EXPOSITION: Chapter 6:1-23 The Definition of Sanctification The problem of sin in relation to the Christian life is generally termed “sanctification” with the term found only twice in this epistle, here in ch.6 in v. 19, 22. The Greek word hagiasmos means consecration, purification; from hagiadzo – to make holy, purify, or consecrate, which is from hagios meaning sacred or … [Read more...]
Romans: God Revealed & Man Judged—Covenant Disobeyed, Part 3
EXPOSITION: Chapter 1:18-32 False Gospels. Our passage under consideration is the opening one of a far larger section (1:18-3:20). This larger context demonstrates that man, universally (Jew and Gentile), is under sin and that there is no question of his justification apart from faith. It picks up the theme of the epistle presented in v. 17 that the Gospel is the "... … [Read more...]
The Gospel & Cultural Transformation: Natural Law or God’s Law?
The current emphasis on the Gospel's power to renew cities and culture is a great positive. Nevertheless, it provokes an important question. Let us assume that city and cultural renewal gain traction – which, increasingly, they will – the next question is how do we determine the ethics and laws by which a renewed and just society should be governed. As a Christian you … [Read more...]
Hear the Howl: The Existential Cry of this Age
Howl verb \’hau(-e)l\ : to cry out loudly and without restraint under strong impulse (as pain, grief, or amusement). The 21st century person faces an existential crisis. For 150 years the Darwinist narrative that human life is a product of a mindless, unguided process – a fortuitous cosmic accident – with no ultimate meaning, value or purpose, has been disseminated in … [Read more...]
Meet the Creator
The Areopagus Address, Acts 17. Two thousand years ago a short, bald, and beetle-browed rabbi addressed the famed Athenian Areopagus on Mars Hill. With a tradition going back to pre-Classical times, the Areopagus presided as the governing council for the city-state of Athens and as a marketplace of new ideas, the Athenians given to the endless debate of every new … [Read more...]