Category: Sin and Salvation

Easter

The Provost spoke the traditional words, “Christ is risen!” and the hundreds of students responded in full voice, “He is risen indeed!” It was the Thursday chapel before Easter—just before the students left for home to attend Good Friday services. I was in Nigeria at the Gindiri Theological Seminary—both far from home but still at …

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Moral Sight

Sin is ironically powerful. It has all the power of a runaway human ego. It can undermine great rulers, break the strongest vows, blind the most able scholars, and even crucify God himself. But ironic? Yes, ironic because sin has no extrinsic power over the sinner. Sin, instead, is an inner ambition of the soul. …

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How God Decides

God will welcome many to his glory in eternity. Yet this good news touches a sensitive issue: it’s clear from the Bible that God draws some—but not all—to join him. So how does he make his choices? Does he measure the quality of human conduct, as in a naughty versus nice equation? Or before creation …

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What Really Matters?

All of us collect low-grade bruises on a regular basis. I felt like a victim again last night when the hotel clerk sweetly told me I needed to sign over another $45—“just overnight”—after I had prepaid the room fee weeks before. This was “just a security hold” for any added services I might use. But …

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They Shall Know

With the rhythm of a drummer the prophet Ezekiel called on readers to know and respond to God—Yahweh—as the only true God. His repeated refrain was a promise: “Then they shall know that I am the LORD.” What brings about this “knowing”? Mainly it comes by experiencing promised disasters when they arrive. Tragedies are God’s …

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Help Wanted!

God does good work. And his success doesn’t rely on us. This paired premise of the Bible—and the experience of many who know him well—is obvious in principle. But it isn’t so easy to accept in practice. If this sort of confidence in God was widespread we would see much more of the transformation faith …

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