rhythmic reminders for Israel remember and pay attention to Yahweh their God. But God also instituted three feasts as well.
These feasts were acts of celebration, and they were to be received by the Israelites with joy, for they were being summoned to “appear before the Lord GOD.” They were being called into the presence of the King of kings to eat feast with Him and eat at His table. How could they not rejoice... Continue Reading
Do Nine Out of Ten Churched Students Actually Drop out of Church after High School?
I was reminded a few weeks ago of a persistent and unhelpful myth that’s still circulating.
So what can we conclude about the infamous dropout numbers? The rates of dropout and return are far less bleak and more complex than we’ve been led to believe. The claim that 90 percent of kids drop out after high school clearly needs to be left behind. Debunking the Dropout Myth “So tell me,”... Continue Reading
Religious Need not Apply, Says Oregon
State officials strip state funding from Oregon youth ministry for its hiring practices.
In July, the Department of Education awarded 71Five several grants worth over $400,000. But three months later, a state official notified the nonprofit by email that their grants were being taken back, saying that the nonprofit was disqualified from the grant programs because of its hiring practices. An Oregon youth ministry is challenging state... Continue Reading
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