Splitting Theological Hairs or Playing Spiritual Jenga?
The historic doctrines of the church are important and worth maintaining for the life of the church today
I would put forward the idea that we who hold to biblical truth without giving in to the “god of numbers” are not splitting theological and meaningless hairs at all, but seeking to uphold the very foundations of the Christian Faith. I believe those who measure the success of their ministry by the “nickels and... Continue Reading
We Don’t Have to Read the Book or See the Movie to Know Heaven Is Real
Before you ask if I am going to see the movie, ‘Heaven Is for Real’ let me just tell you—no, I'm not
We do not need the testimony of an impressionable 4-year-old boy, a neurosurgeon, spine surgeon, sports writer, or even a pastor to know that heaven is real. We have everything we need in the Bible. Its testimony is enough to generate genuine faith in Christ, as well as a greater longing for unending life in... Continue Reading
The Art of Presence
One family’s trauma offers valuable lessons on how to comfort those in pain
I’d say that what these experiences call for is a sort of passive activism. We have a tendency, especially in an achievement-oriented culture, to want to solve problems and repair brokenness — to propose, plan, fix, interpret, explain and solve. But what seems to be needed here is the art of presence — to perform... Continue Reading
The World’s Most Ancient Christian Communities Are Being Destroyed — And No One Cares
Christians in the Middle East have been the victims of pogroms and persecution. Where's the outrage in the West?
Western countries should make clear that our friendship, cooperation, aid, and help depends on: 1) Religious freedom, which includes the right to change or leave religions; 2) A secular law that treats all people the same. That was not the case in Mubarak’s Egypt, which the U.S. helped to prop up with $500 million a... Continue Reading
“Remember, You Are Not Managing An Inconvenience; You Are Raising A Human Being”
Exactly when did they go from precious blessings entrusted to me by God to small, loud, challenging things sent by God to interrupt my day?
When I start getting irritated at my children, I’m trying to ask myself a few questions. What exactly about their behavior is getting on my nerves? Are they sinning? If so, I should get up and deal with it, and not just sit here and hope it stops. (or yell until it does) Am I... Continue Reading
And Man Became a נפש חיה: John Murray on Genesis 2:7
Does the exegesis of Genesis 2:7 support the view that Adam was an existing hominid chosen by God?
If this exegesis is correct (and I certainly find it compelling), it would seem that anyone wishing to hold to the view the divine inbreathing in Adam not as an animation of Adam, but rather a commissioning of him must base this on different hermeneutical assumptions concerning Gen 1-4, not exegesis. For those who do... Continue Reading
Good Works and Sanctification
Here are a few questions and answers to help in this discussion.
If you liked the above answers, there is good reason. You are resonating with Reformed Biblical thought through the centuries. And that isn’t because you agree with me. These aren’t my ruminations. The answers to these questions are the thoughts articulated in Westminster Confession of Faith chapter sixteen: Of Good Works. There is much biblical... Continue Reading
Now is Superior to Then
For many American Christians it is as if the past never happened
As in any case, it is imperative that, in order to understand oneself, one must understand one’s family history. So it is with us. We did not invent the Reformed faith. Indeed, in many important ways it created us. Before go about re-creating the faith in our own image, let us learn our family history... Continue Reading
Is The Bible A Love Letter From God?
The Bible is not God telling us how wonderful we are; the Bible is God telling us how wonderful he is.
Does the Bible tell us about God’s incredible love for us? Of course. But the Bible is not primarily about us, the Bible is primarily about God. The Bible is not primarily a subjective account of God’s feelings for us; it is an objective record of God’s magnificent, glorious plan of redemption. The Bible doesn’t... Continue Reading
Shotgun Cohabitation
Unwed couples who get pregnant are more likely to move in together than to get married
Considering other statistics, this mentality shift is unsurprising. According to another NCHS survey from the same period, almost 90 percent of married men and women claim to have had premarital sex, and about 50 percent of men and women say they have cohabited with a partner of the opposite sex. In response to the statement,... Continue Reading