Four Views On the Role of Works at the Final Judgment. Edited by Alan P. Stanley. Counterpoints: Bible and Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013. Paperback ISBN: 0310490332. Contains contributions by Robert N. Wilkin, Thomas R. Schreiner, James D. G. Dunn, Michael P. Barber, and Alan P. Stanley. Here, in this well-conceived 275-page book (page numbers are from the Kindle edition which roughly approximates the print version), four prominent scholars advance different views on the role...
This is, oddly enough, an article about writing an article. A former student of mine who now edits the university newspaper asked if I would write an OpEd piece for the upcoming Halloween issue. Touched (but mainly flattered), I accepted immediately, not considering the ramifications of my commitment. I was attempting to make a case for Halloween on a Christian campus notoriously divided on even acknowledging the holiday in the first place. Initially, the spooky...
1. Discipleship is about a Relationship Michael Wilkins has defined a disciple of Jesus as one who “has come to Jesus for eternal life, has claimed Jesus as Savior and God, and has embarked upon the life of following Jesus.”[1] His very presence in my life and his promise to never leave nor forsake me, encourages me to daily follow Him. At the heart of following Him is this undeserved relationship I have...
A few days ago, I thought that this post you are now reading would be about Lance Armstrong. But today, there was a new story that capture America’s attention. A story that received more hype than a more threatening situation- the French deployment of troops to confront the uprising of Islamic militants in Mali. A tale more popular than the discussion that could actually affect the interpretation of your American right to property and self-protection...
Since publishing my article “I’m (Kinda Sorta Yeah Not Really) Gay” last month, I’ve received a lot of follow-up questions. Not so much about the article, but about the specifics of my struggle with same-sex attraction. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions. When did you realize you were, you know, gay? If you dig through my memory box, you’ll find a piece of paper decorated with hearts and a little stick figure....
I admit it. I’ve tried to “pray the gay away.” I’ve spent nights on my knees, asking God to take away my homosexual desires. Any Christian who struggles with same-sex attraction has probably done the same, and rightly so. Casting our cares on God should be the first thing we do (1 Peter 5:7). So yes, I’ve prayed for change. And if you read last week’s post, you know that change hasn’t come. But what if...
3 years ago, Dr. John Coe of Biola’s Institute for Spiritual Formation preached at a Biola University chapel and it rocked my world. He preached on something that I have become all too familiar with: the dark night of the soul. Now it is true that God is always present. This new covenant reality, bought by the blood of Christ, that God indwells us necessarily brings us to another truth: that he will never leave...
One night a few years ago, I was reading through Romans and stumbled upon an extraordinary command from Paul’s pen: Rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15). I’d read it before, even quoted it, but something stood out this time. Struck by its simplicity and its strangeness, I considered this verse a challenge—a serious, sin-killing challenge. Something I wanted to master. How does one live out such a command? What does it look like? How...
Over the last few decades, our precious protestant friend Justification has received a lot of tough press and some heavy abuse. Stendahl, Sanders, Dunn, and Wright have all added their contributions to the theological boxing tournament seeking to knock out an understanding of justification (esp in Pauline Literature) that may be more informed and conditioned by the questions and circumstances of the Protestant Reformation than by seeking to understand what Paul himself really sought to...
Having a high view of sin is crucial for sanctification. A high view of sin does not mean that you regard more things as sinful than actually are sinful. That would be legalism. Rather, it is the conscious effort to keep sin from becoming trivial. It is the removal of the frequent ‘but factor’ in the face of God’s commands (you are not the exception!). It is the self-control and humility to abstain from retorting...
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