One of my favorite passages in Scripture is the so-called “Christ hymn” found in Phil 2:5-11. There, we learn how God’s love for each of us is incredibly deep. Christ, the text says, “emptied himself” (v.7). So much to say about this! The cross was the way in which God put his love on public…
UPDATED: 5/19/21: A few years ago, a friend (and seasoned saint) came up to me and said that, during a hard season of depression, some in the church told her that mature Christians don’t struggle with things like that. “Christians,” they said, “don’t go through depression at all.” Sigh. Such statements are as dangerous as…
I have been reading through the Gospels, carefully observing (the best I can) the way Jesus interacts with his friends, the crowds, and his enemies. If you study the ways of Jesus, you’ll notice that he never prioritizes grace over truth or truth over grace. Typically, his responses to the humble and lowly are tender…
My Bible reading this morning took me to 1 Thessalonians, and I was struck by a few things Paul had to say. When he writes to the Thessalonian church, Paul begins by extolling them for their Christian virtues – that is, for their way of faith, hope, and love. He says, “We give thanks to…
I am looking forward to the 2019 Tyndale Fellowship Conference in Cambridge, England. I will be presenting a paper in the Biblical Theology Study Group. The Study Group’s theme this year is “A Biblical Theology Perspective on Salvation.” Here are the details from the website: Soteriology is an exceptionally important aspect of Christian theology and…
When it comes to your relationship with God, “head knowledge” is so important. The whole “just-love-God-with-your-heart” motif won’t work. After all, you can’t possibly love God with your heart without knowing something about God in your head. To attempt to do so is nothing short of insulting, unloving, and nonsense. Let me explain. Suppose that,…
I will be teaching a class beginning May 21. There are a couple of ways to participate–in person or remotely. For more information, check out the course information page at Trinityhaus.