Purity Is a Positive Pursuit

A few weeks ago I completed a brief series on “Guys and Girls in the Church” with a message entitled “Purity is a Positive Pursuit.” The gist of it is this:
1. Merely avoiding immorality is an insufficient goal.
2. Merely avoiding immorality is an ineffective strategy.
In short, I believe that the pitfall into which many Christians [...]

Keep Yourselves from Christ-Shaped Idols

I just finished up my series through John’s epistles. Though I learned much about the books and about Christian assurance, the highlight of the study was having my eyes directed Christ-ward time and again. Of course, John describes what the Christian looks like (via the repeated tests of faith, obedience, and love), but he takes [...]

“Forsaken…Finished…Father”

I recently made a post on Christ’s final cries from the cross and the theological realities which they represent. I was (and continue to be) especially intrigued by the difference in tone between Christ’s fourth cry (”My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” ) and His seventh and last cry (”Father, into Your [...]

Sound Words: Exasperation or Instruction?

As a parent and a pastor, I’ve thought often of Ephesians 6:4. However, until recently, I haven’t understood the connection between its two imperatives: provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture (disciplined instruction) and admonition (compelling warning) of the Lord. Two points are particularly important, I think. First, what [...]

Borrowing Brains: A Question Concerning God’s Will

Here’s a good question that was submitted by Mark, a pastor-friend who is a frequent reader and occasional commenter:
I am continuing through a study of 1 Timothy and have reached chapter 2, which is turning out to be quite a challenge!
My struggle centers on verse 4 and the word “desires” (thelo). Many commentators seem to [...]

Utter Despair, Then Utter Triumph!

We who know the glories of Resurrection Sunday are prone to underestimate the utter despair that preceded it some 2000 years ago. As far as I can tell, while Christ’s lifeless body lay in the grave there wasn’t a single person on earth who anticipated his resurrection. As far as humanity was concerned, Christ’s life [...]

NT Separation Texts Are Exemplary, Not Exhaustive

I agree with Bob Bixby’s recent post on the exemplary nature of 2 Thessalonians 3 and 1 Corinthians 5. Each of the passages calls for Christians to separate from other Christians who are perpetually disobedient, and each of them uses a specific instance of sin (disorderliness/laziness and immorality, respectively) to teach general principles regarding how [...]

Sound Words: Chief of Sinners? Absolutely.

The human heart is ridiculous and rebellious in its pride. I call our pride ridiculous because it is groundless—we have no reason to be arrogant. I call our pride rebellious because it is an attempt to steal glory from God, the very sin which caused Lucifer to be banished from heaven.
Because pride is a besetting [...]

Impossible Christianity

The radical nature of regeneration and its effects has been much on my mind lately. My good friend Andy Henderson has been thinking along the same lines, and we recently had a great time of phone fellowship around the idea of “Impossible Christianity.” The gist is that the life that Scripture calls Christians to is [...]

Gospel-Driven Separation

“Earnestly contend for the faith.” This statement from Jude 3 has long been the battle cry of fundamentalist Christians, those who are willing to do “battle royal” in defense of biblical doctrine. Fundamentalists have rightly appealed to Jude as an example of a faithful defender of the faith. He willingly entered the fray for the [...]