“On the contrary, by arousing empathy for victims, the biblical tradition has destroyed the kind of peace and social consensus that conventional cultures were once able to achieve at the victim’s expense. In clogging the gears of the scapegoating machinery, the gospel revelation brings not peace but a sword. This is purely and simply because …
Westminster Eighteen: Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation
1. Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God, and estate of salvation (Job 8:13–14; Micah 3:11; Deut. 29:19; John 8:41) (which hope of theirs shall perish) (Matt. 7:22–23): yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love …
Westminster Seventeen: Of the Perseverance of the Saints
1. They, whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved (Phil. 1:6; 2 Pet. 1:10; John 10:28–29; 1 John 3:9; 1 Pet. 1:5, 9). All …
Our Cultural Mechanics
“Today’s relativists could not have gotten away with their double standards in a culture that prized truth. But a gradual, sustained assault on truth has been carried out through the soft underbelly of Western culture: the arts. In film, music, and television, the themes of sensual pleasure and individual choice have drowned out the tried-and-true …
Sartorial Teleology
“But the next issue is also important for a school to recognize. Some clothes are more suitable than others. Clothes are tailored for the occasion. There is no reason for a man to rent a tux in order to change the oil in his car. A tux is a better garment than a mechanic’s overalls, …
Spears to Pruning Hooks
“On the contrary, what Scripture is intended to achieve is a conversion of the human heart that will allow humanity to dispense with organized violence without sliding into the abyss of uncontrollable violence, the apocalyptic abyss” (Gil Bailie, Violence Unveiled, p. 15).
A Spate of New Books
I mentioned in a recent blog post that a spate of new books from Canon Press was about to arrive. Well, they are all at the printers, and so you can start ordering them now. In fact, on most of these, if you order now they have a deal on shipping costs. Take a gander. …
Enronville
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 99 “Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud” (Prov. 16:19). Again we have a pointed comparison. It is better to lose profit, and be a humble man …
Art That Is Dangerous to Diabetics
“But among evangelicals, morality and spirituality are usually the primary determinants of the quality and acceptability of art, at the expense of aesthetic and cultural considerations. Pious themes, jejune lyrics, sweet-sounding music, didactic dialogue and Pollyannaish endings characterize much evangelical music, movies, fiction and television programming” (William Romanowski, Pop Culture Wars, p. 327. Amen. But …
If the Bible Described a Red Wagon, This Means the Idea of Red Is Meaningful
“When the Bible says that Abigail was a beautiful and intelligent woman (1 Sam. 25:3), this means that there is such a thing as feminine loveliness. When the Bible calls us to sing a new song to God and to play skillfully with a shout of joy (Ps. 33:1), this means that there is such …