In dark social times, it can become tempting for the Christian to shift his gaze from the eternal to the temporal just as easily as this can be tempting in times of plenty. What can be downright maddening is to see so much darkness in the world at... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
A. God’s works of providence are, his most holy,[1] wise,[2] and powerful preserving[3] and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.[4] Previously, we have treated the doctrine of providence as a function of God’s eternal decree. Now we... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
A. When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience;[1] forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.[2] Thus far we have pointed out that God... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
The Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690) represented one of four movements in the seventeenth century away from the medieval philosophical synthesis—the other three being the inductivism of Francis Bacon, the rationalism of Rene Descartes,... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
Usually the question of “marks” or “elements” of the church can mean three different things. Most basically it refers to the marks of authenticity, so that the person is asking “How can I tell whether this group is a true church or not?” On the... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
What is the church? If you go to the Christian bookstore, you’ll notice that one of the biggest sections is the Church Growth and Methodology section. You would think that with so many experts discussing so many areas of church life that the one... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
A. God created man male and female, after his own image[1], in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness,[2] with dominion over the creatures.[3] Anthropology is the study of man. Every modern university offers courses in it. But is a secular... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
A. The work of creation is, God’s making all things of nothing,[1] by the word of his power,[2] in the space of six days, and all very good.[3] An accurate understanding of the doctrine of creation is actually essential to theism as such. Notice... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
The writers of sacred Scripture and the saints throughout the ages have always been consumed with the question: How can a perfectly righteous God possibly save people like us? How can God save anyone? How can He save a person like me? This is... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
It has been argued—most notably by the twentieth century atheist Ayn Rand—that the only love that is real is that love which has an end cause sufficient to the individual lover. This is in keeping with the Randian ethic of rational self-interest.[1]... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
