Ultimately, every faithful elder is only a dim reflection of the one true Father, our Father in heaven, who shepherds us perfectly through His Son, the Chief Shepherd. When we honor the under-shepherds Christ has given, we are not exalting men. We are honoring the wisdom of Christ who gave them.   In his book... Continue Reading

For Pelagius, human nature was capable by itself to attain perfect righteousness. This, according to Augustine—and with a clear nod to Galatians 2:21—was to posit that Christ, in fact, died in vain.   Some diseases are more pernicious, causing more damage to the body, than others. And in like fashion some heresies tend to have a... Continue Reading

Ultimate victory has already been secured by Christ and is realized in our lives each day as we live by the mind of Christ, doing “nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility counting others more significant than” ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Christ’s victory is manifest in the face of our enemies through the freedom... Continue Reading

The seemingly modest, modernist claim that value judgments are merely subjective feelings, if followed through consistently, ends not in enlightenment but in the destruction of the very humanity that was supposed to be liberated.   In 1943, C. S. Lewis wrote a book with incredible predictive power, The Abolition of Man. He was able to... Continue Reading

Superficial holiness can never produce true happiness. True holiness always manifests itself in authentic happiness. Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed [happy] is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.”   In his book The Seven Deadly Virtues, Gerald... Continue Reading

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ: you are not your attractions, you are not your sufferings, you are not your own. You have very real temptations and very real troubles, but you have a great God.   I’m thankful to God for the opportunity to share this vignette of my testimony. Truthfully, I share my... Continue Reading

Jesus’ obedience in the wilderness was a necessary part of His accomplishment of redemption (Romans 5:19). Whereas Adam and Israel disobeyed in their representative roles, Jesus obeyed as the last Adam and true Israel—the end-time Son of God and son of Abraham. By His obedience, Jesus struck a necessary blow to the evil one.  ... Continue Reading

This issue might blow up surprisingly soon. London needs a new bishop, and there are rumours that a traditionalist candidate is being considered. Would the Church really risk antagonising the liberal majority, and prodding this dormant crisis into life?   Is there anything much to say about Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury? It seems... Continue Reading

The comfort of the good shepherd’s presence is all the more wonderful when we take seriously the reality of the darkness and the presence of evil. It is very important to be clear that David is not saying that the presence of the shepherd removes evil or eradicates darkness, as if being able to say... Continue Reading

Our question about the severity of the consequences and punishment in the garden may just reveal more about our understanding of the goodness and holiness of God than it does about our ability to judge appropriate consequences.   Even if you’re not a Christian, you know the story. A perfect garden. The first humans. Everything... Continue Reading