But these pockets of “unregeneration” have caused more than a few theological headaches. How can a part of the whole not have what the living whole has? Moreover, how can a part of the whole not really have what that part, as part of the whole, has?
Pockets of Death
It should not surprise us to find pockets of “unregeneration” in this world made new. The yeast works through the loaf gradually. But the yeast is alive, and brings life to the whole. Thus we find creatures who hate the new creation around them. Thus we find baptized covenant members who inexplicably hate the church …
Dress Ups
Once there was a little girl named Molly, and she had a very close friend named Susan. Every day after school they would get together at one of their houses, and they would play with their toys, but one of their favorite games was dress ups. One day when they were playing dress-ups, they went …
Discussions with Dragons
Once there was a man who lived in a beautiful garden, and his wife lived there with him. The Lord of the garden had given it to him for his use on the condition that he guard and tend it. But in order to guard and tend it, there had to be a particular thing …
Yelling At My Windshield, Part Two
Maybe this doesn’t count as yelling at my windshield, because I would like to respond to something from the Westminster conference that was reported in Christian Renewal. That means my windshield wasn’t anywhere near when I read this. Dr. Hywel Jones was reported as saying this: “Justification is the realization that one is pardoned of …
Just Like Magic
“Apologetics in the Void” are repostings from an on-going electronic discussion and debate I had some time ago with members of our local community. The list serve is called Vision 20/20, and hence the name “visionaries.” Reading just these posts probably feels like listening to one half of a phone conversation, but I don’t feel …
Poetic Justice/Psalm 9
In this psalm, David recounts his fight with the heathen who had invaded his nation. David writes during the course of a brief respite in the battle. He celebrates a great deliverance in the first part of the psalm (vv. 1-12), and calls for further deliverance in the remainder of the psalm (vv. 13-20). “I …
Learning the Whole Story
Once there were two children, a brother and a sister, who played with one another constantly. They were normally good friends and played together well, but we must also admit that they occasionally quarreled. And one afternoon, while playing in the back yard, they quarreled. One had bumped the other, then had been bumped back, …
Ratios
The saints of God are mountains, snowcapped and glorious. They stand under heaven, and tower to a crushing weight, the weight of glory. And yet, reaching toward heaven, what does such height accomplish? How far can it reach? Against such a standard, What is close? What is far? The valleys are lifted up, The rough …
Yelling At My Windshield
I have begun listening to the audio recordings of the recent conference at Westminster West on The Foolishness of the Gospel, and will make a few comments here from time to time as circumstances warrant. Initially, just a few remarks. While it is quite true that Scripture speaks of the foolishness of the gospel, it …