When Marriage Became About Me, Myself, and I
Today we expect our spouses to heal our wounds, justify our existence, and provide rapturous sex.
Without God and a thick sense of community and an objective ethical framework, the expectations for romantic love are so high—and our moral foundation so malleable by individual desire—that we end up asking too little of marriage. Even escape valves that erode the commitment necessary for sustaining love, such as living apart and consensual nonmonogamy, receive consideration.... Continue Reading
Studying the Confession: The Doctrine of Decree
The Westminster Confession of Faith serves to give substance to one’s profession of trust in the Bible as God’s Word.
If there is one doctrine for which Calvinism or Reformed theology is best known, it is election or predestination. That is what this chapter of the WCF is all about. It is included in the confession because, quite frankly, God has included teaching about the eternal decree in his Word. One of the landmark... Continue Reading
We Are All Eleventh-Hour Laborers
We are all eleventh-hour laborers; we need to learn to be thankful for all God gives to us and not begrudge blessings He gives to others.
The parable of the laborers in the vineyard, however, teaches us that not only our salvation, but also our entire Christian lives are to be lived on the basis of God’s grace. Then the parable also teaches us about two amazing qualities of grace: the abundant generosity of His grace, and His sovereignty in dispensing it.... Continue Reading
The Westminster Shorter Catechism
Said of the Shorter Catechism: “The ripest fruit of the Assembly’s thought and experience.”
There was an old expression, particularly among the Scottish Presbyterians, who would say, “I own the Confession.” By that, they meant that they had made its doctrine their own; they had taken the content to heart, and saw that indeed it was an accurate reflection of the teaching of Scripture. So, too, the Catechism, though... Continue Reading
The Resurrection, Piety, and Pietism
The life of communion leads to a rich personal and corporate piety and devotion but it begins with the objective truths of the faith
I am advocating a return to the biblical theology, piety, and practice that we confess in the Reformed and Presbyterian churches, which piety is built around the divinely ordained means of grace. The Lord used the preaching of the Apostles to bring his elect to new life and true faith and through faith to union with... Continue Reading
Globalization and the Christian Mission
We may be seeing the birth of a new missiological movement.
It is estimated that the United States is the most racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse country on earth. In fact, some sociologists are now indicating that America may soon be a majority-minority nation, a condition that is already a reality in some states. This means the world is coming to us. And this reality provides... Continue Reading
Review: “The Problem of Slavery in Christian America” – A Book You Cannot Ignore!
A review of “The Problem of Slavery in Christian America, An Ethical-Judicial History of American Slavery and Racism.”
He allows no leniency in his critique of Presbyterian theological giants of the South, including men like Dabney, Thornwell, Palmer, and Girardeau. These theological icons, because of their views on slavery, are dealt with severely. As the monuments of men like Lee and Jackson are being dismantled today, in this book, these theological icons fall... Continue Reading
Free Speech Win For Pro-Life Students In California
A pro-life student group at Fresno State University won its fight this month against a professor who told a student she had no free speech rights on a college campus.
Students for Life sued professor William Gregory Thatcher after he scrubbed out a pro-life message chalked on the sidewalk and told student leader Bernadette Tasy, “College campuses are not free speech areas.” Tasy, who heads Fresno State Students for Life, got permission from school administrators in May to chalk pro-life messages near the school library.... Continue Reading
28 Non-Numerical Signs Of A Healthy Church
Numbers are not the only way to determine church health. In many situations, they’re not even the best way.
Please note that this list is not designed to add pressure to an already overtaxed church leadership. It’s not a you-must-do-all-these-to-be-healthy list, as much as a here-are-some-other-ways-to-look-at-health list. While all of them are good, and many are essential, you’d be hard-pressed to find even a great, healthy church that’s doing all of them well. ... Continue Reading
No Cross, No Gospel
There seems to be a growing number of PCA churches and/or pastors who do not properly define the gospel.
Certainly a statement that addresses the gospel in all its fullness and implications could not fit in a simple statement. But there is simply no gospel apart from the cross. There is no proper explanation or proclamation of the gospel apart from the fact that “Christ died for our sins.” So how can it be... Continue Reading