Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Bending the Knee

chess pieces arranged to honor the king
Why is faith necessary to be saved? Even if faith isn't "blind faith", why should it be necessary for God to save people? Why can't God just save everyone?

There is an element in salvation that doesn't get a lot of air-time these days, so a lot of American Christians get the gospel wrong. This results in many raised in the church not understanding salvation. It also aids those outside the church in misunderstanding or misrepresenting the gospel and Christian teaching.

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

What is Faith?

The Beheading of John the Baptist by Massimo Stanzione
Is faith opposed to reason? Does faith mean you don't have evidence? Is faith "believing what you know ain't so"?

Many people have trouble with the idea of "believing in Jesus" because the very notion of faith seems irrational. How can you expect people to check their brains at the door? And why should you have to?

But what if that's not what faith is at all?

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

The New Challenges

teenage girl transfixed by phone
I recently had a conversation with someone who sees himself as a sort of evangelist for moral relativism. His mission is to "teach people" (his words) that the world would be a better place if we all realize no one's right, no one's wrong, no-thing is wrong, and all our values are merely beliefs that are no more than our opinion. Is he a liberal philosophy professor? Nope. Kooky hippy hanging out in the park? Hardly. He's a trainer at a local gym. He chats with people about these things while he trains them.

And he's an example of the minefield the world has become. It's not everywhere you go, but it can be anywhere. The world is now full of people who think Christianity is not the solution but the problem. And they're coming for the children.

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

The Foundation of Christian Political Thought

football players in a pile
As we enter the fall political season, people naturally ask what the Bible says about our many political issues. It's true that the scriptures do not tell us explicitly how to run a government, but the Lord did not leave us without guidance to answer the most important political questions of our age. Let's look at some passages that can help us navigate our political world.