“Baptism is for life, not just for beginnings.” It’s for the whole Christian life, and not just its start. It defines who we are and therefore shapes how we live.   Grace and Sin Imagine a Christian friend tells you that he is thinking of leaving his wife. He’s met someone else, someone who makes him... Continue Reading

Satan is the god of this world. But that does not mean he is in any way equal to the one true God. And the world is a mixed bag. Because we are all fallen and sinful, our world is fallen and sinful, and Satan exploits that to the max. But still, the world is God’s... Continue Reading

The only reason we know about these women is because of some letters by Chrysostom which have been preserved…But there are certainly many other women who have made invaluable contributions to the church, although they may never be remembered in this life.   Some time ago, I wrote about Olympias, a widow of noble birth... Continue Reading

A Christian community will seek to share the benefits and burdens of both family and single life. This is because Christianity knows that it is not good for man to be alone and that the deepest fulfillment and joys of this life are found in human relationships.   It is bad that Americans are increasingly... Continue Reading

It’s striking that a biblical theology of God’s people as his bride gets relatively little attention in Reformed preaching, teaching, and liturgy…our exploration of the subject rarely goes beyond Ephesians 5, and is most commonly focused on the dynamics of headship and submission explored in that text. And while that may be a worthy start... Continue Reading

How we live, and the way we live, is not insignificant. We ARE being watched, be it by the world, or those who have gone before, or even spiritual beings. While Jesus gets all the praise and honour for what He does through His people, we are a part of it. We are trophies of... Continue Reading

Church life stabilizes our families because it is built on a sure foundation. It is a place where we learn to live with integrity the faith we profess. Being a part of a larger covenant community teaches our children what it looks like to grow in holiness.  It teaches us what love, self-sacrifice, and belonging... Continue Reading

Sabbath-keeping does not come naturally to me. It does not fit with my sensibilities; I much prefer believing that I may refresh myself in any way I please on the Lord’s Day. But as the Spirit has sanctified me to put my Sabbath-breaking to death, I am learning to delight more and more in it.... Continue Reading

And the lesson, perhaps, is that acting with wisdom, even in turning away from disobedience to pursue obedience, sometimes takes time—time to listen, time to examine, time to ponder, time to pray. In such situations it is better to act slowly and correctly than to risk compounding sin upon sin, pain upon pain. Delayed obedience,... Continue Reading

Whatever ruling power and prevailing culture exists in a given locale, the people of God have their directions from His hand and we are to do our best, by His grace and help, to obey him, no matter the cost (and it could be very costly).  If our influence has diminished in this American empire,... Continue Reading