Tag: Holiness
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Formula for Wisdom: Discerning Right From Wrong
Jerry Bridges, in his contemporary classic book, The Pursuit of Holiness, writes about a time when a friend shared some words of wisdom, a “formula” that helps discern right from wrong: “Years ago a friend gave me what he called his ‘Formula: How to Know Right from Wrong.’ The formula asks four questions based on…
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Two Sides of Holiness
Jerry Bridges offered a powerful insight and challenge to Christians about the nature and focus of the Christian life: “Scripture speaks of both a holiness which we have in Christ before God, and a holiness which we are to strive after. God has made provision for us to live holy, but He has also given us…
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Schaeffer’s Theorem
Francis Schaeffer was a prophetic voice to Christianity for the latter half of the 20th Century. His treatises such as Mark of the Christian and Two Contents, Two Realities were excellent primers for Gospel-Centered & Missional Christianity long before either Gospel-Centered or Missional were coined terms. The premise behind his philosophy has been has been…
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Some Aspects of Sin
Something I have long found intriguing: In the opening chapter of his book, Holiness, J.C. Ryle dedicates his entire attention to the subject of Sin. At first I wondered why that was. Eventually I realized that we cannot grow in holiness unless we understand our very real condition and the effects it has on us. Just what is sin, though? The…
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Beauty & Purpose of the Cross
Sadly not everyone recognizes the requisite necessity for God to be Just. Many picture him exclusively as absolute and unconditional love, thinking he will dismiss the the legal demands that result from mankind’s sin on that basis alone. This approach is offensive to God because it demeans two of the other essential facets of his…
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Faithfulness vs. Floating Along
Here is a helpful insight from D.A. Carson, in his book For the Love of God, that reminds us that while, as Christians, we are Justified and freely forgiven by God through Faith alone in Christ alone, we grow in Spiritual maturity by God’s grace AND our diligent faithfulness: People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort,…
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Easy Chairs & Hard Words – Part 4
by Douglas Wilson We join a conservation in progress; it is between a young theological questioner who grew up in a typical Evangelical church, and an older pastor from a historical theological tradition. ***** Pastor Spenser shifted easily in his seat while I carefully thought over my next question. “Some of my friends at my…
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Walk in the Light – Studies in 1 John
If it is true, as they say, that one is known by the company he/she keeps, then the first epistle from the Apostle John is really good news for Christians. In the prologue of this letter John talks about Christian Fellowship. He tells us that, if we are in Christ, not only do we have…
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Holiness: The Second Mark of the Church
by James M. Boice Holiness is the characteristic of God most mentioned in the pages of the Word of God and is therefore, quite rightly, that which should characterize God’s church. We are to be a “holy” people (1 Pet. 2:9). We are to “follow” after holiness. Indeed, without it “no man shall see the…
