Stephen Frontis (1792-1867): Presbyterian Pastor and Sabbath Contender
For Frontis and others of his era, the first day’s observance was an indispensable part of the serious and godly Christian life.
Given his ancestry and European upbringing, Frontis enjoyed a greater appreciation for the consequences of the loss of the Sabbath day than did most of his American-born brethren. Even so, some American-born Presbyterians occasionally reminded their countrymen of France’s abolition of the Sabbath in lieu of the Decadi (every tenth day) – nearly forty years... Continue Reading
Fools for Christ
The Dodgers have reconfirmed it is possible to be craven and sanctimonious at the same time.
Evangelicals need a Biblical theology of foolishness for our generation that will at once “shame the wise” and declare the truth and promise of the gospel. How should that look for Protestant believers in the twenty-first century? Whatever it looks like, it must embrace the foolishness of the cross to affirm that our faith does... Continue Reading
Keep the Lord’s Day in Hopeful Anticipation
Every Lord’s Day, look forward to the Day of the Lord. Make heaven a special focus of your meditations.
If you had the opportunity to spend a whole day with someone very dear to you, wouldn’t you be glad for it? Imagine a day to be with a kind father or mother, a loving spouse, or a dear friend. Would you resent putting aside your work to be with this loved one? Wouldn’t you... Continue Reading
The Stages of Spiritual Maturity: Spiritual Fathers
Spiritual fathers understand how to fight the good fight of faith and apply it as a way of life.
Where are you today—are you a spiritual child? A spiritual young man? Or a spiritual father? What steps will you take to grow? If you are saved and your sins forgiven, Christian, you are called to grow in your faith, in spiritual maturity, and more into the likeness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ... Continue Reading
The Glory of Godliness
Our indifference towards godliness is alarming, especially when we consider the promises that the Bible associates with it.
Every believer is called to pursue godliness. So how do we do this? For starters, we need to understand that this is not a legalistic endeavor. We don’t have the commitment or willpower to somehow make ourselves godly. A life given over to God can only be fueled and sustained by grace. An Abandoned... Continue Reading
The Duty to Rest
No one has an excuse for misbehaving, but fatigue makes it harder to behave in a way that is wise.
Your duty to be virtuous and kind despite feeling horrible is real, but it is your secondary duty. Your first duty is to do what you can to get enough sleep and whatever else you need so you don’t find it so hard to be virtuous in the first place. In Solomon Says, I wrote a... Continue Reading
The Danger of Entering Temptation
All temptations begin small. They may even appear benign, but they are full of poison.
Satan is shrewd. He knows that his victories come mostly by wearing us down. It is at these times that the temptation in our minds will be so severe that unless God does provide the way of escape, and we take it, then we will have entered into temptation. 9 “Pray, then, in this... Continue Reading
The Basics: Jesus Christ, the Covenant Mediator
Jesus is a better mediator than Moses, with a covenant much better than the one God made with Israel at Sinai.
No human sacrifice can pay the infinite debt we owe to the holy God. The sacrifice for our sins must be made by someone whose death can actually pay the debt. Then, there is the fact that no human can apply their sacrifice or obedience to another so as to pronounce forgiveness. Only God can... Continue Reading
Hold Fast to the Hope Set before Us: Hebrews 6:9–20
Just Abraham held the anchor of all God’s promises in his son Isaac, so do we have the anchor of all God’s promises in Christ.
Since it is indeed impossible for God to lie, why did He make an oath by Himself to Abraham? The surface level answer is that He made an oath by Himself because there is no higher authority by which God can appeal. Going deeper, God made the oath as an act of condescension, to show... Continue Reading
Why You Need to Start with a Biblical Understanding of Human Beings
People are special, even when we vehemently disagree with them. Our battle is with ideas, not people.
The current culture wants to identify and judge you according to what group you belong to and by your latest mistake, and once you’re labeled, that label sticks. This is a false view. The correct view—the biblical view—leaves room for change through repentance. You don’t identify with your sin; you identify with being made in... Continue Reading
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