What she needed more than anything — what we need more than anything — is to know Jesus. Our most severe problem would be hopelessness in solving our fundamental problem. Our most severe problem would be that we don’t recognize Jesus as the only rescue from our sins.   Our fundamental problem is that we’re... Continue Reading

4. The Decalogue was given for the covenant community only. The Reformed confessions testify the Decalogue was given “to” the covenant community, but is given “for” all men. 5. The provisional and ceremonial aspects of the Decalogue were binding on the O.T. covenant community only. Generally agreeable, except that the Reformed confessions also testify that... Continue Reading

We see this today with how secularists reject the Bible as being a standard of ethical authority (with misrepresentations galore), consistently call the God of the Old Testament a moral monster, and replace the Christian ethical foundation with their own emotive-driven and subjective moral framework. They will determine how they will live and what they... Continue Reading

If Darwinian theorists are right, then all forms of love and virtue are genetic illusions. They don’t exist outside the human psyche. Which means they don’t really exist. Love is fundamentally a utilitarian mirage adapted by our genes through natural selection to be among the most effective means (yet) of our survival.   Darwinian theorists... Continue Reading

We must be careful how we define ministry readiness and spiritual maturity. There is a danger in thinking that the well-educated and well-trained seminary graduate is ministry ready or to mistake ministry knowledge, busyness, and skill with personal spiritual maturity. Maturity is a vertical thing that will have a wide variety of horizontal expressions. Maturity... Continue Reading

God chose the foolishness of Gospel preaching to save them that believe (1 Cor. 1:21). The Gospel message is foolishness to the world. But so is the Gospel medium – preaching. Who in their right mind would choose a regular 30-45 minute monologue from one sinful man to many sinful hearers to communicate the most... Continue Reading

Instead, we heap expectations on our pastors. We pile the demands on them and build the pressure on them to an unsustainable level. We oblige them to speak in detail on subjects they have no clue about. This differs from pastor to pastor. Some might have an affinity for politics and other may be trained... Continue Reading

Millennials were less likely to think about social problems, make efforts to conserve natural resources, be interested in or participate in government, voting, contacting their representatives, participate in demonstrations or boycotts or giving money to political causes. The decline in environmental concern and action are markedly steep. Remarkably, three times as many Millennials said they... Continue Reading

If final justification is dependent on something we have to complete it is not possible to enjoy assurance of salvation. For then, theologically, final justification is contingent and uncertain, and it is impossible for anyone (apart from special revelation, Rome conceded) to be sure of salvation. But if Christ has done everything, if justification is... Continue Reading

Evangelicals cannot join the moral revolution on homosexuality, but it seems unlikely that we can stop it, either. The issue of homosexuality, by itself and in tandem with other moral issues, may well lead to the marginalization of evangelical Christians within the larger society. This is already the case in secular Europe and, increasingly, in... Continue Reading