“Some have advocated that, since we do not believe that Christ went to the place of the dead, we should remove that clause from the creed. Others have defended retaining it.6 Calvin and the Reformed have retained the clause but have understood it to refer to Christ’s sufferings. We should explain that the original sense... Continue Reading

“Why oh why, as Richard Gamble asked, do American Christians allow the Bible to be so used and abused? Could it be that quoting the Bible is like hearing the furnace kick on, like just so much background noise? Judging by reactions to Obama’s speech, his “thus, sayeth the Lord” solved nothing.”   If you... Continue Reading

It’s not that we cannot know peace. It’s not that God does not want us to be at peace. Far from it. It’s that we must only find peace on God’s terms. He is the offended party, he is the Sovereign, and so he must take the lead. It is the right of God, not... Continue Reading

“Self counsel” is what we sometimes call it (Think Note to Self by Joe Thorn). It basically means that we learn the discipline of speaking biblical truths to ourselves in order to kill the lies that we so naturally believe about God and about ourselves. So, here are 14 truths that jumped off the pages... Continue Reading

We Christians know that the underlying issue is sin. And because the issue is sin, the solution is grace, not an arbitrary public shaming campaign. We don’t seek further condemnation to those already struggling with shame as they watch porn. Any repentant Christian can find security in the knowledge that the bondage of sin is no... Continue Reading

  We would suggest that the “lens of the gospel” gives the only hope for the peace of Jerusalem. The “lens of justice” only brings further bitterness and resentment towards the State of Israel.[1] The need is for grace and forgiveness. Seeking justice does not bring peace in Jerusalem or anywhere else. The reality is... Continue Reading

It does me absolutely no good to assume that my mistreatment was systemic in nature. No more than it is good for me to assume that what happened in Ferguson was systemic. I have a life to live, and I refuse to live it fighting ghosts. I will not waste my energy trying to prove... Continue Reading

“Success” is not always defined by upward trends. God accomplishes his ends just as easily in our defeats. Everything does not “rise and fall on leadership” but on the sovereign will of God.  The only true “Leader” of the Church is Jesus Christ.   I just watched a video produced by John Maxwell. His principles... Continue Reading

Apparently Jesus is perfectly willing to say to churches, “repent, or else.” And the “or else” includes things like coming against the unrepentant like a thief, waging war against them, and potentially even killing them (and their children). If our gospel-centeredness protects us from the rebuke of Christ, if our gospel-centeredness diminishes the dread fear... Continue Reading

“The church has the advantage of story.  God gives us his truth largely in the midst of story –stories filled with anti-heroes and moral ugliness wherein even those who wear the white hats have very fatal flaws.  This is the story of grace.  If there is a quest for redemption that is shown in the... Continue Reading