More Than Skin Deep
Thoughts on the Evangelical Modesty Debate
So where do we draw the line? Although most the extremes in this survey weren’t shared by the majority of respondents, it illustrates how figuring out what might cause men to “stumble” is nearly impossible. This is not to say modesty should be chucked out the window and we all wear (or don’t wear) whatever... Continue Reading
Evangelical Grassroots versus ‘Grasstops’
Why do evangelical leaders fail to excite the faithful about immigration reform and climate change?
Evangelical elites, when speaking politically for ecclesial bodies, should stick with issues to which Scripture and Christian tradition speak most directly. As representatives of mostly democratic polities, they should also strive to represent a consensus view within their churches. Otherwise they will create resentment among their members and are likely not to be taken seriously... Continue Reading
What Counts More: Millennials Or Faith?
Millennials are noticeable by their absence in many churches
Actually, it may not be that Millennials are leaving the church at any greater rate than the generations that have come before them abandoned the faith, even as they sat in the pews. Assuming that church attendance equates to the faith that’s been authentically believed by the church since the Book of Acts probably isn’t... Continue Reading
What Does it Mean to Abide in Christ?
Jesus makes clear that the exhortation to “abide” actually involves a number of concrete realities
In a nutshell, abiding in Christ means allowing His Word to fill our minds, direct our wills, and transform our affections. In other words, our relationship to Christ is intimately connected to what we do with our Bibles! Then, of course, as Christ’s Word dwells in us and the Spirit fills us, we will begin... Continue Reading
Whatever Happened to the Wrath of God?
“And on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied…”
When Christians sing about the wrath of God, we are singing about ourselves. Our consciences point us to the truth that, left to ourselves, we are undone. We’re not smarter or more moral than anyone else. And God would be just to turn us over to the path we would want to go—a path that... Continue Reading
Where There Is No Vision Statement, the People Cast Off Restraint; But Happy Is He who Keeps the Vision Statement
Diagnosing the health of the church by business standards
If you run a business, using a business model is great and so is having a vision statement. A company that knows what they want to produce and how, is much better off than one that just sort of exists. However, the church is not a business. It is more of an organism. We are... Continue Reading
Bible Wars and the Origins of the Term “Inerrancy”
Gaining understanding from historical context
The problem with Briggs – and much of the inerrantist backlash against critics like him – is that he insisted on interpreting Scripture through a very narrow lens: the lens of the late nineteenth century scientific mindset. Thus, he wrote, “we are obliged to admit that there are scientific errors in the Bible, errors of... Continue Reading
The Preacher’s Character
Paul is a model for all preachers
This text admonishes preachers and theologians to deep personal piety. There is an undoubted connection between the person (in this case Paul) who has a message, and the message itself (the whole counsel of God). To paraphrase Paul’s teaching, the whole counsel of God must be proclaimed by men who are clothed in humility, bathed... Continue Reading
Sexual Reorientation Therapy Not Unethical
Southern Poverty Law Center wrongly fighting against patients' right to choose
But contending that all same-sex attraction is immutable is a distortion of reality. Attempting to characterize all sexual reorientation therapy as “unethical” violates patient choice and gives an outside party a veto over patients’ goals for their own treatment. A political agenda shouldn’t prevent gays and lesbians who desire to change from making their own... Continue Reading
Just Quit: How Nike Got it Wrong
Be very, very careful of the ladder of moralism. If you’re still attempting to “Just do it”, you can’t accept what Christ has already done
While we mock the legalistic moralism of our ancestors (wearing suits, not wearing makeup, not drinking or smoking, not watching TV, or going bowling) we’ve simply replaced the legalistic moralism of the pharisees with the internal moralism of the post-modern (“live audaciously”, “live missionally”) not so that you won’t “go to hell” like our ancestors,... Continue Reading
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