The resurrection is the defining moment in all of human history. Without the resurrection the holy character of God could not have allowed for the earth, for the race of men nor for the redemption of sinners. God is only capable of dealing with what is holy and pure. Without the reality of the resurrection nothing would be holy and pure. When Christ rose from the dead he completed the triumph that made all that we know and love possible. That which was ugly, unholy and worthy of wrath was made new, pure, holy. There could be no doubt – either the wrath of God was satisfied or it was not. Those who reject Christ receive the just payment for […]
Gospel
350 posts
by Tedd Tripp I have had numerous conversations with young parents who expressed the fear of raising young hypocrites. They fear that since they have taught their children appropriate behavior, they will rear well-behaved children who do not sense their need for grace… Hypocrisy is greatest in homes where the emphasis has been on behavior rather than the heart. If the focus of discipline and correction is on ways the behavior has strayed and on how behavior must change, you will miss the heart. That approach makes the problem what I do, rather than what I am. According to the Bible, the problem we have is too profound to be corrected externally. The root problem is not the wrong that […]
An atheist wrote in with a question about a recent post: I have posted the question here along with a request to engage her about her beliefs as an atheist. I thought that our readers would be interested as well. I will keep you up to date. Please pray that God will use this opportunity to bring honor to his name. “Can you prove that we’re all going to stand face to face with Jesus Christ one day? (And the Bible doesn’t count as proof, since you can’t prove that it’s anything more than an extremely old book of mythology.) Or will you admit that your beliefs are based on nothing more than blind faith, just like the beliefs of […]
Cancer attacks healthy tissue and turns it toxic. Medicine attacks these toxic tissues. The toxic cells are either cut out or they attacked with medicine that is even more toxic. The question is whether the human body can survive the treatment. In my case the recommended course is to fight poison with poison. With a combination of toxic chemicals and targeted radiation the plan is to eliminate the bad and allow healthy cells to grow. This combination of treatment will begin in a few hours. But, like everyone one else on earth, I have a problem that is far more deadly than cancer. Sin has plagued my body and soul since my birth. There is no medical cure for sin. […]
Christianity is not like being a fan of your local sports team. But, too often I fear we act that way. You follow your sports team, wear the appropriate team jersey to the game, buy a ticket to get in and then cheer for your team with all the other spectators in the stadium. Ah, you see what I mean. Joe Christian signs up at his local church. He puts on his Sunday clothing (he either dresses up or dresses down) puts some money in the plate and then watches the worship leader, musicians and pastors play the game, while he cheers or says Amen! This is not what being a Christian is all about. The main event in Christianity […]
One of life’s hardest lessons is to realize that true satisfaction is found only in God. There are many pretenders but only God is sufficient to give meaning and purpose to your life. Apart from God every single relationship and endeavor you pursue carries the reality of disappointment. One of the cruelest things you can to do is to expect others to provide for you what can only be found in God. No human can bear the weight of being God for you. Practically, what does this mean? No child can bear the weight of being your satisfaction in life. This will cause you to either ask too much from them or to ignore the weaknesses. In either case you […]
“Stop bothering your sister.” “Why?” “Because it is not nice to do that to her.” “Well, she is not nice to me. Why should I be nice to her?” “God says you should be nice to her.” “Well, then, you should tell her that. If she starts being nice to me, I’ll be nice to her. Its not like I am hurting her or anything.” “But that is not how it works. You should do what God wants no matter how your sister responds.” “So, what do I do when you get mad and yell at me?” “You shouldn’t talk to me like that!” “Why? I am not being disrespectful or mad, I just asked you a question.” “You just […]
Sometimes the obvious is so clear that its meaning is obscured. We live in a world that worships statues! There is an irony in the attitudes of Hollywood and the entertainment media about the Bible, particularly the Old Testament. Bible morality is viewed with scorn and hatred. Both on the screen and in daily life, biblical purity is something to be mocked as a personality disorder. Here is the irony. Over 2,800 years ago, the Prophet Isaiah described the idol worshippers of his day with language that also perfectly describes the moral mess of Hollywood. People today also worship elaborate statues. Those in the film industry live and die for a statue, an idol called Oscar. The name on the […]
There is much debate this day about how to respond to horrific waves of violence. The Bible is clear. Evil inhabits the world we live in. Sometimes evil takes a violent form. When this happens a violent response is appropriate, even mandated! This is an important truth, a fact of life that your children must know. It is important to train and encourage people to turn against evil and violence. The virtues of peace must never be forgotten. However, when violence occurs under the banner of evil, those who do such evil should fear the sword. If these evildoers have no fear of a violent response against them, then there can be no expectation that their violent acts will be […]
From the bedroom to the schoolroom modern culture has become obsessed with a democratic spirit. If I want to do something, why can’t I? The idea that even one’s most intimate, hidden and personal thoughts will be held accountable to the God of the Bible is abhorrent to our culture. Even Christians have become embarrassed to state such an idea openly. The modern attempt is to put God and his Bible in an intellectual box and then label that box bigotry and intolerance. Surely we can do what we want with our bodies, our unborn children and our thoughts. The spirit of the people of Babel lives on with great passion! Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city […]