What Is Moralism? Moralism is thinking that God loves good people most. Or we could say, it’s thinking that God’s love for you is primarily determined by how well you obey Him. This mindset is pervasive. Every religion other than Christianity assumes that God’s favor (or that of the gods) is given or withdrawn based … Continue reading Three Marks of Moralistic Preaching
Tag: Love
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.
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?
Non-Resistance and Substitutionary Atonement – Part Two
Substitutionary atonement leads us to understand biblical love as self-sacrificing, doing good to others and blessing them even when they don’t deserve it—and yes, even when they are our enemies. It is inherently illogical to accept substitutionary atonement while also taking up arms and using political and military force. Militance does not aid the gospel of Christ. Militance murders the gospel. Read More
Non-Resistance and Substitutionary Atonement – Part One
When we love our enemies and refuse to return evil for evil, we follow Christ’s example of love. Read More
Does Justification Matter? | Part Two
Every Christian has, at some point, questioned whether or not he is truly saved. We all deal with doubt. How do we navigate the swamps of doubt and fear back to the sure footing of God’s grace? Read More
Does Justification Matter? | Part One
Theology in its rightful place is imminently practical. What is more fundamental to our daily lives than what we know about the God who made and rules the world? If we get God wrong, it cannot be but that our entire lives are disoriented. Read More
Podcast: Does Justification Matter? [Foundations]
Why does justification by faith alone matter? Because if we discard or downplay it, we are of necessity also discarding and downplaying grace. If our works are necessary to complete our salvation, then God’s grace isn’t sufficient to save. If our gospel is to be God-glorifying, it must be God-centered. And if it is to be God-centered, it must be grace-based. That is, it must be about what God has done to save sinners, not about what sinners have done to make themselves worthy of God. Listen Now
Podcast: If You Love Me… [Foundations]
Jesus does not require anything of us poor wretched sinners except that we come to Him in faith. His love is offered freely to all who are willing to receive it. This grace compels us to obey. As Isaac Watts expressed, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.” This kind of love demands that we give everything—my soul, my life, my all. If we come to Christ with hearts brimming with love for Him, then we are ready and eager to hear these words in John 14:15, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Listen Now
God Loves to Save Sinners
Grace saves us from sin. It is God’s benevolence, His goodwill, which reaches down and pulls us out of the muck of our sin. But the gospel is more than salvation from sin. It is salvation to God. Read More