Search

Living Theologically

theology and the Christian life

Open Search
Category

Life

What is the Gospel?

Man in Church

The gospel is the heart of Christianity. Without the gospel, Christianity is Judaism.

In all the talk about the gospel, it can be really helpful to slow down enough to ask ourselves, “What IS the gospel?” It’s both simpler and broader than you may realize.

The Simple Gospel
The gospel is the proclamation of forgiveness and redemption through faith in Jesus Christ – his sinless life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
John 3:16-17, ESV

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9, ESV

Gospel means “good news.” It’s an announcement. Like an ambassador who brings a message on behalf of the people he represents, the Christian announces the gospel, “Salvation is possible because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Confess your sin. Admit that you can’t earn it. Believe that forgiveness and redemption only comes through the work of Jesus, not through your own work. It is a gift of faith if you trust in his work instead of your own. This is great news!”

Continue reading “What is the Gospel?” →

8

If God is Sovereign, Why Should We Pray?

I was sitting on the steps of my college chapel, talking with one of the ministry leaders I served under. As I wrestled with new understandings about God’s sovereignty, I hit the wall in my prayer life.

“If God is sovereign, why should we pray? If God is in control, and if he will do what he sovereignly wills, why bother asking for anything?”

It’s a fair question. I don’t remember details about what I was told that day, but if I could go back and talk to myself, here are a few things I’d say.

prayer Continue reading “If God is Sovereign, Why Should We Pray?” →

1

Pleading for Christian Unity

Working on a good team doesn’t happen by accident. It’s natural for us to fight for our own way and do our own thing, but a good team is refreshing and effective. When it comes to teamwork, we can choose unity or division. We can choose to either do our own thing, or to lay ourselves aside in order to strengthen and benefit the team’s mission.

The church in Philippi was divided. Two of the leading women in the church, Euodia (yoo-oh-dee-ah) and Syntyche (sin-tih-key), were fighting and the Apostle Paul wasn’t happy about it. He publicly affirms both of them, but then essentially tells people to lock them in a room until they learn to get along again (Phil. 4:3). Paul’s message is essentially this: “The ministry of the gospel is more important than your disagreement. Figure this out and make it work.” Since they are both united to Christ, they are exhorted to be “of the same mind in the Lord” (Phil. 4:2).

Isn’t that a message we need today, after such a contentious election? To acknowledge that we have differences and disagreement, but we need to learn how to be of the same mind because we are both united in Christ. The gospel is what bonds us together and makes us family, why should we allow our differences to overpower Christian unity?

football-line-of-scrimmage Continue reading “Pleading for Christian Unity” →

0

How to Disagree (or Can Christians be Tolerant?)

argument-238529_1920There’s risk in being with people who aren’t like you. Similarity breeds safety; differences can be dangerous. But God created a diverse world. And he calls the Church to “go, make disciples of all nations.” If we clump with those who are like us, there’s no need for the Great Commission.

But how do we talk with people who aren’t like us? How do we disagree in a way that is respectful and healthy?

So how do we practice both persuasion and tolerance at the same time? Here are three “Rules of Engagement.”

1. Listen, Listen, Listen
We all come to the table with pre-drawn conclusions about people. Even if you just met someone, you’ve sized them up with your eyes and in your mind before you’ve spoken anything to each other. Their race, their clothes, their body language, the context in which you met, etc. These are all factors that can lead us to make false assumptions.

We need to do what we can to lay those aside and really listen. Especially when talking about issues of faith/theology, we need to be slow to categorize people. Continue reading “How to Disagree (or Can Christians be Tolerant?)” →

2

How to Read Your Bible

The Christian who doesn’t read will always struggle to hear God speak. Because God has chosen to give us his Word in written form through the Holy Bible. And as Mark Twain is supposedly said, “He who does not read has no advantage over he who cannot read.”

While it’s helpful to remember that God speaks through his Word, I have a feeling that many Christians open their Bible, read the passage, and then think, “Ok… now what?” So then they re-read a few verses, pray, and then close their Bible after wondering if they just failed at reading their Bible.

Fellow pastors, we need to stop telling people what to do without equipping them how to do it!

As a youth pastor, for many years I was far more guilty of this very thing than I’d like to admit. Over the last few years I’ve started prioritizing teaching students how to read the Bible, not just convincing them that they should read it. So whether you’re a teenager or retired, I trust the following could help you grow in your ability to read and understand the Bible in your personal life. bible-study Continue reading “How to Read Your Bible” →

2

Who Loves Self-Righteousness (hint: we all do)

Self Righteousness… does anyone like it? You know the type… those who walk around like they’re holier than thou, judging everyone else for not being as godly as they are.

And yet, if we’re honest with ourselves, we all love self-righteousness. We believe that we are better than others. If I think ABC is right, and you think ABC is wrong, then I’m probably not changing my mind anytime soon. Why is that? Because our default setting is self-righteousness. We are the kings and queens of our kingdoms, and what we desire is almost always viewed as good and right and beautiful. Those who oppose us are grabbing for power, judgmental, or they’re just plain wrong.

But here’s the thing… you can’t be a Christian and be self-righteous. Christianity looks to the righteousness of another. The gospel calls us to confess our unrighteousness and to trust fully in the righteousness of Christ. The Christian is fully dependent on Christ’s righteousness.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Continue reading “Who Loves Self-Righteousness (hint: we all do)” →

1

What is God’s “Steadfast Love?”

What if God was fickle? Imagine if God’s love had limits, and came to an end. Would there be good news to proclaim; or would we be given the law, and only those who kept it perfectly (no one!) would be free from judgment.

We would be under judgment, not grace.

חֶסֶד (hesed) is translated as “steadfast love” in most English translations of the Old Testament and is one of the most beautiful words in the entire Bible. It is his steadfast love which motivated the Son to become a man: the atoning sacrifice for the sin of his rebellious image-bearers, so they could be reconciled and free from guilt and shame. But how often do we read about his steadfast love without pausing to truly reflect on what it means?

A photo by Justin Luebke. unsplash.com/photos/9njCyLeVrwY Continue reading “What is God’s “Steadfast Love?”” →

15

Is “Forgive and Forget” Biblical?

We’ve all been hurt. We’ve all been forgiven. We’ve all needed to be forgiven. But some hurts are simply too difficult to truly forget.

“Forgive and forget” sounds good advice until you’re the one hearing it. Then, when it’s personal and when the hurt is deep, it seems like you’re expected to do something impossible. And for the Christian, it begs the question: Is “forgive and forget” biblical?

cloud-over-mountains
Continue reading “Is “Forgive and Forget” Biblical?” →

2

Living an Undivided Life

A photo by Dietmar Becker. unsplash.com/photos/8Zt0xOOK4nI

It’s easy for people to pick on teenagers for having such a clear distinction between who they are with their different friendship groups. We all know someone who is totally different person depending on who else is around.

While it might be most obvious with teenagers, aren’t we all like that to some degree? Think about it…

  • If your church friends saw you at work/school, what would they think?
  • If your work/school friends heard you at church, would they be surprised?

God calls us to whole-hearted and undivided people who love and honor him. If that’s what we want, then it’s good to take a moment from time to time and recalibrate.

We can easily allow our “Christian life” to be expressed here and our “normal life” to be lived over there. Instead, what would it look like for us to live one faithful life?  Continue reading “Living an Undivided Life” →

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑