How Can I Know Which Bible Promises Apply to Me?
When God promises to give something specific, look more closely at the context to see if He’s promising it in a unique situation
Here’s how I would apply that approach in the case of Jeremiah 29:11. In Jeremiah 29:11, we learn that God cares for His people and doesn’t abandon them, and that He hasn’t abandoned them even if it seems everything has gone wrong in their lives. We see that His good purposes are still moving forward,... Continue Reading
What God Does With Your Sin
o you hear whispers that you have sinned beyond God’s desire or ability to forgive? Let these illustrations comfort you.
So, what does God do with your sin? He throws it behind his back, drowns it in the sea, treads it underfoot, blots it out, forgets it, removes it, covers it, takes it away, cancels it, washes it, and forgives it. And God can do and will do all of this in the present because... Continue Reading
Our Hope is Real
Hope isn't a wish. It isn't a strong feeling sent out into the universe that boomerang's back with our desires met.
Jesus is our hope because only he accomplished what we could not do. He lived a perfect righteous life. He bore the weight of our sins upon the cross, suffered, and died. As the perfect Son of God, he defeated death and rose triumphantly from the grave. He proved in his life, death, and resurrection... Continue Reading
Resisting the Talisman View of Salvation
If our faith does not find expression in a just, generous, and loving life, we should wonder if our claims of deliverance are founded on false confidence and false faith
“To hold up the glory of the temple while ignoring the commands of the God who dwells there, is akin to pagan idolatry (see the discussion of 1 Sam 15:23 here). It is to turn a blessing of the Lord into a talisman, to turn a sacrament into empty ritualism.” The New York Times columnist... Continue Reading
A Primer on Mortification of Sin
Mortification comes from the Latin mors (death) and facere (to do)
We are reminded in Scripture that the Holy Spirit is the means by which sin is to be put to death. John Owen, in his helpful treatment on the mortification of sin, writes, “A man may easier see without eyes, speak without a tongue, than truly mortify one sin without the Spirit.” Therefore, it follows that... Continue Reading
What Does the Bible Say About Transgenderism?
When it comes to transgenderism, the Bible actually has a lot to say
“In short, the Bible teaches that God made us male or female, and no matter our own feelings or confusion, we should act in accordance with the biological reality of God’s good design. Transgenderism falls short of the glory of God and is not the way to walk in obedience to Christ.” Some would... Continue Reading
10 Things You Should Know About Definite Atonement
Definite atonement provides us with personal assurance
For some, definite atonement is a ‘grim doctrine’ (Karl Barth), containing ‘horrible blasphemies’ (John Wesley); for others, it is a ‘textless doctrine’ (Broughton Knox), arrived at by logic rather than by a straightforward reading of the Scriptures (RT Kendall). 1. Definite atonement is a way of speaking about the intent and nature of Christ’s... Continue Reading
The Wrong Kind of Contentment
Perhaps we are discontent because we are too content with the wrong things.
In effect, we are content with a halfhearted devotion to Christ. Our hearts are turned away from Christ and toward false idols we think will satisfy a parched soul. The secret to Paul’s contentment in all circumstances, whether he had plenty or had little, was that his heart was fixed on Christ. “I can do all... Continue Reading
Contending for Old School Hermeneutics
Traditional hermeneutics have always held that Scripture has but one meaning although there may be many applications.
This principle protects us from false doctrine. When we come to difficult passages we go with the whole teaching of Scripture on the subject. For instance, verses like Philippians 2:12 “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” are used by cults to teach a works based salvation. But the principle of Doctrinal (or Theological)... Continue Reading
One Bible, Two Testaments
The Westminster Larger Catechism follows this ancient Christian and classic Protestant way of reading the Bible, of seeing God’s one story with its various acts.
The theological truth of this is that when we read our Bibles from Old through the New Testaments, we are reading the story of one God, one Savior, one means of salvation through faith, and therefore one people despite their chronological, geographical, and racial differences. For many of us who have discovered the Reformed... Continue Reading