If the act of baptism represents our appeal in faith to God for justification and absolution through the work of Jesus Christ, then it is effective. Not because we say magic words, and not because we use magic water, but because the resurrection of…
It cannot be denied that theonomists are characterized by a sincere desire to honour Christ as Lord. Neither can it be denied that theonomists, as a group, tend to be very well prepared! But it can be argued, and it is often argued, that they have…
Does great suffering result in great strength – moral, personal and spiritual? Does great pain produce great gain in terms of faith, wisdom and understanding?
One of the reasons that the Book of Job is in the Bible; not the primary reason, but an important reason; is to explore the question of how we should relate to friends and loved ones who are hurting.
To be clear I don’t think that churches have to associate with other churches, but I think it is dangerous and generally unwise not to. Churches that don’t associate are more vulnerable to doctrinal novelty, pastoral bullying and general isolation.…
I don’t think I ever referred to myself as “reformed” before 2014. I grew up in an independent evangelical church; we didn’t even formally associate with an actual denomination until I was a teenager. When I entered the ministry in 1994, to refer to…
We need to be convictional and civil in everything we say and write and Tweet both inside the church and out in the Public Square.
When the lockdowns and stay at home orders first started to impact the large group gatherings of local churches, the conversation very quickly moved to matters of loyalty and legality.
As a new faith in a hostile world the early disciples had many run-ins with the law and there is much that we can learn from their example. Chief among those gleanings would be the following 5 observations.
Controversy sharpens the mind. The church didn’t clarify the doctrine of the Trinity until its substance was being challenged and denied. The same could be said with respect to the doctrine of Christ and later with the doctrine of Scripture. The same…
The terms in this passage could not be any clearer: God commands his people to be subject to the governing authorities. To resist those authorities is to resist God.
I want to go deeper, I want to feel the refinement of my character, I want to see and savour the person of Jesus Christ as taught and revealed and celebrated in the length and breadth of Scripture. And that was a struggle for me this year – as I…