Moving From Slave to Servant to Child: The Soul’s Reckoning of an Immediate Reality of Grace

The soul’s reckoning of God’s work of salvation is a common battle ground for Gospel assurance.  When I say “slave”, I intend that slavery to sin that the unbeliever relishes and continues to live in until they come to Christ.  When I say “servant”, I intend that servitude made explicit in that transference from the [...]

The Manhattan Declaration

This is a declaration of the wider Christian conscience against abortion, the subversion of the institution of marriage, and religious liberty.  It is a must read.
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, blogs about it here.
A brother, Patrick Schreiner, pulls a few helpful resources together here.
Read the Manhattan Declaration here.

Leaves and the Design of God for His Children

It was a Saturday morning.  November.  Autumn.  The air was cool and crisp.  The trees were growing thin according to God’s sovereign allotment.  I had decided to take a jog, stretch my legs a bit.  As I, with heavy legs, plodded along my usual path, I took notice of one particular tree.  While the ground [...]

M’Cheyne on a “Full Joy”

An excerpt from his sermon on 1 John 1:1-4 (1839), particularly dealing with “and these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” -
Other joys are not filling.  Creature joys only fill a small part of the soul.  Money, houses, lands, music, entertainments, friends, these are not filling joys; they are just [...]

Thoughts on a “Brush Over” Passage

Typically, Exodus 22 is not one of those chapters that you take the time to . . . think through.  And this is poor on many of our accounts.  Recent time spent translating the text caused me to slow down and deal with what was in the chapter.  Here are some thoughts, oxen, donkeys, and [...]

On Loving God

The following is, I think, a lengthy, but remarkable excerpt from On Loving God by Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153).  Due to its longevity, I have italicized some parts for those who may want to breeze through it (i.e., Patrick Schreiner).  Nevertheless, careful reading will be greatly rewarded in this encouraging, refreshing, and illuminating excerpt of [...]

Samurai Letters Commenced

I have no need to explain this here (as it is explained on its page), but the new tab above entitled “Samurai Letters” has become operative – indeed, there is a letter awaiting!  For all who know of these two beloved people, you may begin – as I am certain you have  already begun – [...]

Piper on Addressing Justification By Faith Alone in Christ Alone with Your Children

“And to make it more pointed, mothers – and all those charged with training up the younger ones in the family and the church – are we teaching the Old Testament and the New Testament to make our children wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ? The emphasis is on “faith in Jesus Christ”! [...]

Props for Journaling

Dr. Shawn Wright, commenting on Augustine’s prolific writing, and somewhat paraphrasing Augustine himself, says, “he learned as he wrote.”  The implication is that writing (or typing) causes us to think, to codify, to systematize, to formulate arguments, to determine answers, in a word, to learn.  I would also say, speaking personally, that it internalizes what [...]

In Honor of Reformation Sunday

Martin Luther’s account of his conversion:
I had already during that year returned to interpret the Psalter anew. I had confidence in the fact that I was more skillful, after I had lectured in the university on St. Paul’s epistles to the Romans, to the Galatians, and the one to the Hebrews. I had indeed been [...]