The Cross of Christ Declares that God Takes the Initiative

We have in the cross, the clearest and most obvious fingerprint of God. He made this up, and He executed it by His own sovereign power. You yourself did not make this up, you would never have made it up. There is a strange comfort in saying that the whole thing seems a little alien and creepy, because it means we didn’t invent it. No human invented your salvation.

The Cross of Christ

There is a hole in our gospel because we are ashamed of the cross. We want to make the root Christian message into something we do for God. The gospel is actually the message that God has done something for us. All of this talk about sin and wrath and blood and crosses is a bit embarrassing. We want to get on with the practical stuff. I’m here to say that we need to give far more attention to what we have heard — that we have such a great salvation (Hebrews 2:1-3)!

Fulfilling the Law

17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls […]

Don’t Hold Your Breath!

It’s New Year’s! It’s a new year, and I’m always excited about that. This year is especially a time for me to set new directions, new career paths, new relationships, and new patterns and disciplines. However, I’ve learned about myself that the cliche can be true, that these things last only so long. You have […]

The Real Strange Fire: Lordship Salvation Pt. 20

We’ve arrived at the end of a series analyzing John MacArthur’s ministry’s article on Lordship Salvation. It has been a lot of fun for me, and it has been encouraging to find how poorly supported biblically and how illogical Lordship Salvation is. This is encouraging, not because I like to shoot people’s theology down, but […]

The Real Strange Fire: Lordship Salvation Pt. 19

We’re in the middle of a series analyzing John MacArthur’s ministry’s article on Lordship Salvation. Starting in Part 8, we have been digging into the nine items listed as the theological distinctives of Lordship Salvation. Here is distinctive nine: Ninth, Scripture teaches that genuine believers may stumble and fall, but they will persevere in the […]

The Real Strange Fire: Lordship Salvation Pt. 18

We’re in the middle of a series analyzing John MacArthur’s ministry’s article on Lordship Salvation. Starting in Part 8, we have been digging into the nine items listed as the theological distinctives of Lordship Salvation. Here is distinctive eight: Eighth, Scripture teaches that behavior is an important test of faith. Obedience is evidence that one’s […]

The Real Strange Fire: Lordship Salvation Pt. 17

We’re in the middle of a series analyzing John MacArthur’s ministry’s article on Lordship Salvation. Starting in Part 8, we have been digging into the nine items listed as the theological distinctives of Lordship Salvation. Here is distinctive seven: Seventh, Scripture teaches that those who truly believe will love Christ (1 Pet. 1:8-9; Rom. 8:28-30; […]

The Real Strange Fire: Lordship Salvation Pt. 16

We’re in the middle of a series analyzing John MacArthur’s ministry’s article on Lordship Salvation. Starting in Part 8, we have been digging into the nine items listed as the theological distinctives of Lordship Salvation. Here is distinctive six: Sixth, Scripture teaches that Jesus is Lord of all, and the faith He demands involves unconditional […]

The Real Strange Fire: Lordship Salvation Pt. 15

We’re in the middle of a series analyzing John MacArthur’s ministry’s article on Lordship Salvation. Starting in Part 8, we have been digging into the nine items listed as the theological distinctives of Lordship Salvation. Here is distinctive five: Fifth, Scripture teaches that God’s gift of eternal life includes all that pertains to life and […]