An Open Letter To Those Debilitated By Their Sexual Sin
What do you do when you are still struggling? What do you do when repeated failure, guilt, and shame weigh heavily on your conscience?
Christ comes with mercy for people who know their sins. His mercy leads to doing simple things that consistently head in the right direction. Do you feel discouraged and defeated by your struggle? Don’t let anyone kid you that there’s some magic answer and somehow you missed it. There are no magic answers. But a... Continue Reading
Josh Harris Kisses His Faith Goodbye
In a stunning Instagram post, Joshua Harris, the author who became famous for his 1997 book, “I Kissed Dating Goodbye,” announced that he is no longer a Christian.
Just last week, Harris announced that he and his wife of 21 years are separating. (Today he said he’s getting divorced.) “In recent years, some significant changes have taken place in both of us,” Harris wrote in an Instagram post last Friday. “It is with sincere love for one another and understanding of our unique... Continue Reading
Where Does the PCA Stand on Revoice? A Look at the Numbers
Up to a third of PCA elders attending GA are strongly supportive of Revoice, with others sympathetic. But the PCA is facing problems that run far deeper than Revoice.
Let me make it clear, though, that Johnson and those who support him are on the wrong side of the battle line–there is nothing to appreciate about putting souls in eternal peril. For those who are taking a “wait and see” approach to Revoice, looking for clarity about what it is really about as the... Continue Reading
Same-Sex Attraction: A Neglected Dimension Of The Debate
Homosexuality is such a complex issue precisely because of its multifaceted nature as a sin problem, psychological issue, and more recently also a political and cultural phenomenon.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind….” Several implications for the struggler against same-sex attraction: first, when paired with teachings such as “do not love the word or the things in it,” it…must be a straightforward repudiation of the “gay” or “LGBT” identity, not merely the... Continue Reading
The Head, the Heart, and the “Gay Christian” Movement
Biblically true or false? The kind of homosexual identity I have, along with its attendant desires, cannot be eradicated.
What if Johnson had confessed to an ineradicable, lifelong temptation to animosity towards people from a particular racial or ethnic group? To temptations for sins that could affect the church’s insurance or safety policies? Can one simply resign to be a Racist Christian and give up on God’s plan to bless those who call all... Continue Reading
Homosexuals as PCA Elders?
According to Scripture, a Christian who publicly identifies as a homosexual does not meet the qualifications to be an elder in the church.
According to the Holy Scriptures, a Christian who publicly identifies as a homosexual does not meet the qualifications to be an elder in the church. When he “comes out,” he must be “ruled out” as a qualified man to serve as an elder in the church. He doesn’t make the cut. He is not above... Continue Reading
Brothers, Please Stop Stuttering
I have noticed a new device being used by many in their sermons: Intentional Stuttering.
Brothers, if you have been practicing how to stutter more frequently and effectively, please stop. Just preach the word. Preach it with your own voice and rest assured: If you aim at the head, you will always hit the heart. As a young preacher, I listen often to other men’s sermons in an effort... Continue Reading
Greg Johnson and the Dead Poets Society
Poets thrive on feelings. They can sound rational and grounded. They can even solicit biblical themes. But try to hem in a person who thinks poetically using the coherence found in the Bible and he becomes like a wet bar of soap you think you have wedged in your tight grip only for it to... Continue Reading
Does Holding to Biblical Views on Life and Marriage Adversely Affect the Gospel’s Message to the World?
Do Evangelicals holding to a pro-life and a biblical male-female priority for marriage make it harder to convert people to genuine Christianity?
Because the recipients of this brainwashing will be predisposed to view any movement that upholds the biblical male-female priority for marriage and anti-transgender integrity of the sexes as the equivalent of Ku Klux Klan racism. The only kind of Christianity that these potential converts will be primed for is a heretical, left-wing “liberal” version. ... Continue Reading
Klein v. Oregon: Religious Liberty & Freedom of Speech vs. Gay Rights
What are the Constitutional claims supporting the positions of faith-guided commercial providers who are asked to set aside their religious beliefs by customers who ask them to offer services contrary to their convictions?
The first basis for relief from the reach of the anti-discrimination laws is the claim that such laws violate the freedom of speech of the providers. At first blush, it may seem a stretch to regard baking a cake or arranging flowers as “speech.” However, federal Constitutional cases have long recognized that protecting speech is... Continue Reading
