Should Christians Cuss?
Shouldn’t all of us who preach the word endeavor to have pure, wholesome speech?
Shouldn’t that be the kind of speech that we commend in our sermons and public teaching? Shouldn’t we aspire to be like Jesus, about whom it was said “All spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were falling from his lips” (Luke 4:22)? The idea that we need to disciple God’s... Continue Reading
Being Concerned for the Glory of God
Does the fact that God is not getting the glory in your city bother you?
Does the fact bother you that most of your work colleagues don’t follow Jesus right now, and if He came back today, they would face a terrible outcome? Most Christians would agree that these are bad things, and we’d love to see more people come to worship God. If that’s the case, we should be... Continue Reading
Good Works Are Less Complicated Than You Think
If you want to make an evangelical nervous, mention the concept of good works. But speaking of good works should feel life-giving.
Christian productivity is about faithful stewardship. It’s about using your spiritual gifts, talents, and time to glorify God and do good for others. You can’t do something about every issue in the world, but you can be faithful with the opportunities God places in your path right now— and this is when you will be... Continue Reading
Let Not Many Be Teachers
May Christ raise up teachers for His church, and may He tame their tongues to teach in a way that honors Him.
There should not be many teachers because everyone struggles in what he says, including those who would be teachers. In other words, as James speaks to everyone about the tongue (cf. James 3:2, “we all…anyone”), he also provides the tongue as a test for who should or not be teachers (cf. James 3:1–8). We might ask ourselves... Continue Reading
What is Rest?
This is one of those questions that no one other than me was asking. But here’s my apophatic answer. Rest is not relaxation.
Jesus is the man of rest. Rest is the coming kingdom. Rest is Sunday together. The day of stopping has moved from the seventh day to the first day because we now start from rest rather than finish in it. Which is why we’re all so knackered when church is online during the pandemic. ... Continue Reading
9 Ways to Kill Sin in Your Life
Help from John Owen in the mortification of sin.
Owen viewed these particulars as the “ways and means whereby a soul may proved to the mortification of any particular lust and sin…” Since none of these particulars can be accomplished without the Spirit, Owen viewed them as the means by which the Spirit works upon the heart of the believer to accomplish mortification. ... Continue Reading
New Religions for a New Age
Tara Isabella Burton’s wonderful "Strange Rites" charts some of the wide array of movements among Millennials that are taking on religious character.
Burton outlines three new religious movements vying for dominance, none of which would call itself a religion but at least two of which are widely described in religious terms. The book takes us on a journalistic tour of some examples of “pick & mix” religion before describing three movements that Burton describes as religions.... Continue Reading
The Privileges That Are Ours
We have already received a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
When we have seen the privileges that are already ours, we have every reason to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and persevere in penitential faith until that which is now ours in part becomes ours in whole and forever. The letter to the Hebrews, as our studies throughout the year have shown, is full... Continue Reading
Slot Machine Christianity
Are we hoping for our "investment" to pay off?
Christ-centered hope grounds us and keeps us from drifting into the lie that our own efforts will result in a reward for success—or punishment for failure. Jesus has already borne our punishment and he gives us his very life. That’s not a gamble, but a sure thing. I’m not sure I fully understand the... Continue Reading
Discerning Temperaments
We must seek to understand not only what is being said but why someone may be saying it in a manner different than we might say it.
If we don’t seek to know the personality and temperaments of our opponents, we will run the risk of dealing with everyone monolithically. This will only further the heat and the contentions that brew on account of either real or perceived, serious or minor, differences. We love the idea of diversity, until it cuts... Continue Reading
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