David Platt answers this well in his book Radical: We so often think “If it’s dangerous, God must not be in it. If it’s risky, if it’s unsafe, if it’s costly, it must not be God’s will.” But what if these factors are actually the criteria by which we determine if something is God’s will? […]
The Problem With Making Christianity Be About Rules
There are three problems with seeing Christianity primarily in terms of following rules. First, this notion is just wrong. Second, it obscures the fact that the solution to our problem is not following rules, but forgiveness. Third, it gives the impression, as William Wilberforce said, that Christianity is “a system of prohibitions rather than privileges […]
Why Do We Do Good Works? More on the Holistic Nature of the Reformed Tradition
This is a great statement from the Heidelberg Catechism: Question 86: Since then we are delivered from our misery, merely of grace, through Christ, without any merit of ours, why must we still do good works? Answer: Because Christ, having redeemed and delivered us by his blood, also renews us by his Holy Spirit, after […]
The Reformation Was Holistic
A truncated focus on the spiritual needs of people without concern for the physical and social needs of people is not part of the legacy of the Reformation. It came later, and from other sources. The Reformers were remarkably holistic, caring about all dimensions of the human person. The spiritual is most foundational, but this […]
The Truthfulness of Scripture
A great article by Michael Horton on inerrancy. Here’s the first paragraph: Against the repeated claim that the doctrine of inerrancy, unknown to the church, arose first with Protestant orthodoxy, we could cite numerous examples from the ancient and medieval church. It was Augustine who first coined the term “inerrant,” and Luther and Calvin can speak […]
The Meaning of the Sabbath Day
The Sabbath Day represented the eternal spiritual rest that comes through faith in Christ (Hebrews 4:11). But it also represented something else — namely, the means by which Jesus won that rest for us. For the Sabbath day (Saturday) is the one full day that Jesus’ body lay in the grave. He died on Friday […]
On What Date Was Jesus Crucified?
Probably Friday, April 3, AD 33. Which means exactly 1,979 years ago today.
Correcting a Misunderstanding of the Sovereignty of God
When I was first learning about God’s sovereignty 15 or so years ago, every book I read made sure to emphasize the point that God’s control over all things is not an excuse for inaction. When we see someone in need, for example, we are to not EVER to say “that’s God’s will, so I’m […]
When Jesus Said "Blessed are the Poor in Spirit," Did He Simply Mean "Blessed are the Humble"?
No. The reason is that spiritual poverty, in a certain sense, is not a good thing at all. To be spiritually poor, in the first dimension of the word, is to be a sinner. This is not a good thing. Jesus isn’t talking merely about humble people here; he is talking about sinners. But we […]
How Can God's War Against Satan be a "Real War" if God is Omnipotent?
It can sometimes be hard to see how God’s war against evil and Satan is a “real war,” given that evil is clearly outmatched (since God is omnipotent). It’s like when I wrestle with my two-year-old: there’s no way he can win. And, of course, there is indeed no way evil can win. But it’s […]
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