To know this God of grace is to marvel. To know his love is to wonder. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it” (Psalm 139:6). No we cannot attain it. But by the Spirit of Christ, we do taste and see God’s breathtaking goodness. We enter a sphere... Continue Reading

“With regard to Luther’s judgment on images, we are not in the dark. In his report to his confidant Nikolaus Hausmann on the situation he found in Wittenberg, he was unambiguous: “Damno imagines.” The elimination of images, however, should be brought about by means of a consensus grounded in the faith. As far as the... Continue Reading

“I once saw a tweet that asked “Why are we surprised when sinners sin?” It seems that the sin of racism has been so demonized by the culture to the point that it’s one of the worst things anyone can be guilty of. When we spot it, we go on a rampage seeking to devour... Continue Reading

“Jesus has already outlined his plan for how he will manifest his glory in the world today. He said, “I will build my church” (Matt 16:18). Jesus Christ died to save his people from their sins, and as the Spirit applies his work in the world, a new creation body is growing up into Christ.... Continue Reading

Roman Catholics call this concept a legal fiction, and they recoil from it because they believe it casts a shadow on the integrity of God by positing that God declares to be just people who are not just. In response, the Reformers conceded that this concept would be a legal fiction if imputation were fictional.... Continue Reading

Lourdes’s courage in commencing a legal suit against Doug Phillips and his former cohorts is tremendously inspiring to all who have been oppressed by abusive ‘c’hristians and church leaders. This post is for all victims who have dealt with spiritual wickedness in high places. What Lourdes has dealt with is analogous to what all of us at this blog... Continue Reading

Of course God’s Word isn’t primarily for us to consider how to “be a Daniel” per se. In the context of our passage on discipline, we are told, “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not... Continue Reading

It is certainly true that if people are bound and determined to misunderstand you –whether you’re the pope, the president, or a plumber — they’re going to misunderstand you, take your words out of context, and twist them to their own ends. That is unavoidable. But it is also true that if you want to... Continue Reading

The ground of the practice [of baptism] is the fact that from the moment of birth these children share their parents’ covenant status. The covenant sign, therefore, has the same significance when administered to them as it has for adult converts: it does not create, but confirms and attests a status and relationship which is... Continue Reading

When the tongue is not controlled, reputations are wounded.  Affairs begin by reckless and wild words. Pastors are ruined and churches are split by men and women who cannot speak charitably.  Children are scarred for life by harsh words spoken by parents.  Consider how you have grieved God and harmed your neighbor.  Consider how you... Continue Reading