Watch Live!
Blog
Hypocrisy
Originally posted by Kevin DeYoung at the Gospel Coalition Many Christians misunderstand the nature of hypocrisy. It’s common to think of hypocrisy as the gap between your actions and your feelings. So if I do something without having my “heart” in it then I’m a hypocrite. Evangelicals are especially sensitive to this charge because we believe (quite rightly) that Christianity is more than “just going through the motions.” We know that having a personal relationship with Christ is crucial. We believe faith must be sincere. And yet, we can...
read moreIt Changed My Life!
Originally posted on Challies.com It is one of my clearest memories of the whole hullabaloo surrounding The Passion of the Christ. I met a man who had just returned from a screening of the movie and with eyes wide he exclaimed, “It changed my life!” It is a phrase we hear all the time. It is a phrase that may express something true. But it was far too early. It is not unusual to go to Amazon and find a book review that says something like, “I finished this book last night and it changed my life!” It is not unusual to hear the words used in...
read moreThe 3 Tenses of the Gospel
Originally posted at Ligonier Ministries by Derek Thomas We never get past the gospel. What saved us in the past, when we were still in our sins—fallen sons of Adam by nature—was the grace of God in the gospel. Nowhere is that put more succinctly than in Ephesians: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8–9). But the New Testament can also speak about our salvation in the present tense—we are “being saved” (1 Cor. 1:18; 2...
read moreWhat Am I Doing When I Vote?
Originally Posted at The Gospel Coalition by Kevin DeYoung I’m glad that TGC is coordinating a series of blogs about some “first principles” to consider when thinking about politics (e.g., Baker, Smethurst, Forster). While I fully agree (and have often said from the pulpit) that the kingdom of God does not depend on elections and will not be ushered in by politicians, I believe Christian involvement in politics, or at least some understanding of the parties, the candidates, and the issues, is absolutely critical. Because we have all seen...
read moreRemember
Originally Posted at Reformed Baptist Fellowship That which holds the mind is that which molds the life. That which holds the mind as conscious religious conviction is that which molds the life with conscious religious power. Although his readers already knew the truth and were established in it, Peter wanted to strengthen certain truths by conscious articulation, which would then serve as a vivid and perpetual reminder to them (2 Peter 1:12, 15). Wherefore I shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things, though ye know them...
read moreEngaging Your Kids in Discussing Their Day
Originally posted at Michael Kelley Ministries “Fine.” Sometimes I wonder if that’s the response that Adam got from Cain when he asked him throughout his life, “So how was your day, son?” I can almost see in my mind Abraham, at over 100 years old, walking into the tent, laying down his cane, and saying the same thing to Isaac, “So, my boy, my great hope, my promise from God… How was your day?” “Fine.” It’s the tried and true answer that kids give when they don’t really want to talk about how their day was; something to get their parents off...
read moreMore Important than Knowing God
Originally Posted at The Gospel Coalition J. I. Packer: What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it—the fact that he knows me. I am graven on the palms of his hands [Isa. 49:16]. I am never out of his mind. All my knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative in knowing me. I know him because he first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when his eye is off me, or his attention distracted...
read moreClear Your Conscience, Part 2
Originally posted at Grace To You by John MacArthur A working conscience is one that’s free from the burden of unchecked sin and unaddressed guilt. It’s not weighed down by impurity or dulled by neglect. In a word, it’s clear. But how can we keep our consciences clear? How do we properly respond to guilt feelings in a way that keeps our consciences soft, sharp, and strong? Here are some simple, practical principles to keep in mind. Confess and forsake known sin. Examine your guilt feelings in light of Scripture. Deal with the sin God’s Word...
read moreClear Your Conscience, Part 1
Originally Posted at Grace To You by John MacArthur It can be easy to forget how destructive sin is—not just in terms of eternity, but in our everyday lives. We’ve seen plenty of examples of how unaddressed sin routinely destroys families, friendships, and careers. But it also has devastating internal results, like robbing you of your joy and assurance, stifling your spiritual growth, and distancing you from the fellowship of God’s people. It also pollutes and ruins your conscience. It is possible to virtually nullify the conscience through...
read moreSanctified By Doing Your Job
Originally Posted at Desiring God. It is all too common for Christians to think that service to God is something that takes place either in the context of the local church — teaching Sunday school, shoveling the church sidewalks, leading a small group — or something that brings explicitly Christian teaching into the world by using your job as a platform for sharing your faith with your friends and colleagues who aren’t yet Christians. But it’s here where the gospel rescues us. Check out this word from the Apostle Paul: “But we urge you,...
read more