You see, in my household, my children sin. They are very much like their parents, except I am more sophisticated at hiding it (unless I’m blogging or watching the World Cup). But after we sin, we aim to repent – “repentance is a saving grace” – and ask for forgiveness not only from each other,... Continue Reading

I’m sure I sound as though I’m banging the same old drum, but what is missing in all of this are the very sort of controls on pastoral ambition which characterize the Old Calvinism. On the one hand, New Calvinism lacks an established standard of doctrine by which the individual pastor’s preaching may be evaluated.... Continue Reading

even the slightest sin that a creature commits against his Creator does violence to the Creator’s holiness, His glory, and His righteousness. Every sin, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is an act of rebellion against the sovereign God who reigns and rules over us and as such is an act of treason against the cosmic King.... Continue Reading

….Calvin’s differentiation between the church as Christ’s spiritual kingdom and the civil or political order. The former is the ministry of Christ by his word and Spirit, with its manifestations in teaching, the administration of the sacraments, and church discipline…. In contrast, civil government can only coerce outward or civil righteousness. Magistrates must submit to... Continue Reading

“One of the great things about studying history is that it can illuminate the present. The debates of the eighteenth century are not identical with our debates. We cannot substitute our good guys (whomever they may be) with their good guys (on whichever side) and read the events of their day like a fable for... Continue Reading

“Forgive and forget. We are all so familiar with this cliché. Honestly, will we ever forget the wrong someone did to us? What if someone raped you? Abused you? Cheated? Neglected you like I felt from my father? We will never forget those things no matter how forgiving we are.  Hebrews 8:12 says, “Their sins... Continue Reading

“Don’t get me wrong, I love great stories, and I’m all for living within one. But Scripture never commands us, “Tell a great story with your life.” It never exhorts us, “Start living a great story!” Rather, Scripture tells us we are already living within the epic Story, and we play no small role within it.”... Continue Reading

“If you have no sorrow for sin, if you have no real desire for victory, if time and again you recklessly choose your sin over your Savior, you need to ask yourself this: Do I love pornography enough to go to hell for it? If this sin continues to dominate your life, it may stand... Continue Reading

“As pastors consider how to apply the text to the congregation, can we not let the final word of the sermon be the comfort of the gospel for the sheep as they head out into their week? Without careful reflection on the nature of application, on the question of how the application relates to law... Continue Reading

After I was grown, I began to notice a difference in the way some people talked about Deborah: Sure she was a leader and a judge, but that was a bad thing. Obviously she was only a leader because no men were willing to lead. It was a judgment on Israel to have a woman... Continue Reading