The Blessing of Persecution
Though all of Jesus’ teaching in the “Sermon on the Mount,” is relevant to the twenty-first century church, I found His words regarding persecution to be especially timely. In chapter 5 of Matthew, Jesus tells His disciples, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (v. 10 […]
Christ is Homoousios With the Father
The relative peace that Christians experienced during the fourth century allowed theological issues that had previously not been a priority to come to the forefront of debate within the church. One of the primary debates of this era was how the Father and Son are related to each other. Despite their differing conclusions, patristic writers […]
Persecution Impels the Church to Grow
A lot has happened in 2000 years of church history, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the reality of persecution against followers of Christ. Persecution can come in several forms—social, intellectual, and physical[1]—but despite intense opposition (actually because of it), Christianity continues to grow now just as it did during the early church era. […]
Statement of Faith
GOD (Gen. 1:1; Isa. 40:28; Matt. 28:19; Eph. 1:11) We believe in the one self-existent, infinite, unchangeable God–one in essence yet three persons–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is the Creator and Lord of the universe who governs all things in accordance with the counsel of His will. THE BIBLE (II Tim. 3:16; Luke 24:27; […]
The Title of First Born
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. […]
How Do I Read My Bible?
Regular Bible reading is important for Christians, for in blessing our reading the Holy Spirit deepens our knowledge of God and of ourselves. This twofold knowledge is, as John Calvin famously began his Institutes of the Christian Religion, our ‘true and substantial wisdom’. It is one thing, however, to heed God’s call to read His […]
Reading The Bible: Don’ts and Dos
As I look at my life to date, reading has certainly been one of its most pleasant and rewarding discoveries. I say ‘discovery’ because reading was not something that readily interested me. It took me the best part of twenty years to learn that books could be such friends. I am thankful that Christian books […]
Raised with Christ
Raised with Christ “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ […]
Is Grace “Amazing” to You?
The Bible does not merely show sinners to be undeserving, but as ill-deserving. So often we are inclined to think of ourselves, prior to our salvation, as in some sense “neutral” in the sight of God. We are willing to admit that we have done nothing to deserve His favor, but this is entirely insufficient […]
Repentance – The Obligation and Gift
Repentance is a dense word that carries theological significance, obligatory action, and requires grace from God. Living in the twenty-first century where words like tolerance, multiculturalism, pluralism, relativism, and unity are used as trigger words to silence anyone with an opposing opinion, or fact, or truth claim. Thus, there is an obligation placed on us […]
Concerning Chapter and Verse Divisions in The Bible
Where did the chapter and verse divisions in our Bibles come from? When Scripture was originally written, there were no chapter and verse divisions. These man-made additions to our Bibles came much later. It was Stephen Langton, an Archbishop of Canterbury in England, who added chapter divisions into the Latin Vulgate around A.D. 1227. A […]
But You Are Rich
Are you rich? I am not asking unbelievers but Christians. I ask because some Christians have either forgotten or adopted an unbiblical measure of what makes a person rich. This outcome is a consequence of a popular theology that has penetrated the Western church known by two names: word of faith or prosperity gospel. The doctrine essentially teaches […]
Why I Still Study The Historic Creeds and Confessions
Having grown up in the Reformed Church in America, the historic creeds and confessions (especially the Apostles’ Creed and Heidelberg Catechism) were an integral part of worship and the catechizing I received in the church I grew up in. Though I did not appreciate the value of the creeds and confessions when I was younger, […]
If I Am A New Creation, Why Do I Still Sin?
In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17 ESV). If this is true, that in Christ we are a “new creation,” why do I still struggle with sin? Shouldn’t […]
No Degrees of Deadness
The key to a right understanding of God’s work in salvation is to start where the Bible starts regarding our condition outside of Christ. We are not healthy; and not just sick; very sick; or even mortally sick. No, we are dead. All of us were born that way when we came into this world […]
The Call to Repentance
The first proclamation that Jesus made when beginning His ministry was, “repent, all of you, for the Kingdom of the Heavens is at hand” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17). The call to repentance is to be given in all generations, because repentance serves as a means of grace to pull us away from a life devoted to […]
Creeds and Confessions in The Biblical Text
Deuteronomy 6:4 While John 3:16 is the most famous verse in the Bible, it is fair to say that in the Old Testament, the most well-known words are found in what the Jews call the Sh’ma, found in Deuteronomy 6:4. There in English we read these words, “Hear O Israel: The LORD our God, the […]
The Logos (Part 1)
John 1:1 is paramount to understanding the person of Christ. John begins introducing Jesus as the Word (Logos): “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The English term “Word” is translated from the Greek term “Logos.” John knew the term “Logos” would be […]
Peter’s Freely Determined Choice
The question of Peter’s freedom and responsibility (or lack thereof) in his denial of Christ is one example of many times in Scripture where the tension between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility is demonstrated. As Christians, it’s important for us to sit as students under the counsel of God’s Word and accept the paradox we […]
Every Ought Implies an Is
Every ought implies an is. What does this mean and why does it matter? It means that for every ought statement (“you ought to eat your vegetables”), there is a rule, code or law behind it with authority that gives it weight—that makes it mean something. The reason it matters is because if there is […]