Introduction: Another marked emphasis in the book of Proverbs is the contrast made repeatedly between truth and lies. As Christians, we know that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and we also know that the devil is the father of lies (John 8:44). Whenever he lies, he is speaking his …
Many Buttons to Fasten
As we come to worship the Lord, we confess our sins. We are preparing ourselves now to do just that. But it is important for us to understand the nature of what we are doing. We do not confess our sins here weekly so that you don’t have to bother with confessing them in the …
Everytime Presence
The Incarnation was an event in history. So was the crucifixion, as also the resurrection. They happened, and they happened in the same way that other historical events happened. Christ was born at a point in time, and He died at a point in time, and He rose from the dead. All these things happened …
He Is Not the Congregation
“In this connection, the habit of dialectically discoursing in prayer, should be guarded against . . . It is only when the clergyman forgets God, and addresses the congregation, that the prayer degenerates into a sermon” (Shedd, Homiletics and Pastoral Theology, p. 312).
Dane and Chantelle
In one way, it is very easy to have a Christian wedding, and to establish a Christian marriage. What you need to do is obtain a Christian church for the ceremony, make sure the service has a Christian liturgy, and is formally done in the name of Jesus, get a Christian minister to officiate, and …
Themes in Proverbs: Work and Laziness
Introduction: One of the things we must recognize is that work does not exist in the world because of the Fall. Work got a lot more difficult because of our sin, and it labors under a curse, but God gave the cultural mandate to mankind, a mandate which involved an enormous amount of work, before …
The Plow of Conviction
As we continue to pray for reformation and revival—and it is more necessary now than ever—we have to take care not to neglect the true nature of conviction of sin. Given the nature of the world around us, it is perilously easy for us to mistake certain things for conviction of sin that are not …
Partaking of All
As we come to this Table in true evangelical faith, we partake of Jesus Christ. We also partake of one another, and we do this through the power and activity of the Holy Spirit of God. We are covenantally united, and the Spirit of God is the Spirit of the covenant. Now Jesus teaches us …
A Most Crucial Hyphen
Stop obsessing about the election. Let’s talk about something else for a bit. I tell you what, let’s talk about church unity. Let’s divide over it! Actually, Peter Leithart continues to be kind enough to engage with my critiques of The End of Protestantism, which he has done most recently here. There are any number …
Themes in Proverbs: Self-Control
Introduction: When we think of the phrase self-control, the first thing that comes to mind is control of the bodily appetites. We think of resisting temptations to lust or to gluttony. But that is not the only concern of Proverbs when it comes to learning how to control oneself. Many of the passages dealing with …