Saint or Sinner? Rethinking the Language of Our Christian Identity
Throughout the letters of the New Testament, the people of God are called lots of things. They are the “elect” (1 Pet 1:1), “faithful brothers” (Col 1:2), “beloved” (1 John 2:7), “children of God” (1 John 3:2), a “holy nation” (1 Pet 2:9), and most of all they are called “saints.”
Conspicuously absent from this list is the term “sinners.” There is no place I am aware of where the church, the people of God, are collectively called “sinners.” Moreover, an argument can be made that there is no instance in the New Testament where a believer is referred to as a “sinner.” The closest is Paul’s well-known reference to … Continue reading...
Why Do (Modern) Christians Rarely Talk about Rewards in Heaven?
When is the last time you heard a sermon that suggested that a motive for our obedience should be the rewards we receive in heaven? I imagine for most of us it has been a long time, maybe even never. Whenever a sermon (or book) provides a motive for obedience, it is almost always thankfulness for what Christ has done. And certainly that is a wonderful and foundational motivation. But is it the only motivation?
The New Testament writings suggest it is not. For those who faithfully endure persecution, Jesus makes it clear, “Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven” (Luke … Continue reading...
Lessons from the Life of Eric Liddell: #2: “Determination is Not Contrary to the Gospel of Grace”
This is the second installment of a blog series announced here.
When it came to athletics, especially running, there were few people more determined than Eric Liddell. To put it simply, he would never give up. Never.
The most famous example of Liddell’s determination was at a 1923 championship meet at Stoke where he was competing against runners from Scotland, England, and Ireland. After competing in the 100 and the 200, an exhausted Liddell was set to run the 400—and event for which he had hardly trained.
Soon after the race had begun, Liddell’s chances grew even worse when at the first turn he was tripped up by another … Continue reading...
The Missing Category of the ‘Righteous Man’–Revisited
A while ago I posted an article entitled, “Is Anyone More Holy Than Anyone Else? The Missing Category of the ‘Righteous Man”. In that article I discussed the downplaying of sanctification and holiness in some Reformed circles today. For whatever set of reasons, certain pastors and theologians are convinced that in order to preserve the doctrine of justification we cannot emphasize that real progress is possible in our sanctification. If we are really about ‘grace’, we are told, then we must focus predominantly on our depravity.
In my prior post, I argued that one of the motivations for this entire approach is a misunderstanding of the doctrine of total … Continue reading...
Where Have All the Heroes Gone? The Refreshing Moral Vision of Lord of the Rings
Ralph Wood, author of The Gospel According to Tolkien, tells us that often his students “have confessed that they feel ‘clean’ after reading Lord of the Rings.”[1] Indeed, one of the most compelling features of Tolkien’s work is the sweeping, grand, and refreshing vision of the moral character of its heroes. It is not just the lack of bad language and sexuality, but the positive presence of attributes like conviction, loyalty, integrity, and courage. There is an “other-worldliness” about the heroes of the Lord of the Rings. They seem to come from a distant time and place where people still behaved like we know they ought—and the … Continue reading...