5 Foundations That Lead to Compromise on Sexual Ethics
Consumer faith is a fast track to compromised faith.
Is your Christianity contingent on anything other than Christ? Being liked? Being comfortable? Being in power? Being happy? Being right? If so, consider that all of those foundations are like shifting sand, and you are the foolish builder of Matthew 7:26–27. When the winds come, your faith will crumble. If you’re like the wise builder,... Continue Reading
How to Tell Someone They’re Wrong
Four qualities set the tone for confronting others.
Four qualities set the tone for confronting others. “Go and tell him his fault” (Matt. 18:15) Let me begin by saying I know I’m wrong. The title should be “How to Tell Someone He or She is Wrong.” Being the stickler for grammar I am, I cringe to write something improper. The pronoun should agree... Continue Reading
Good News: His Purposes Stand
Scripture assures us that the purposes of God stand.
But the doctrine of God’s providence and unfailing purposes is meant to comfort us and reassure us. It may look like evil – and evil rulers and evil nations – have the upper hand, but it is only temporary. God is at work behind the scenes bringing about his wise and good purposes. So we... Continue Reading
What Difference Does an Inerrant Bible Make?
Does it matter whether the Bible is errant or inerrant, fallible or infallible, inspired or uninspired?
But what difference does the inerrancy of Scripture make? Why does it matter? There are many ways in which it matters a great deal. However, ultimately, the inerrancy of Scripture is not a doctrine about a book. The issue is the person and work of Christ. Does it matter whether the Bible is errant or inerrant, fallible or infallible,... Continue Reading
Ten Dangers of Passive Sanctification
One danger of passive sanctification is of confusing and conflating sanctification with justification.
There is a real danger here that we lose God’s moral law from the Christian’s life. I’m not saying that those who advocate passive sanctification deliberately aim for this. But it’s the end result at least for many who read and follow such teaching. The only imperative left seems to be “Believe in your justification.”... Continue Reading
Fear, Faith, and False Repentance: God Keeps His Promises
Even human rebellion cannot thwart God’s sovereign plans.
You can be around God’s promises, you can hear the gospel, you can even be an upstanding member in a Church but unless you believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, you will perish outside of God’s promises. We have come to the last post in this series on Numbers 14. I have shown you Israel’s sinful... Continue Reading
4 Ways to Fight Sexual Temptation
Sin cannot live in the light. Choke temptation by taking refuge in Jesus and the means of grace he provides.
God rarely touches our lives in such a way that we stop loving sin immediately. But as we fight sin and pursue him, he changes our affections. We begin to love what he loves and hate what he hates. Our confidence in willpower fades, and our hope focuses on Jesus, who was tempted and yet... Continue Reading
The Story Beneath the Story
History is a brilliant place for us to learn about the character of God, his purposes, and dealings with humankind.
The story beneath the story is that the purposeful, history directing God is fulfilling his purpose, today, tomorrow and till history is no more. The purpose of God is to glorify himself by refining a people of his own, who are godly, and who love and serve his Son. No matter the story, there... Continue Reading
Settlers in the Land of Love
We never can and never will reach the end of this land, for it is unbounded and unlimited, measureless and vast.
We know that in ten thousand times ten thousand years, we will still be discovering, still be marveling, still be rejoicing at the love of our great God—the love that is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. An old story tells of a settler who traveled from east to west, from lands... Continue Reading
Is Culture the Same as Ethnicity?
What in Scripture best parallels the concept of “culture”?
It is important to distinguish between ethnicity and culture because if we don’t, we only fuel volatile hostility between groups like white supremacists and multiculturalists. Many Christians are talking about culture these days, but unfortunately, few have given any serious thought to what culture is, especially in biblical terms. The term “culture” is a... Continue Reading
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 596
- 597
- 598
- 599
- 600
- …
- 1385
- Next Page »