Category: Christian Living
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roms 7 … life under law (1)
Romans 7 In Ch 5, Paul has demonstrated that humanity is divided into two different peoples united to two humanity heads. One group belongs to Adam and is dominated by sin and death. By natural birth everyone belongs to Adamic humanity. The second group is in Christ where, by contrast, grace, righteousness and life reign.…
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the biblical case for patriarchy briefly outlined
I have been involved in an online discussion among evangelicals regarding whether the Bible teaches patriarchy or egalitarianism. *Patriarchy believes that the Bible, while viewing male and female as equal in worth and dignity, teaches in the family and the church God has granted leadership responsibility to the male. Egalitarianism recognises there are differences between…
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Jesus… the son of man (4)
All truth is moral. That is, all truth has implications for living. We speak of abstract truth but there really is no such thing if we take this to mean some truth is divorced from real life. Every ‘truth’ is a part of reality that impacts to a greater or lesser extent on the rest…
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a new year confession… the lord is my helper
‘I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? A new year opens before us with its fresh prospects and challenges. Our world is a more dangerous place than it was even a year ago. How can we enter 2016 fearlessly and with hope? The answer is simple; we…
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i am crucified with christ (3)… dead to world
(This is the third and last in this small series. Unfortunately, it was the tail-end of a talk and I have not had time to expand/develop it. We are in the process of moving house at the moment and will be in transit for a couple of months or so. As a result there will…
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i am crucified with christ (2)… dead to law
If we are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God we will discover that this death is not simply to sin. Our death, in Christ, has even farther-reaching implications. We have died not only to sin but to every power and authority that would seek to control us in a fallen world. …
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I am crucified with christ (1),,, dead to sin
Recently, I was asked to speak on the implications of the cross in the life of the believer. The following three posts are simply my presentation on this topic. I hope they will prove useful. Please excuse the less literary and more oral nature of the post. The Living Cross We are gospel people. And…
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episcopal vestments… a servant’s apron
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with the apron of humility 1 Peter 5:5 On the 21st of March 2013 the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England will take place. It will be an occasion of pomp and ceremony. The design of his enthronement robes is no doubt already underway. The…
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john 13… footwashing… cleansing
jesus, the son of god In John’s gospel there is no Bethlehem story. There are no shepherds, no wise men, and no swaddling clothes or manger. There is simply John’s terse expression, ‘the Word became flesh’. John reveals an origin far more profound than Mary or the City of David. Jesus was ‘in the beginning…
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only those who love, hate
Hate is scarcely considered a virtue in our Western world. Christians too have little appetite for advocating hatred. Now, of course, there are understandable reasons for this. All too often human hatred is for all the wrong reasons and leads to just as wrong actions. However, hatred itself is not wrong and indeed may well…
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christian obedience and pseudo-christian obedience
Firstly, a word of apology to those who have dipped into this blog over the summer looking for something fresh to read. For reasons of holidays, responsibilities and the need for a rest I have posted nothing in the last couple of months. Today, I hope to dip my toe in the blogosphere once again with…
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preaching about suicide
First of all, a further apology for such a time between posts. Productivity is likely to remain low over the next couple of months so apologies again in advance. On a recent Sunday past, a group of students from a nearby Bible College were responsible for our Morning Bible Hour. Their preacher was a young…
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celebrating the son-rise
(A guest blog by Jim Gamble.) It was good to celebrate and proclaim the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus on Easter Sunday. Some argue that it doesn`t really matter whether Jesus was physically resurrected or not and others deny the resurrection altogether, they see it as mere myth or legend. This sort of…
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christ and true spirituality
What do visualization (Ignatian Examen or kataphatic prayer), silence, solitude, lectio divina, labyrinth prayers, Stations of the Cross, chanting, induced visions, centering prayer, centering down, and astral projection all have in common? The answer is they are all forms of mysticism (spirituality) that has been flooding the evangelical world over recent years. I can pretty…
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the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his suffering, conformed to his death
The whole of the gospel is intended to train our heart and life in grace. Yet, if we must press for any particular aspect of the gospel that most frames and forms Christian living it is our participation by grace in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The gospel makes it plain that the death…
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grafted life
One of the profound gospel truths is that Christians participate in the death and resurrection of Christ not only in an objective or positional sense but in an experiential sense. Something very significant takes place at conversion that entirely changes our lives. We find ourselves in a life union with Christ. A helpful illustration can…
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discipline… an initiative of grace (3)
In two previous posts we considered God’s discipline and church discipline in the life of a believer. It is time to reflect a little on self-discipline. In reality, God’s discipline and church discipline are only necessary because we fail, as Christians, to discipline ourselves. Paul comments, in a context where some were sick and had…
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discipline… an initiative of grace (1)
a doxology to grace… a preamble The gospel is the announcing of extravagant grace. It proclaims to a disgraced, enslaved and hopeless world how ‘the grace of God has appeared to all men bringing salvation’ (Tit 2:11). In Jesus, the embodiment of grace and truth, God’s rescue plan for the nations is unveiled. In Christ,…
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ear piercing and bondslaves
What is the difference between the obedience Law demanded and that which Christ displays? It seems beyond coincidence that the answer is signalled in Exodus immediately upon the giving of the Ten Commandments, the pulse of the Mosaic Covenant. In Exodus 21 we read: Exod 21:1-6 (ESV) “Now these are the rules that you shall…
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new year and christian hope
May I wish all who from time to time drop into this blog a Happy and Prosperous New Year. It is a belated wish I grant. I hope for you the New Year holds many blessings. It is right of course to look forward in hope. Hope, in a rather hopeless world, is a profoundly…
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the shadow of the cross
To identify with Jesus creates a divide between two opposing worlds. Even before his birth this divide was signalled. An angel came to Mary, a virgin betrothed to Joseph, and said, Luke 1:28-33 (ESV) “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern…
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getting real about church
I rather like Tim Gombis’ post on our idolatries of church life. I especially like the quotation from Bonhoeffer he cites though the whole post merits reflection. Read the post here. ‘In his classic work, Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer discusses the clash between our imagined ideal church experience and the actual church communities we encounter. …
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works of law and works of grace
In a recent blog I argued that Christianity is all grace. The OT Law, by contrast, was a covenant of works. It did not function on the premise of grace or faith but human achieving. Paul makes this crystal clear in Galatians. Gal 3:10-14 (ESV) For all who rely on works of the law are…
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should christians go on strike?
Recently a friend suggested I write a post on whether Christians should go on strike. I have not done so but a post that does can be found here. The basic perspective and spirit of this post I thoroughly agree with and I think the writer (Louis Kinsey, an evangelical Church of Scotland minister) makes…
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we are not simultaneously sinners and saints (2)
In the previous post on this topic, I endeavoured to demonstrate that the NT regularly presents believers as ‘saints’ and not ‘sinners’; who we are ‘in Christ’ and not what we were ‘in Adam’ is pressed as the way believers should think of themselves. Sometimes this raises the protest, ‘but does not Paul speak of…
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taking up the cross
Christians grow in grace as they learn what it is to take up the cross and follow Christ. A preacher in my local church, Stephen Gamble, was preaching on this just recently. Since it fits so well with some of the themes I have been reflecting on here, I asked if he would mind if…
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what happens when someone sees the glory of god in christ?
Phil 3:1-16 (ESV) Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit…
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the humble mind of christ
Phil 2:1-11 (ESV) So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count…
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in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing…
I am no longer in the first flush of youth. In fact, if truth be told, I have passed the hump (or am passing, depending on your perspective) of middle age; I won’t see my fiftieth birthday again nor some following it. And you know what dismays me? I find that the flesh is just…
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piper on god’s humbling of his people
God humbles Charismatics by making their children Calvinists; and Calvinists by making their children speak in tongues. John Piper
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only the gracious, know grace
Have you noticed how those who agitate and protest most loudly for a gospel of grace are often the least gracious of persons? Preach grace, they say, I must have grace, the gospel is grace. Yet they show little of this grace in their treatment of others. They are quick to mock and quick…
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… to live is christ
Christianity is Christ. The Christ life is life in Christ. Christ is the source, succour, sufficiency and shape of this life. He is its fulness – its substance. The epicentre of Christianity and its circumference and the mass between is Christ. Christ is the preeminent one – in creation and new creation (Col 1). God…
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the love of law and the love of grace
The Law of Moses demanded love. Love was a fulfilling of the law. And so, we are told this love which the law demanded is the love which as Christians we should reflect. But is this so? It is true that the heart of the commandment was love for God and neighbour. And it is…
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the justification/sanctification debate and a biblical voice
I have been following the debate over at the Gospel Coalition Website on the relationship between justification and sanctification. At the heart lies the place of the law in the Christian life. This link (here) should get you started if you are interested. There is a lot of confusion in some Reformed and Reformed/Lutheran quarters…
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how would you persuade christians to turn away from adultery?
I have regularly argued that the way to holiness is not through teaching that the Mosaic law is binding on the Christian conscience and that it must be obeyed. A mentality of ‘law-keeping’ is not the way to grow in grace. This does not mean that we cannot learn from the OT law. We can. …
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gospel obedience, the obedience of sons
I am writing to you children, because you know the Father. 1John 2:13 (ESV) Many Christians struggle deeply with their failure and sin. We know we ought to be like Jesus (or perfect as our heavenly father is perfect) but we know just as surely that we are not. As a result we often…
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superstitions and the christian
It is surprising and disturbing how many Christians are superstitious. Without embarrassment many will… through salt over their shoulders… refuse to walk under a ladder… touch wood as a good-luck charm… read their horoscopes etc. Superstitions like these are, of course, profoundly unChristian. They assume forces other than God control the course of history and…
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law love and gospel love – what’s the difference?
Sometimes we are told that legal love (the love that the Law demanded) is the same as gospel love (the love that the gospel supplies). Is this the case? I don’t believe it is. Legal love or law love is founded on the demands of a relationship; I must love the Lord my God and…
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Tullian Tchividjian and a healthy gospel focus
Tullian-T has another excellent post on making the gospel our focus. Though, I think he slightly overstates his case, his emphasis is nevertheless important. Too many spend too much time looking in examining their navel when they should be looking out exulting in their Lord.
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living as new creation… in old creation (3)
Col 3:1-3 (ESV) If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.…
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gospel and legal mortification of sin
Tullian Tchividjian has what is overall an excellent blog on the difference between legal and gospel putting to death of sin. Here and there I am inclined to disagree (particularly on #4 and Roms 7) but there is so much that is good here that I recommend it to you.
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living as new creation… in old creation (2)
Col 3:3 (RSV) For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. In a previous post I argued that the fundamental reality that shapes our attitude as believers in this world is that we have died to it. Our new creation status teaches us that through death to the old creation…
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heads, hats, haircuts, hierarchy… and the honour and glory of god
The sermon on Sunday evening in our church was 1 Cor 11:1-16. I have not heard it yet (I will listen on-line), however, the occasion has made me reflect again about the passage. Of course it is one of these passages that embarrasses modern evangelicalism. Preachers are likely to avoid it and if obliged to…
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Marriage Thrives in Reality, Not in Our Dreams
Here is an arty, entertaining, yet valuable article (lecture actually) on the domesticity of marriage by Nathan Schlueter. For more literary types it is well worth the read. Below I have given a taster. ‘I have German in my blood, which means I often think about death. I wish I could describe this as…
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piper reflects on his absence
After an eight month sabbatical John Piper reflects on how this has benefitted him spiritually.
Cave Adullam 