Category: THEOLOGY
Creation: The Fact that Leads to Faith
The Bible begins with a simple statement of fact: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). There are no commands given to men right away, no moral expectations—just this amazing fact. We live in, and are part of, a creation. We...
For Those He Came to Save
The New Testament is filled with references to God’s saving love, particularly in the letters to the churches (Romans through Revelation). This love is usually mentioned with specific reference to a target audience designated by the pronouns we, you, or us. (for example, Rom. 5:8 –...
For God so Loved the World … OK, So What?
If you are a true believer in Christ, you should enjoy the peaceful assurance that when Christ returns you will not perish in God’s fiery judgment of unbelievers. But true faith is grounded on facts, so for your confidence to be unshakable, you need to be...
Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) opens with the well-known list of qualities and rewards known as “The Beatitudes” (5:3-12). According to Jesus, rewards like the kingdom of heaven, the inheritance of earth, comfort, mercy, satisfaction, identification as God’s children, and the privilege of enjoying...
A Tale of Two Therefores
Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead. It was such an incredible miracle that when the Jewish leaders found out about it, they knew they had to act. They convened a council largely made up of Pharisees and Sadducees, men who were all part of...
A Clash of Kings
The young Aristobulus had the misfortune of being popular. Because of this, Herod the Great invited him to his magnificent palace in Jericho, where Aristobulus ate and drank, splashed playfully with the other young men in one of the shimmering pools, and drowned . . ....
The Conversion of Charles Haddon Spurgeon
The great nineteenth-century English pastor and evangelist, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, was converted to Christ as a young man on January 6, 1856. In Spurgeon’s own words, it happened like this: I sometimes think I might have been in darkness and despair until now had it not...
A Story That Does Not End Well: Marianne Hearne
Marianne Hearne experienced her first real crisis of faith when she was just five or six years old. She attended a good church with her family and learned to love God through the teaching of her parents, church and extended family. So it was natural that...
By Faith Alone: The Conversion of Martin Luther
It was the moment he had been waiting for. His father was in the audience watching, as were his fellow monks. It was time for Martin to offer his first mass, and he was overwhelmed with the solemnity of the event. He led the congregation, saying,...
The Unrepenting Repenter
The believer in Christ is a lifelong repenter. He begins with repentance and continues in repentance. (Rom. 8:12-13) David sinned giant sins but fell without a stone at the mere finger of the prophet because he was a repenter at heart (2 Sam. 12:7-13). Peter denied...