In the previous article in this column I covered a few of my concerns with Covenant Theology. That included an overview of each view and the differences, which I will not rehash at length here. In short, both covenantalism and dispensationalism are meta-systems (whole-Bible theologies) for understanding the overarching storyline of the Bible. Proponents of … Continue reading My Concerns with Dispensationalism
Author: Julian Stoltzfus
Becoming Like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Spiritual growth happens as the Spirit shows us the glory of Jesus and by that sight changes us into His image.
Freightliner Epistemology
Previously, I outlined several “spheres of epistemology,” and I want to think with you about one of those in this editorial: tradition. Remember, epistemology feels like a complex term, but it really just refers to what we are standing on. That is, what are the things—such as culture, philosophy, and media—that shape our beliefs? When … Continue reading Freightliner Epistemology
Obeying with Joy (1 John 5:3)
Experiencing the love of God as made known to us in the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ is essential to unburdened, joyful obedience to God’s commands.
My Concerns with Covenant Theology
Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology[1] are two theological systems which govern how we interpret the overall storyline of Scripture. Each seeks to describe how God’s redemptive purposes unfold through history. These are “whole-Bible theologies,”[2] ways of understanding God’s redemptive purposes throughout Scripture. Anyone who has seriously studied the Bible belongs somewhere in one of these camps, … Continue reading My Concerns with Covenant Theology
The Gospel – Power to Transform
Note: I recently dug up this paper which I wrote as a part of the Christian Ministries certificate I completed at Elnora Bible Institute. I'm posting it here in hopes it will help others understand how the gospel framework affects our entire Christian life. Thesis: The gospel as revealed in God's inerrant, infallible Word must … Continue reading The Gospel – Power to Transform
Building on the Rock
We have been thinking together in a few editorials about the question, “What are we standing on?” We’re discussing the building blocks of belief, the basic influences which shape what we believe. The technical term is “epistemology,” which is derived from a Greek word which means “to stand upon.” If our beliefs are a building, … Continue reading Building on the Rock
What Makes a Christian Marriage?
God’s Good Design God created marriage as the most intimate and enduring human relationship. When God made Adam and put him in the Garden of Eden, he had no companion. He had God above Him, and animals under him, but no one alongside him. In God’s kind providence, He gave him Eve as a helper—not … Continue reading What Makes a Christian Marriage?
Disintegration
Everyone wants to be happy. We all spend our time doing the things we believe will make us happy. The religious person believes he will be happier if he attends worship services and does what is right. The workaholic believes his life will be better if he has financial security. The socialite believes she will … Continue reading Disintegration
How to Know if You Are a Christian (2 Corinthians 13:5)
How can you know if your faith is genuine? In this sermon from 2 Corinthians 13:5 we examine how the Apostle Paul instructs his readers to test themselves to see if they are united to Christ. The goals for this sermon are (1) that those who have not found salvation in Christ would run to Him and (2) that those who have would find greater confidence in Him.