Introduction: Jesus came to this world to save His people from their sins. And so as we celebrate Advent, we should be on tiptoe in excited anticipation of something good. We want to spend this Advent contemplating the way God wants us to mark and celebrate things. It is not just what we celebrate, but …
Two Bell Curves, Not One
One of the basic doctrines of Scripture is that the entire human race is shut up under sin. The only way out is through the gospel, through the redemption that was accomplished fully and completely by the Lord Jesus. This redemption is grasped by faith alone. The Bible is plain. No one is righteous, not …
The Best Chef in the World
We cannot talk about food without talking about life, and we cannot talk about spiritual food without talking about spiritual life. This is because life is the only thing which can make any use whatever of food. A dead man cannot be raised or restored with a good meal. When spiritually dead people congregate in …
Dialogue on The End of Protestantism
Earlier today, New St. Andrews hosted (and videotaped) a discussion/interaction between Peter Leithart and me on the theme of his latest book, The End of Protestantism. These are my opening remarks. I will let you know when NSA has the video posted. The question before us is: “Does the gospel require us to pursue and …
Study to Be Approved
“Study, close, persevering study, improves his religious character. An indolent minister is not a spiritually minded man” (Shedd, Homiletics and Pastoral Theology, p. 326).
The Coming Christ Who Came: Advent 1
Introduction: We have often reminded you that ownership of time is inescapable. Either we will mark and define our days with reference to God and His Christ, or we will allow the calendar to be defined by unbelievers. So, for example, either your year will be defined by holidays like Christmas and Easter, or it …
High in the Night Sky
One of the great sins, according to the Scriptures, is the sin of complaining. We tend to overlook this this, thinking that complaining is just an ordinary, garden-variety sin. Everybody complains, right? But in Scripture it is one of the big ones. The children of Israel in the wilderness incurred the anger of God more …
With, On, By
In this meal we sit down to eat with Jesus Christ, we feed on Jesus Christ, and we are fed by Jesus Christ. First, what do we mean by with? In the Great Commission, Jesus promised to be with His followers until the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). He does this by means of …
Thanksgiving 2016
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ . . .” (Ephesians 5:20). For various reasons, Thanksgiving ranks with the great holidays. Other holidays mark—and wonderfully mark—specific things that God has done for us, whether that be the grace of the Incarnation or the …
God as Carpet Bomber
So this is how it happened. I recently read and reviewed The Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser. It was a fantastic book, with the exception of a quite unnecessary chapter addressing the issues that usually go by the nickname of Calvinism. That book was so good that I started reading his more popular-level book on …