Then I Will Never Follow Him
"I get kidnapped by terrorists, I keep all my teeth. I come to America, I lose my tooth! Why?”
We all know that the truth of the gospel can be offensive. Some doctrines are naturally compelling to certain individuals and cultures while others are naturally offensive. Timothy Keller has called these the A doctrines and the B doctrines. For my friend, the call to love his enemies was a bridge too far. For many... Continue Reading
Richard Sibbes on Vainglory
We should, from the example of Christ, labour to subdue this infirmity which we are sick of naturally.
Therefore, let us labour to be good in secret. Christians should be as minerals, rich in the depth of the earth. That which is least seen is his riches. We should have our treasure deep. For the discovery of it we should be ready when we are called to it, and for all other accidental... Continue Reading
Shaking Off Some Lifelessness with the Psalms
Your Spirit drives me along and surrounds me. He is making sure that I will find my home in you, Jesus.
Not every psalm can be nudged toward its full potential as a New Testament psalm. For example, “blot out my transgressions” (Ps 51) would still be about us more than Jesus, though the full redemption found in Jesus could be inserted after each verse as, “The steadfast, forgiving love of Jesus endures forever.” Otherwise, be... Continue Reading
Accused No More
Christ’s people, living in the time after He has paid the price, cannot be accused before the throne of God.
I’m not sure we fully appreciate how secure our standing is in Christ. If you are a believer, you cannot be credibly accused by the enemy of your soul before a holy God. That is a mind-blowing truth. We have to balance this reality with the fact that on earth, we are not all that... Continue Reading
Our God Is a Teacher at Heart
Jesus is the single greatest teacher the world has ever known.
He taught Adam in the garden, and taught Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. Through Moses, he taught the people. Torah, the name for the first five books of the Old Testament, means instruction or teaching. Through prophets and kings and sages as his mouthpieces, God taught his people, and is still teaching. Imagine it’s the first day of... Continue Reading
The Position of Correspondent Love for God
No love for God is possible without true conversion and regeneration.
Love for God requires a new heart, with new relish, new perception. A regenerate believer, through his or her union with Christ, is in the presence of God through the indwelling Spirit, and can now perceive and love the glory of God as revealed in Christ. One’s nature determines much of one’s desire for... Continue Reading
How to be a Modern Progressive
But remember: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil."
Insist that there is no objective standard of good and evil and that good and evil are relativistic concepts. Insist that my progressive views are objectively good and that anyone who has different views is objectively evil. Ignore the irony. Step One: Insist that there is no such thing as the truth. Insist that... Continue Reading
Don’t Look for Honour from the World; Be Prepared for Shame
We follow a man dishonoured by the world; it is right expect that we too will face dishonour.
Do you want to live a life faithful to your God? I’m glad! But know you are unlikely to be honoured for this by those around you. They will think you are odd at best. You will be labelled as crazy and dangerous by others. There were times in the past when you would... Continue Reading
The Work of The Wilderness
God’s glorious might is given to us in the strength to endure.
Who wouldn’t want to be “mature and complete, not lacking anything?” But who would want the many discomforts that lead us there? The road to maturity is never an easy one, but God loves his children too much to deliver them from the path that leads to such a good destination. From a prison... Continue Reading
“People Love Darkness Rather Than Light”
We dare not be naïve about the reality of evil.
Unrepentant sinners are in an utterly diabolical and hopeless situation. Only when faced with the stark reality of their situation will the message of the cross make any sense. Yesterday I spoke to a group of people at a church about the dangers of cultural Marxism. During the Q&A one fellow asked what the... Continue Reading
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