Between a Rock and a Hard Place
The GOP, Evangelicals, and the Politics of Gay Marriage
But what about Evangelical Christians and this issue? It seems to me that there is a lot of soul-searching to be done. To be sure, at this point even a low-key statement of biblical morality comes across as narrow-minded and intolerant, and there is probably not much that can be done about that in the... Continue Reading
Christianity that cuts
If yours is a Christianity that has no sharp edges, no distinctive flavours, then it is not the true Christianity of the Bible.
If your gospel does not cause the hackles of the self-righteous to rise and the lips of the worldly-wise to curl in a sneer then it is not the gospel of God, and will not prove the power of God to salvation. If your gospel does not declare a freeness in God’s grace that makes... Continue Reading
The Most Important Message
Do you ever wonder what’s the most important thing for you to know or to tell others about Christianity, what is “of first importance”?
Well, we don’t need to speculate because Paul tells us right here in 1 Corinthians 15 what he shared with the Corinthians as being “of first importance”: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. Paul’s first... Continue Reading
The God-Centered Cross of Love Inexhaustible
A God-centered God created a God-centered cosmos that he saves by a God-centered cross.
Christian propitiation is not the works of sinful man to crudely appease an angry deity. That’s the pagan idea. Rather, Christian propitiation is the work of God to absorb his divine anger toward sinful man. The first is capricious and whimsical. The latter is the calculated selfless act of a loving God — indeed, of... Continue Reading
One Family Under God
How can a church effectively minister to the needs of all its members who span a wide range of ages?
In the final analysis, our basic human need as sinners trumps all other needs that are unique to age and stage of life. That means that the gospel is more important than any targeted ministry. It also means that, though we should work hard to communicate the gospel in understandable, age-appropriate ways, there is only... Continue Reading
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.
She was a complete stranger, so I hesitated to approach her. Looking around, I hoped to spot a traveling companion, someone who was already returning to comfort her. That’s when I noticed that many other people were watching her as well. Although she was not crying loudly, her soft sniffling and flowing tears caught the... Continue Reading
Gay Is Not the New Black
Is same-sex marriage a continuation of the civil rights movement?
It should be noted that the right to marry is one of the most frequently denied rights we have. People who are already married, 12-year-olds, and people who are too closely related are just a few categories of people routinely and/or categorically denied the right to marry. Hence, the charge that it is wrong to... Continue Reading
Holy Week and the Insomnia of Jesus
Danger doesn’t keep Jesus awake; the judgment of God does.
I lose sleep quite often over the things Jesus tells me I should not worry about: my life, my possessions, my future. Such is not of the Spirit. Why is it easier for me to worry about next week’s schedule, and to lose sleep over that, than over those around me who could be moments... Continue Reading
Expiation and Propitiation: Two Important Words
Ultimately, Jesus died to save us from the wrath of God.
Christ’s supreme achievement on the cross is that He placated the wrath of God, which would burn against us were we not covered by the sacrifice of Christ. So if somebody argues against placation or the idea of Christ satisfying the wrath of God, be alert, because the gospel is at stake. This is about... Continue Reading
Christian Discipleship in a Hostile World
One of the sharpest areas of conflict at the present time is in business or the professions.
Conflict between the Christian conscience and its imperative of obedience to God and the state sponsored morality of personal and social autonomy occurs increasingly at the level of ordinary life, not in laws or governmental policies that penalize religious believers per se. No area of business or professions is safe from threat to liberty of... Continue Reading
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