Articles
Every Christian is a theologian. The question is whether if they are a good one or not. Our theology inevitably impacts every area of our lives (either consciously or unconsciously) – even our creativity – so it is important for creatives and Christians in general to think deeply about their theological beliefs.
Culture & the Christian | Part 5 – Our Response to Culture
In this series, we've surveyed what is the Biblical view of culture and examined its religious nature in the practices that form us, the stories that give meaning, and the groups that define us....
The Communities of our Culture | Part 4 – The Groups that Define Us
We are created to be social or communal beings – truly, no man is an island. This is a good thing as the Lord Himself affirms that it is not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18). We naturally form groups and as such, we create identity markers that reinforce belonging to those groups. The communities we belong to in our culture are the groups that define us. This article explores this concept from a Christian worldview.
The Doctrine of our Culture | Part 3 – Stories that give meaning
The stories that a culture believes is its “doctrine” and substantially shapes the worldview that is popularized. The culture, in effect, is preaching its own “Gospel” – its own way to salvation – fully equipped with its own doctrine and story of creation, fall, redemption and consummation. This article explores the stories that give meaning in our culture.
The Religious Nature of Culture | Part 2 – Liturgies
All culture is religious in nature because culture is simply religion externalized. That is true for Christian, Muslim, Hindu and even Atheistic cultures. This article explores the religious nature of culture and why it matters.
A Theology of Culture | Part 1 – Series Intro
Culture is part of the ‘natural habitat’ we inhabit daily as we live our lives, yet something – like the water fish swim in – that we seldom stop to seriously consider. It’s one of those words we throw around and assumes that everyone knows what it is and what we mean but sometimes find it hard to actually define it. We feel caught off-guard. This article series explores the topic of “culture” from a Christian worldview.
ExeGreeksis | “A Higher Standard” – Matthew 5:21-32
The ΕχεGrεεκsις series of articles are meant for those who want to dig in deeper into the text beyond just a casual reading. It intends to pull back the curtain a little to see a bit of what goes on...
Perseverance of the Saints | Eternal Security
Can you lose your salvation? Reformed Theology states that the Bible teaches that all whom God has chosen, redeemed by Christ’s atoning work and regenerated by the powerful working of the Holy Spirit to give them a new heart are eternally justified, in the progress of sanctification and will eventually be glorified. All true believers, although they may struggle with sin and even serious lapses, are kept in the faith by the power of God himself and therefore will never ultimately fall away but rather persevere in faith until the end.
Irresistible Grace | Effectual Calling
Reformed Theology states that regeneration precedes (comes before) faith. The Holy Spirit graciously regenerates every one of the elect, creating a new heart in them whereby they freely and willingly believe in Christ as Saviour. Thus, the New Birth makes faith possible – the person must be made alive first to believe.
Limited Atonement | Definite Redemption
The title “Limited Atonement” really is an unfortunate misnomer. It can imply that what Calvinists are saying is that the atonement’s value is somehow limited – as if Christ’s death only had saving power for a certain amount of people. But this is not what was meant. Christ’s death is infinitely valuable. Instead, what is being said is that the scope or intention of the atonement is restricted to be effective for the elect. Another way to put it is that Christ’s atonement is sufficient for all, but efficient for the elect.
Unconditional Election | God’s Sovereign Choice
Reformed Theology states that God’s election of people to salvation is unconditional. God’s sovereign choice of certain individuals for salvation was not based on any foreseen response of obedience on their part but was based solely on His good and sovereign will. Concerning this doctrine of election, C.H. Spurgeon commented,
Total Depravity | Humanity’s Radical Corruption
In this article, we’ll look at the Biblical case for the “T” in the TULIP – Total Depravity. It is an uncomfortable doctrine for many to wrestle with as it confronts us with the truly depraved nature of our sinfulness. However, if we ever had doubt that humanity was depraved, a peruse through the comments section of a controvertial YouTube video or Twitter thread should cure that in short order. It is obvious that people are sinful. The question is, how far does that depravity go?
The Doctrines of Grace (TULIP) | Series Introduction
The topic of Calvinism has generated no small amount of controversy, yet many times, the arguments and internet debates tend to generate more heat than light. My hope in this series of articles is to help shed some light on the topic by laying out the major teachings of the Doctrines of Grace and their Biblical support. While I will mention some of the counterpoints, this series will not be primarily focused on responding to criticisms but rather on laying out a positive Biblical case for the Doctrines of Grace.
The Pandemic & Our Public Dialogue
(A minor update to the article was done on Feb, 2022) This past year has brought some of the most stressful and confusing times for many of us. With the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic around...
A Terrible Comfort | Nahum 1:1-8
A kid in high school was shocked when his uncle passed away so suddenly in his prime. He was telling a friend ,Jonny, how hard it was that it happened so suddenly. Then Jonny tells him,...
Romans 2 Explained Verse-by-Verse | A Devotional Commentary
In the first entry of this Devotional Commentary, we took a look at chapter 1 of Paul's letter to the Romans. In this devotional commentary series, we consider some of the contexts of the letter,...