I once encountered a professing Christian who boldly declared he had not sinned in over ten years. The Apostle John's words resound: "He has deceived himself, and the truth is not in him." False teachings occasionally surface, suggesting that individuals can rise above the struggle with sin entirely in this life, but the Word of … Continue reading If We Say We Have No Sin
It seems everyone has a view of Scripture. Some think it is verbatim God's Word to us. Others believe it is not the words themselves that are important; it is the experience we have while reading it. In other words, the true Word of God lies behind the text. Others believe it is a book … Continue reading 10 Truths Jesus Holds About Scripture
This article will seek to clarify the current Pope’s recent endorsement of blessing to those who are in same-sex marriages. For many protestants, this move is difficult to understand since the Vatican has simultaneously claimed that the “Declaration remains firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage” (see under “Declaration, Presentation”). How could … Continue reading Pope Francis, LGBTQ, and Semi-Pelagianism
Justification and sanctification are not the same. Justification happens outside of us; sanctification takes place within us. One is about having righteousness credited to us, while the other involves righteousness being infused in us. Justification is a one-time event; sanctification is a gradual process. One person may be more sanctified than another, but no one … Continue reading The Difference Between Justification and Sanctification
What does it mean that God created us in his image? The Imago Dei is a topic that has been debated throughout church history. I do not expect this post to answer all the questions or be the final thought on the matter, but perhaps it may be helpful to prime the pump. In reading … Continue reading 4 Aspects of Being Made in God’s Image
It is time to dust off an old theological doctrine to the glory of God—divine impassibility. Impassibility is the notion that God’s passions or emotions cannot be negatively affected by anything outside of Himself. Some theologians have wrongly assumed that this means God is static and cannot feel, but it does not. It means that … Continue reading How Could God Be Happy When the World is So Sad?
From the moment Jesus faced trial before Pilate, he was led away to his execution. Bearing the cross to which he would be affixed, he faltered under its weight, requiring someone else to carry it to the execution site. There, he was fastened with nails through his hands and feet, hoisted up as a naked, … Continue reading The Substitutionary Suffering of Christ
The cross of Christ is the source of every blessing, even the blessings enjoyed by unbelievers. As Christians, we are quick to acknowledge that every gift enjoyed by the redeemed child of God is an act of grace linked to the cross of Christ, but we rarely think that the unbeliever is also receiving grace. … Continue reading How the Cross Blesses Unbelievers
The following is a post by Pastor Rob Golding of First Artesia Christian Reformed Church. He also writes for the Westminster Theological Seminary Magazine. Penal substitutionary atonement is difficult to understand, in part because we fail to conceive of the parties involved properly. Matters are complicated when the likes of N.T. Wright hyperbolically refer to “justification” in … Continue reading Defending Penal Substitution
I saw the effects of it in an old friend ravaged by a virus that attacked his motor skills to the point he lost the ability to speak. I saw it in another friend fighting the grief of losing their spouse to disease. It reared its head in the news of another family friend who discovered their six-year-old has … Continue reading The Tyranny of Sin
The Fight of Faith 