Have you ever wondered what Thanksgiving Day is like for the unbeliever? For many, the day is spent much as we spend ours . . . at first glance. They have the day off from work or school, as we do. They eat a large meal with turkey and stuffing and enjoy gathering with friends […]
Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the fish is one of the hidden jewels of Scripture. Most commentators refer to Jonah’s prayer as a psalm. And it’s true that the prayer fits the pattern of other biblical psalms. More than that, Jonah’s psalm draws heavily from particular thoughts and phrases in the Psalter. But Jonah’s […]
Our Worship, chapters 32–39 What is the highest point of Christian worship? Ask today’s evangelical megachurches and you might get a variety of answers: altar calls, faith-healing demonstrations, amped-up praise-and-worship sessions, or perhaps the offering. Many Reformed folk would scoff at such ideas, claiming instead that only the sermon, the preached Word of God, ought […]
Over the past year we have been looking at some of the distinctives of being a Reformed believer. These distinctives are rooted in the Scriptures, in history, and in our practice. It is important to evaluate our distinctives and practices from time to time to make sure that they are pleasing to the Lord and […]
We come to that part of James’s epistle over which a considerable amount of ink has been spilt. In fact, during the Reformation, there was so much of a boggle over his teaching here that Martin Luther wanted to remove James’s epistle from the scriptural canon. James asks his readers a question: Wasn’t Abraham justified […]
In the previous article we made the argument that the primary reason why God sent his own Son to earth was to “preach repentance.” We argued there that “primary” referred to sequence or timing, but not to significance. We intimated then that Christ’s offering himself on the cross was of greater significance that was his […]
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The doctrine of predestination is the teaching that before the creation of the world God decided the everlasting destiny of each individual person that he would make. God’s choice to save certain sinners by grace is called election, and his choice to damn certain sinners as they deserve is reprobation. Predestination is part of God’s […]
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? —Psalms 13:1, ESV O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the […]
The documentary Free Solo is about rock climber Alex Honnold, who climbs the 3,200-foot sheer granite face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without any ropes. And he lived to tell it. Why would anyone do something so difficult and dangerous? In an interview he said, “If you’re seeking perfection, free soloing is as […]