Wholesome Protestant Doctrine
Francis Turretin, Divine Simplicity, and the Creator-Creature Distinction
God is not simply a big person, sharing our imperfections with us or exalting the supposed virtue of dependence, as if God is somehow glorified in His need. Rather, His divine life is marked by a completely different type of being—so much so, that it is more proper to call him the source, ground, or... Continue Reading
Lessons Learned from a Wolf Attack
When wolves in sheep’s clothing are recognized for what they are, they will not run. They will attack.
Wolves are inevitable as the gospel advances. Jesus had Judas, the believers in Ephesus had their own fierce wolves emerge after Paul was gone (Acts 20:29). Wise believers will seek to prepare for this common danger to the church—and act when the wolves are exposed. Some of the most painful lessons of ministry are... Continue Reading
The Real Function of Third Way Rhetoric
The person using third way rhetoric positions himself morally above the positions to his left and his right.
So much of the teachings of the urban church flatter the sensibilities of the people in the pews rather than fundamentally challenging them about the way they are living their lives…The pedimental nature of third way rhetoric is very effective, and it’s easy to see why it appeals to the striver class people who populate... Continue Reading
The Bible Says It, I Believe It
The Bible is going to offend; we let it loose, and stand firm.
No matter the teaching, no matter the offense—if the Bible says it, we ought to believe it. Period. We should never apologize for what the Bible says. Society is saturated with apologizers. Every which way we turn, someone is apologizing for something because it offended someone. It’s a vicious cycle. And Christians are, in... Continue Reading
Take Your Guilt and Sins to God
The book of Lamentations is a testimony to the sovereign faithfulness of God.
If we are honest, we know that sometimes our greatest pain comes from dealing with the consequences of unfaithfulness and sin—whether our own or that of someone close to us. And when we find ourselves there—and we will—Lamentations is our handbook. As we wrap up our four-week series, Redeeming Trauma, we need to pay... Continue Reading
Don’t Confuse Secondary or Tertiary with Unimportant
There are lots of tertiary things that will have a significant impact on your church.
We should think through tertiary and secondary matters and think carefully about what the scriptures say and how our approach to them will impact our churches. We may not write people out of the corpus if they land differently to us, but where we land may have implications that matter far more than we tend... Continue Reading
Precision Pastoring: Nourishing the Caregiver’s Soul
Jesus told Peter, "Feed My sheep."
With their deep understanding of the brutal realities of my life and the potential dangers that lurk, my pastors do not “motivate” me; they shepherd me. Modeling “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4). They preach the whole counsel of... Continue Reading
“Is It Bad?” Is the Wrong Question
We want to actively pursue good!
The next time you have a choice to make…ask the question, “Is this good?” We want to pursue those things that build up, as well as avoiding the bad; to walk in righteous paths rather than just avoiding the sinful ones. Me: “Hey Stacy, do you remember that kids movie?” Stacy: “Sort of.” Me:... Continue Reading
Different from and Different For
Egalitarians and the State of Christianity Today
Egalitarianism treats men and women not just as equals but as persons who are equally fitfor various roles. This is a radical departure from the wisdom of our God, who made men and women different from each other and different for each other. And to speak or act in any way that ignores, diminishes, or denies God’s good design... Continue Reading
Against Brokenness Theology
Replacing sin with victimhood.
Brokenness theology is not only unbiblical and spiritually damaging. It is also the gateway drug to a whole host of other heresies and errors. By teaching people that they are primarily helpless victims of forces outside their control, rather than willful sinners in need of salvation, it opens the door toward seeing every difficulty or... Continue Reading
Postmillennialism: A Reply to Doug Wilson
Postmillennialism lacks a biblical text to establish its assumption that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Hab 2:14) before the second coming.
The eschatological kingship of Christ begins already at his first coming culminating in his resurrection and ascension. Already at and dating from Christ’s exaltation, “God has placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church” (Eph. 1:22; cf. v. 20). This is a key eschatological pronouncement….... Continue Reading
The Sun Is Blotted from the Sky
As the light fades, men and angels alike pause in wonder at Christ receiving without grumbling, accepting without complaining, and bearing without limit.
“Give me Adam’s complaining and Jacob’s obstinacy and Samson’s lust.” The angels of heaven seem to shout, “Stop! Surely he has reached his limit!” But again he speaks to say, “Burden me more! Add to me the weight of all the sins of the next two thousand years, add to me all the sins of all... Continue Reading
Your Elders Will Fail You
God did not make your elder perfect. God redeemed your elder and is still sanctifying him.
Your elder is not Jesus. They may be Christ-like, but the ultimate voice a Christian should hear and follow is Jesus’s, and not their elder’s. Your elder can pray for you, warn you, show you safe paths, and plead with you. But ultimately, every member is in the hands of the Lord Himself. We are... Continue Reading
Poor Richard’s Christianity
Mere cultural Christianity will not protect the society a famous atheist says he values.
Dawkins’ conundrum, of course, is that all the nice culturally Christian things he enjoys have been brought to him courtesy of “bad” Christians—those dreaded orthodox types who actually took the Bible seriously when it said, for instance, that man is made in the image of God. Dawkins likes the idea of human rights, but he... Continue Reading
What Temptation Is and Is Not
Until we see Jesus, we will continue to suffer temptation.
Understanding the nature of temptation should sober us. It reminds us that no matter how good temptation makes sin appear, it’s a mirage. The temptation to be stingy is an invitation from Satan to resist the generosity that reflects Jesus. The impulse to click on pornography is an invitation from Satan to grieve God for... Continue Reading
Finding Peace beyond the Illusion of Control
Our salvation involves so much more than what we are currently experiencing, and even creation groans, waiting for the sons of God to be revealed.
Everything could fall apart. The darkest things imaginable could happen, except one: that God would lose one of us who has been saved by faith and fail to complete the work He has begun in us. We will see Jesus face to face in all of His glory. One day, all believers will inhabit a... Continue Reading
Everything about God Matters
Divine simplicity.
Simplicity means that God’s essence is identical with His attributes. God is not some unrevealed being who possesses attributes such as love and knowledge. Rather, God is love and God is knowledge. This truth is tremendously reassuring, for it means when we encounter God’s love or knowledge, we are genuinely meeting with God. Were attributes... Continue Reading
Undistracted by Moralism
While moralism sets the bar to an achievable height, Jesus sets the standard farther than we can reach.
Jesus exposed the Pharisees’ application of the Exodus 21:24 command, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’” (Matthew 5:38). They measured righteousness by personal retribution. They took a law meant to curb sinful retaliation and used it to justify personal vendettas. This is what... Continue Reading
Christ’s Spotless Bride: New Testament Images of the Church (Part Two)
Even when Christians fail and through sin bring harm to other members of Christ’s church, the Savior’s love and mercy is greater still.
Theologically, ideas of God as Father (Matthew 23:9– “for you have one Father, who is in heaven,”), Jesus as brother (Romans 8:29, “firstborn among many brothers”), believers as children of God and as co-heirs with Christ (John 11:52– “and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who... Continue Reading
The Gateway Drug To Post-Christian Paganism
The secret to political integrity and discernment for Christians is a high view of God, his Word and his gospel.
This points to their value in today’s debates. One of the striking lacunae on both the right and left wings of the Christian political spectrum is the general absence of any reference to the transcendence of God and the supernatural nature of the church. Immanent concerns rule the day. The pundits on both sides seem... Continue Reading
The Beauty of Divine Simplicity
The doctrine’s confessional value.
Christian theologians embrace divine simplicity because it is biblical. It also invites us to trust in His unity, share His sufficiency, and love all of Him. We cannot rank the divine persons; they are distinct from each other but not divided from each other. They are not three parts that add up to a single godhead.... Continue Reading
God’s Judgment and Richmond Theater Fire, 1811
World events and disasters in creation prick the sense of deity in man and they can be used to challenge the unbelieving with the gospel message of Christ.
Scripture tells Christians that they are to be in the world but not of the world and church history has shown that a reoccurring problem is knowing at what point the believer crosses the line and becomes not only in the world but of it as well. Dr. Miller made some good points in his... Continue Reading
How the Transgender Movement Fuels Conspiracy Theories
No conspiracy theory is as far-fetched as the idea that there are 72 genders.
No matter how far-fetched a given conspiracy theory might seem, it will not be as far-fetched as the idea that there are now 72 genders. In fact, considering which narratives the progressive establishment defends most fiercely, it seems to many that the only truly credulous position to take would be that of leaders who cannot... Continue Reading
Dystopia Check-In
On Campus Crusade, pronoun hospitality, and when organizations get big.
A lot of what young me presupposed about the world, and about big para-church organizations (and Christian colleges), has proven to be increasingly less Christian, by which I mean grounded in the authority of scripture and rooted in repentance being central to faith (as we see in scripture). Increasingly, it seems like these organizations are... Continue Reading
But What If We Win?
Commentary on John Davenport
What is clear from Davenport is that a Christian commonwealth is one of coordinate states wherein rulers fulfill Isaiah 49:23 by helping, nourishing, and protecting the true religion, the true church. None of this implies a dependence of Christ’s objective preeminence on any earthly powers—get that out of your head! It is a matter of... Continue Reading
Good Growth
There’s an adage that gets thrown around in church circles, and maybe wider: healthy things grow.
Good growth is slow growth. Are those couple of moments when God has done that to me bad? No, they were wonderful touches of grace. The problem comes if I start to think that’s normal and everyone needs a crisis moment that leads to huge character change. Ideally growth is slow. We should seek growth... Continue Reading
Book Review: ‘Two Cities, Two Loves Christian: Responsibility in a Crumbling Culture’
If you want a thought-provoking introduction as to how Christians should approach the challenges of faith and life in a hostile world then 'Two Cities, Two Loves' is definitely a good place to start.
Christians must never dream of taking over the power structures of the world, (Boice was writing soon after the collapse of the Christian Right in the 1980s,) nor must they seclude themselves from the world like monks or Mennonites. They must instead aim to live biblical, prayerful, authentic, godly, courageous, and joyful lives of service... Continue Reading
After Easter: Certainty in the Gospel
Luke is clear—Jesus appeared again and again, and he gave many proofs that he was alive.
Luke the historian and the theologian gives this call—we do know these things about Jesus—that he lived, taught, performed miracles, was hung on a cross and died, then rose from the dead, validating his claim to be the son of God, the savior of the world. When we realize these things about Jesus, we become... Continue Reading
When Overthinking Sets In
Take heart, God is in control.
Gladly surrender all your worries, problems, and troubles in the hands that bled for you. Have faith for He is in charge over everything. Always remember that our Father perfectly knows what’s best for us; that our Father perfectly loves us and wants to give what’s best for us; that our Father is sovereign and... Continue Reading
Christ is King
The Lord Jesus is King, you must trust Him, and with confidence consider yourself safe under His protection.
“Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him” (Ps 2:12). In the Lord Jesus everything is to be found which can bring about rest. He is all-sufficient, omnipotent, good, faithful, and true. To trust in Him is to magnify Jesus in all His perfections. For such there are glorious promises. In the... Continue Reading