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Jan 2014 31 Jan 31, 2014
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I’m looking forward to next week and the Desiring God conference in Minneapolis, the theme of which is our union with Christ. Continue reading . . . I’m looking forward to next week and the Desiring God conference in Minneapolis, the theme of which is our union with Christ. Why should this topic awaken such anticipation and joy in my heart? Because, as J. I. Packer, says, it is “the taproot of our entire salvation.” He explains: “But the...Read More

Jan 2014 30 Jan 30, 2014
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In the on-going debate about the nature of Christ’s atoning death, some have insisted that penal substitution is only one model among many others. My contention has always been that it is more than one of many models and is in fact the central and controlling foundation for everything the atonement accomplished on behalf of sinners. Continue reading . . . In the on-going debate about the nature of Christ’s atoning death, some have insisted that penal substit...Read More

Jan 2014 30 Jan 30, 2014
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From whence this fear and unbelief? Continue reading . . . From whence this fear and unbelief?Has not the Father put to grief    His spotless Son for me?And will the righteous Judge of menCondemn me for that load of sin    Which, Lord, was charged on thee? Complete atonement thou hast madeAnd to the utmost farthing paid    Whate’er thy people owed.Nor can God’s wrath on me take placeWhen sheltered ‘neath th...Read More

Jan 2014 29 Jan 29, 2014
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So how did this woman called “Jezebel” come to exert such incredible power over the lives of Christians in Thyatira? What accounts for the authority she possessed to convince the followers of Jesus to abandon their commitment to ethical purity and engage in sexual immorality and other forms of compromise with the surrounding culture? Continue reading . . . “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet...Read More

Jan 2014 28 Jan 28, 2014
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Ten years ago today, on January 28, 2004, my spiritual and theological mentor, S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., entered into the presence of the Lord. Continue reading . . . Ten years ago today, on January 28, 2004, my spiritual and theological mentor, S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., entered into the presence of the Lord. As I sit writing this remembrance of him, on the wall in front of me is the beautiful and remarkably precise pencil portrait of Dr. J painted by my good friend and artis...Read More

Jan 2014 28 Jan 28, 2014
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Is there any such thing as the “Jezebel spirit”? If so, what is it, or who is it? And what relationship does it sustain to the spiritual gift of prophecy? To answer this we must turn our attention to the letter of Jesus to the church in Thyatira. The problems faced by this church were in some way connected to the person and practices of this woman called “Jezebel.” Continue reading . . . Is there any such thing as the “Jezebel spirit”...Read More

Jan 2014 27 Jan 27, 2014
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[As you probably know by now, Tom Schreiner and I both wrote articles for the Gospel Coalition website that were published last Thursday. Tom’s title was, “Why I am a Cessationist,” whereas mine is, “Why I am a Continuationist.” You can read mine below.] Continue reading . . . [As you probably know by now, Tom Schreiner and I both wrote articles for the Gospel Coalition website that were published last Thursday. Tom’s title was, &ldqu...Read More

Jan 2014 24 Jan 24, 2014

My good friend Tom Schreiner and I engage in a healthy and always biblical dialogue on the issue of spiritual gifts at the Gospel Coalition website. Continue reading . . . My good friend Tom Schreiner and I engage in a healthy and always biblical dialogue on the issue of spiritual gifts at the Gospel Coalition website. The web address is www.thegospelcoalition.org. Tom teaches NT at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, and has been a close friend of ...Read More

Jan 2014 24 Jan 24, 2014
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Paul has just enumerated the earthly and fleshly achievements in which he might have put his confidence had he not met Christ. But we now hear him say: “Whatever gain I had because of these privileges and achievements and fame that happily came my way, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ!” Continue reading . . . “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dog...Read More

Jan 2014 23 Jan 23, 2014
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Put aside your political affiliation for just a moment and don’t let it interfere with my opening illustration. Continue reading . . . “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the...Read More

Jan 2014 22 Jan 22, 2014
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In the previous article I pointed out that the key to Paul’s personal transformation is found in what he identifies as the ground or motive for his decision: it was because of Christ. Continue reading . . . “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by ...Read More

Jan 2014 21 Jan 21, 2014

I have a simple but profound philosophy when it comes to the Christian life. When it is fully understood it can be revolutionary. By that I mean it can take a self-absorbed, idolatrous rebel and empower him to pursue a life that truly honors God. It can take a hopelessly depressed, self-loathing woman and restore meaning and value and joy to her lowly life. Continue reading . . . “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no tro...Read More

Jan 2014 20 Jan 20, 2014
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In my reading of the works of J. I. Packer I’ve come to greatly appreciate the Christocentric focus of his life and theology. This Christ-centeredness reverberates throughout virtually every page of everything he has written and echoes in nearly every word he has spoken. Continue reading . . . In my reading of the works of J. I. Packer I’ve come to greatly appreciate the Christocentric focus of his life and theology. This Christ-centeredness reverberates thr...Read More

Jan 2014 17 Jan 17, 2014

Racial prejudice cannot be quantified in the way abortion can. So how do we get a grip on the horror and wickedness of racism? Perhaps listening to Martin Luther King himself will help. Continue reading . . . Racial prejudice cannot be quantified in the way abortion can. So how do we get a grip on the horror and wickedness of racism? Perhaps listening to Martin Luther King himself will help. [N.B. MLK was and is a controversial figure. Elements in his personal life...Read More

Jan 2014 16 Jan 16, 2014
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I’m often amazed how often people reveal an ignorance about what abortion is and what it does. Perhaps we’ve just grown so accustomed to its presence that we’ve stopped thinking and talking about it. Continue reading . . . I’m often amazed how often people reveal an ignorance about what abortion is and what it does. Perhaps we’ve just grown so accustomed to its presence that we’ve stopped thinking and talking about it. Merriam Webste...Read More

Jan 2014 15 Jan 15, 2014
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Last year’s acquital of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin has stirred up the debate over racism in a way that transcends any that I can recall. I don’t pretend to have the answer for this problem, although I highly recommend John Piper’s insightful and convicting book, Bloodlines, for those who want to dig more deeply. So let me say up front that what follows has been influenced greatly by John’s contribution to this volatile subject...Read More

Jan 2014 14 Jan 14, 2014

In the previous post we looked at a real man of God: Timothy. Today we turn our attention to Ephaphroditus. Continue reading . . . In the previous post we looked at a real man of God: Timothy. Today we turn our attention to Ephaphroditus. A-who-da-what-us? No, Epaphroditus! Yes, it’s an unusual name, to say the least. It comes from the name of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Some have suggested that the parents of Epaphroditus were pagan devotees of the godd...Read More

Jan 2014 13 Jan 13, 2014

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that perhaps never in human history has the notion of being male, of being a man, of being masculine, been as distorted and warped as it is today. We need to re-learn what an ordinary man of God looks like. By the way, women you can still learn a great deal from this as well. If you are single, you can learn what kind of man you should pray for and seek as a husband. If you are a mother, you can learn what kind of man...Read More

Jan 2014 11 Jan 11, 2014
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Our examination of Romans 14 has helped us to understand what both weakness and strength entail and how each believer ought to respond and relate to the other. We now conclude by articulating five principles that should govern our exercise of Christian liberty. Continue reading . . . Our examination of Romans 14 has helped us to understand what both weakness and strength entail and how each believer ought to respond and relate to the other. We now conclude by articulati...Read More

Jan 2014 10 Jan 10, 2014

We’ve come to the fourth question. Here it is. (4) The fourth question to be addressed is: "What responsibility does the strong brother have toward his weaker brother?" Paul answers this question in vv. 13-23. His main point is that the liberty of the strong must be qualified by love. Two questions must first be answered: Continue reading . . . We’ve come to the fourth question. Here it is. (4) The fourth question to be addressed is: "What responsibility d...Read More

Jan 2014 9 Jan 9, 2014

In the previous post we tried to answer the question: What constitutes spiritual weakness? Who is the weak brother or sister? We are now ready to ask and answer the second and third of our four questions. Continue reading . . . In the previous post we tried to answer the question: What constitutes spiritual weakness? Who is the weak brother or sister? We are now ready to ask and answer the second and third of our four questions. (2) The second question to be addressed ...Read More

Jan 2014 8 Jan 8, 2014
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As I said in the previous post, our approach will be to ask and then answer four questions. Continue reading . . . As I said in the previous post, our approach will be to ask and then answer four questions. (1) The first question to be addressed is: "Who is the weak brother?" Or again, "What constitutes weakness and strength?" Paul tells us three things about the "weak" brother or sister. First, he is a vegetarian (vv. 2,21). Second, he regards some days as having spec...Read More

Jan 2014 7 Jan 7, 2014
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How is a Christian to act with regard to matters not explicitly addressed in Scripture? How is a Christian to conduct himself/herself in situations on which the Bible is silent, issues for which there is no explicit biblical guidance? This is the question Paul addresses in Romans 14. We could as easily ask: "What is the nature and extent of Christian freedom?" The NT speaks of freedom in a variety of ways. Here we are concerned with our freedom from the conscience of oth...Read More

Jan 2014 5 Jan 5, 2014

This post is for those of you who may have missed the past several weeks during which I listed daily my top ten books of the year. If you wish, you can go back about two weeks ago, start with number 10, working your way down the list to number 1, while reading the brief reviews of each book that made it. If you don’t have the time, here is a listing without any comment, together with a few books that almost made it but didn’t (i.e., the “honorable menti...Read More

Jan 2014 3 Jan 3, 2014
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Living by Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, by Tom Nettles (Ross-Shire, Scotland: Mentor, 2013), 683 pp. Selecting what I believe to be the best book of 2013 is somewhat arbitrary. Virtually any of the volumes listed from 10 to 2 could have made it to number 1. But that doesn’t mean I have any reservations whatsoever in placing this biography of Spurgeon at the top of the list. I’ve known Tom Nettles for a couple of d...Read More

Jan 2014 2 Jan 2, 2014
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From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective, edited by David Gibson & Jonathan Gibson (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013), 703 pp. No, I haven’t yet read all 703 pages (actually, 667 of written text), but I’ve read enough to rejoice that a volume like this is now available to the body of Christ. What a monumental achievement this is! And why was such a book even necessary? In his Foreword, J...Read More

Jan 2014 1 Jan 1, 2014
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Perhaps you’ve read something in the news of a lawsuit filed in August of 2013 against the state of Oklahoma by the Oklahoma chapter of the ACLU. The latter contends that the state has violated its own constitution which forbids using public property to support any system of religion “directly or indirectly.” The violation, allegedly, comes from the presence on the grounds of the state capitol building of a monument containing the Ten Commandments. But...Read More