“While the above phrases might sometimes be used in an Arminian way that emphasizes free will and rejects the bondage of sin and irresistible grace, it is also possible to use these phrases in a biblical and Reformed way – those terms are confessional!”   Once upon a time, in a Reformed church, a visiting... Continue Reading

“Whether we sin in private or in public—and whether we perhaps even pretend not to have it—shame is undeniably real. We feel shame because God in His grace created all human beings with the capacity to feel shame as a consequence of their sin. John Calvin wrote, “Only those who have learned well to be... Continue Reading

Whatever our individual weaknesses are, they are given to us by God so that we can rest in his grace and rely on his strength. Like Gideon’s army of 300, we face each day ill equipped on our own to fulfill God’s calling on our lives. But that’s when God’s glory is put on display, when he works in... Continue Reading

Surrendering to the Lord, crying out for help, and thanking him for what I did have proved to bring me great peace. God also tells us that the mind set on him will be given peace, because that person trusts the Lord (Is. 26:3). The Lord was faithful to fulfill these promises. I was at... Continue Reading

“Hearing the voice of God” used to be the mark of a prophet of God, but over the last century or so, it’s slowly become the mark of a “mature believer.”   These days, “conservative” folk (like Beth Moore or Francis Chan) regularly suggest that God speaks to them…not in audible voices, but definitely in some... Continue Reading

Problem is, we don’t have that option. We don’t get to vote on what is and is not God’s word, what is and is not a sin. That is up to God. To change what the Bible says about homosexuality would be to deny God’s very word and bring judgment on ourselves. To try and... Continue Reading

A wedding is not a dinner invitation or a graduation open house or retirement party. Even in a completely secular environment, there is still a sense–and sometimes the wedding invitations say as much–that our presence at the event would honor the couple and their marriage. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to attend a... Continue Reading

But then you have to wonder about the Coalition and the Gospel when you read Bethany Jenkins’ “Why are Non-Christians TGC15 Panelists?” The Gospel Coalition Conference will meet in Orlando next week (April 13-15). The theme is eschatology. The special event, which Ms. Jenkins will chair and which will involve the non-Christian panelists, is “Seeking... Continue Reading

Whether we are talking about same-sex attraction, singles longing for companionship, or disillusioned spouses who thought marriage would fulfill their need for intimacy, the church’s challenge is the demythologizing of sex in a culture that  sells it as the answer to all our loneliness, hurt, and loss. We are all making a grave mistake if... Continue Reading

The impression therefore arises that, outside the hard sciences, there is no received body of knowledge, and nothing to learn, save doctrinal attitudes. In The Closing of the American Mind, Allan Bloom lamented the languid relativism that had infected the humanities—the belief, shared by students and teachers alike, that there are no universal values, and... Continue Reading