In Times of Crisis, Don’t Forget Your Neighbor
When the plague struck Wittenberg, Germany, in 1527, people wrote to Martin Luther, asking his advice about what to do. In particular, he was asked whether it was right to run away from the plague. Luther said it depended. On what? On who you are. What role do you have in life? Whether or not […]
Clarence Larkin on National Repentance (Matthew 4:17)
A basic Biblical distinction more or less ignored by most Christian theologians is the difference between “the Gospel of the kingdom,” as emphasized in the Synoptic Gospels, and the “promise of eternal life,” as emphasized in John’s Gospel. Part of the kingdom gospel included the call to repentance. Since most theologians improperly mix the promise […]
Pray to God, and Wash Your Hands
How should Christians act during the coronavirus epidemic? There have been many epidemics throughout the history of the church. For example, in 1527, there was an outbreak of plague in Martin Luther’s city of Wittenberg. Since Luther was a pastor’s pastor, many asked him for advice. Here’s some of what he told them: I shall […]
The Short Commandment
Jesus commanded you to love (Mark 12:31). Paul said that if you do not have love, you are nothing (1 Cor 13:2). And John said “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death” (1 John 3:14). Love is […]
Christian Perfection, Forgiveness, and the Lord’s Prayer
This weekend I read a biography of George Fox by Arthur O. Roberts, Through Flaming Sword: The Life and Legacy of George Fox. The book is an excellent read. You may know that Fox was one of the founders of the Quaker movement. Interestingly, about one hundred years before John Wesley came preaching the doctrine […]
Find the Poor, Sick, and Needy, and Serve Them
Since Jesus gave you everlasting life by simply believing in Him (John 3:15-16, 36; Eph 2:8-9), what should you be doing with all your free time? You don’t need to be earning, keeping, or securing your eternal salvation—so that eliminates 99% of what usually passes for religious activity in the world—so what kinds of things […]
Why Do People Feel Frustrated in Their Sanctification?
As you seek to live your life for the Lord, what keeps you motivated? Do you ever feel frustrated at your progress—or lack thereof? Are you looking in the right places for motivation? Lyle Lange offers some insights: When Christians look to their own efforts for increasing sanctified living, one of two things will happen. […]
Why Holiness Churches Lack Assurance
If you’re in a Pentecostal or Holiness church, or if you’ve recently come out of one, you probably struggle with assurance of salvation. Why? Lyle Lange, a Lutheran theologian, explains: The “holiness bodies” (such as Pentecostal, Church of the Nazarene, Church of God) look to special manifestations of the Spirit’s work in their lives to […]
Jean Vanier and the Trouble with Works Salvation
Everyone knows Mother Teresa. But you may not know the name Jean Vanier. I did. He was Canada’s equivalent to Mother Teresa. Vanier was the son of a Canadian ambassador, who became a Catholic theologian and philosopher and left academia to found the international L’Arche communities for people with developmental disabilities (currently 154 centers in […]
Two Abidings (1 John 2:24)
Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father (1 John 2:24). Do you remember everything you hear in church or in school? Does it automatically “stick”? Not with me. I usually have […]