Was the Divinity of Jesus a Late Invention of the Council of Nicea?
There is little doubt that early Christians believed Jesus was God.
There are many ways to approach this question, but for the purposes of this short post, we will simply consider the teachings of the apostle Paul on this question. Why start with Paul? Larry Hurtado explains it best: “Pauline Christianity is the earliest form of the Christian movement to which we have direct access from... Continue Reading
Choice for No Sanctity
When I observe such opposition to what we are doing, it tells me the devil is stirred and hates what we do.
So why share any of them with you? Well, what really hit our staff who had to deal with these was how evil many in these younger generations are. We all know the X, Y (millennials), and Z generations are much more secularized than the older generations like Boomers, Silent, and Greatest. Researcher George Barna... Continue Reading
A Spiritual Start-up: the Disciples as Witnesses
And it all started with one guy inviting a few friends who invited a few friends. This is exactly how the kingdom of God was started up…
So, get out there and connect people with Christ. Expand your network of converts. Talk about Jesus. Share the good news. Invite people to church. Do whatever you can to win souls for Christ. Jesus came to die for you, will you be a true follower? Will you follow him even if it cost you... Continue Reading
No Hand But His Ever Holds the Shears
Pain may be better for us than pleasure. Loss may enrich us more than gain. Sorrow may equip us more fully than joy.
Vines must be pruned if they are to bear fruit; Christians must experience trials if we are to grow in grace. Trials will come, and we must do more than passively endure them. We must submit to them and even embrace them as the will of the Father. We must determine we will emerge from... Continue Reading
Does Evangelicalism Have a Robust Centre?
We have 2,000 years of the Spirit’s work growing the church through its meditation on the truth that we can retrieve.
Our robust centre is not in prophecy conferences of the earth 20th century nor the theology of the 80s and 90s. It is in Paul, Ireneaus, Athanasius, Augustine, Maximos, Anselm, Aquinas, Calvin, Luther, and Turretin (among others!). The Spirit was not at rest; Christ built his church by the Spirit just as he promised in... Continue Reading
Poor in Spirit
All calls to repent are calls to submit to His Lordship.
What we must never forget is divine election as we see in v27 is not incompatible with the free offer to all we see in vv28-30. How could this be true? All unregenerate humans stubbornly cling to their sinful rebellion. In fact all are spiritually dead outside of God’s grace. Unless God “quickens” people unto... Continue Reading
Painting Sin with Virtue’s Colors
Never let go out of your minds the thoughts of a crucified Christ.
Seriously consider, that even those very sins that Satan paints, and puts new names and colors upon, cost the best blood, the noblest blood, the life-blood, the heart-blood of the Lord Jesus. That Christ should come from the eternal bosom of his Father to a region of sorrow and death; that God should be manifested... Continue Reading
God Calls Masculinity ‘Very Good.’ Stop Caricaturing It.
Jesus sometimes behaves in ways that are anything but gentle and peaceful.
Abuses of manliness exist. That’s why the caricatures are so easy to draw. But unless we’re also willing to admit that manliness exists, and that it’s not only approved but commanded by God, we will continue turning the males who attend churches into something God never intended. Oh, they may be gentle, emotionally-expressive, and compliant,... Continue Reading
The Real Problem of Prayer
Jesus’s passion, pleasure, and purpose is to bring us into the presence of the Father.
So, the real problem of prayer is not how difficult it can be to pray once we gain access to God. It’s our lack of access to God in the first place. The real problem of prayer is not a subjective problem (having to do with our own emotions and feelings), but rather an objective problem (having to do... Continue Reading
Is God Really in Control?: Sovereignty
To fail to affirm that the only living and true Triune God does these things... while claiming to trust him, is to take God’s name in vain.
The solution to the Christians earthly troubles, anxieties, distresses and cares is the knowledge that their all-glorious and all-good Triune LORD is in total control of all things. We are never helpless victims of earthly calamities, but in all circumstances of life “we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37) and loves us... Continue Reading
