Why is Inseparable Operations Such a Hard Sell?—The Trinity and Inseparable Operations
The doctrine of inseparable operations affirms that the triune persons act as a single agent externally, while internally their operations are divided.
The doctrine of the Trinity ultimately rests on the biblical datum of inseparable operations. But the reverse is also true: triune unity necessarily implies the inseparability of God’s external operations. For both teachers and pastors, the doctrine of the Trinity has been one of the most demanding topics, often resulting in glazed-over student eyes,... Continue Reading
I Will Not Offer the Lord What Costs Me Nothing
Powerful preaching comes from praying preachers.
How long does it take to prepare a sermon? As long as it takes. Get in the seat. Gather your tools. Go to work. And don’t quit until the hard work is done. Think about it. You have left the pulpit feeling bad that you did not prepare better. But you never leave the pulpit... Continue Reading
Blemishes Preserved: A Specific Sin God Supposedly Leaves Alone Is Same-Sex Attraction
When one has a sinful condition, as the St. Louis doctrine maintains, there is no actual sinning when one has same-sex attraction, because it is only a potential to sin.
When all one has is a sinful condition, in the St. Louis doctrine there is no actual sinning when one has same-sex attraction, because it is only a potential to sin. So fervent sexual desire sits there passively causing no sin. Some of us have never heard of a passive passion. It would be like... Continue Reading
Herman Bavinck and Theology Proper: Talk of God’s Absoluteness and Why it Matters
For Bavinck, all of theology is the knowledge of God, a science that pursues God through his own revelation of himself to the world.
To describe this nature of absoluteness, theologians have often grasped for the term “simple,” which is potentially confusing in the contemporary world but its conceptual content remains unflinchingly necessary. As Bavinck points out with regards to this concept: “We as human beings can make a distinction between the being and attributes of people. A human... Continue Reading
A New Kind of Biblical Hero
We weren’t made for leper colonies or fantasy worlds. We were made for reality. Even if at times painful.
“They are always going to reject you….eventually.” This is the message my shame tells me. I’m fighting against that message these days. I’m trying to believe the gospel enough to pursue unguarded relationships with others. I’m trying to trust in Jesus enough to be authentic; authentic with others, myself, and ultimately with Him. The leper... Continue Reading
Loyalty Matters: The Misunderstood Virtue
Blind loyalty is no true loyalty at all. In fact, a friend who offers up blind loyalty is not offering a gift, but a poison pill.
Any healthy organization rightly expects that its members will be completely loyal to the mission. Far more important than blind devotion to any individual or a tribal fanaticism, mission-driven loyalty actually has the capacity to create cohesive organizational cultures where innovation happens, ideas move toward execution, and people flourish. Ironically, mission-driven loyalty creates space for... Continue Reading
Salvation Belongs to the Lord
No one is immune to brushing past the dust covered diamond of salvation.
How can we bury something so precious as salvation under the dust of jargon? God teaches Jonah a lesson he will never forget. Salvation, all the glory of being rescued by God—through Jesus’s atoning sacrifice and rescued to God—is a gift he graciously gives. The check is in his name and the rewards come to... Continue Reading
Some Lose God While Serving God, A Subtle Danger in Christian Ministry
One of the most frightening — Lewis calls it “the subtlest of all snares” — is the temptation to mistake a means for the end.
Abstract truth tends to remain on the surface. Real transformation comes when we get concrete and personal. And I’m no artist, real or otherwise. But I am a teacher and a preacher. And I love to teach and preach. And reading Lewis on the danger of mistaking the means for the end challenges me precisely at this... Continue Reading
Who Can Stop the Lord Almighty?
Who can stop the bride of the Lord Almighty? She has been given a task.
Her bridegroom has been given all authority. Not most. All. As we go through the good works set before us (Ephesians 2:10) let’s keep this in mind. We are part of an unstoppable kingdom. To approach the tasks that our Lord has ordained for us as tasks that are doomed to fail is to have... Continue Reading
The Kingdom of God Conquors Racism
We have a hope that transcends social policies. We have the gospel.
In these days of division, our earthly kingdom seems to be splintered beyond repair. We should long for unity and reconciliation. We should long for a kingdom with no tears from the pains and consequences of partiality. We should long for the eternal joy and equality we were created for. But most importantly, we should... Continue Reading
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