Category Archives: Reformed Theology

Are All Sins Equally Heinous? A Response to Barnabas Piper

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balance

In a recent article, Barnabas Piper criticizes Christians for the manner in which they confront the sin of homosexuality.  The problem with these confrontations, argues Piper, is that they are not equally distributed over other sins.  What about the sin of fornication?  Or divorce?  Why do these not get equal attention?

This is certainly one of the most common objections to Christians who confront homosexuality.  But, I think there are a number of problems with it.  Let me mention just a few:

1.  This objection can be a distraction from the real issue.  When someone is confronted with sin, one of the most common defenses is to “accuse …

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The Arrogance of the Urban: Part 2

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urban

A while ago, I posted a blog article entitled “The Arrogance of the Urban” where I expressed concern over the attitude prevalent in many ministry circles today that “real” ministry happens in the inner city, while those in suburbia are out of touch and concerned only about their own safety and prosperity.

Part of the reason that urban ministry is regarded as more relevant is because of the belief that it is filled with minority poor that have been neglected by the mainstream church.  While this is no doubt still true in some places, it is a vast oversimplification. In my original article I wrote:

Suburbia is not

…

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Lessons from the Life of Eric Liddell: #4: “Truth is More Important than Popularity”

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The complete series on Eric Liddell can be found here.

Whether we realize it or not, and whether we are willing to admit it or not, there is a core value that has been ingrained in us from our very earliest days which teaches us that the most important thing in life is that we are well liked.  If we are honest, we have to admit that a substantial portion (if not most) of our energies and our strivings and our efforts are designed to procure a “well done” from our friends, family, and co-workers.

This desire for approval is so ingrained in us (and our culture), that …

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The “Mother” Sin We Have Forgotten

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The last of the ten commandments seems a bit out of place, doesn’t it?  “Do not covet.”  While the heinousness of the other commandments is relatively obvious to us, the tenth commandment stands out, in our own minds, as relatively benign.  How serious can it be?

But, when you probe deeper into this commandment, something very different emerges. It is much more serious than we think.  For one, aspects of coveting are mentioning in a number of key places in the Bible.  It is the “love of money,” a form of coveting, that is the “root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tim 6:10).  And when Paul is …

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