Death is an intruder. And everything that leads to death—sickness, pain, old-age, heart-attacks, high-blood pressure, brain aneurisms, and cancer—are also all intruders. We live in world that is not the way it’s supposed to be. But even before any of these intruders entered our existence there was a more primal intruder: sin. It was sin … Continue reading Death the Intruder, Christ the Victor
Scripture, Tradition, and the Question of Authority
We affirm that the Scriptures are the supreme written norm by which God binds the conscience, and that the authority of the Church is subordinate to that of Scripture. We deny that church creeds, councils, or declarations have authority greater than or equal to the authority of the Bible. The second article of the Chicago … Continue reading Scripture, Tradition, and the Question of Authority
Why Should Christians Seek Assurance of their Salvation?
I remember a conversation during college in which a friend confessed to me that he did not think it was necessary, or even possible, for a believer to gain assurance of their salvation. I was surprised by his comments, especially because we were attending a Christian college that emphasized all the biblical truths related to assurance of … Continue reading Why Should Christians Seek Assurance of their Salvation?
With Christ in the Cambodian Killing Fields
In the spring of 1975, the Communist Party of Kampuchea---more popularly known as the Khmer Rouge---took official control of Cambodia. Pol Pot, a Marxist driven by visions of a pure socialist state and his desire to rebuild his country, led a revolutionary army into unlikely power and immediately began to implement his plans for a better Cambodia. For … Continue reading With Christ in the Cambodian Killing Fields
Let Us Have Peace with God? Reflections on Romans 5:1 and Dealing with Bible Difficulties
Encountering difficulties in the Bible can be troubling for the young believer and the seasoned saint alike. Yet, when we are confronted with hard passages or apparent discrepancies in the biblical text, we don't want to ignore the difficulty or pretend it doesn't exist. Out of an unwillingness to do a little hard work, lack of acquaintance with the … Continue reading Let Us Have Peace with God? Reflections on Romans 5:1 and Dealing with Bible Difficulties