If everyone was persuaded of the truth of Scripture that human nature possesses none of the gifts that the elect receive from their heavenly Father through the regeneration by the Spirit, then there would be no need to argue about these things. In Psalm 36:9, the congregation of faith believers by the mouth of the…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.2.19 | We See by the Spirit
As human beings, we are intoxicated with a high opinion of our own discernment. We think we can understand divine things, even though we are completely ignorant of them. Therefore, the best way to demonstrate our spiritual blindness won't be made through logical arguments but by Scripture. One of the clearest passages that speak to…
Is Prioritizing Doctrine Biblical?
A few years ago, theologian Albert Mohler popularized the idea of "theological triage." Just as hospitals prioritize patients in an Emergency Room, Mohler argues that Christians need to prioritize which doctrines are the most important, and which ones, while still important, are not the core truths of the Christian faith. While Mohler captures well the…
2025 in Books
Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkman (January - 5 out 5 stars) Life in the Negative World by Aaron (January - 2.5 out of 5 stars) Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston (January - 5 out of 5 stars) Fighting Shadows by Jefferson Bethke and Jon Tyson (January - 3 out of 5…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.2.18 | Blinder Than Moles: Reason Without Grace
I now want the show the relationship between human reason and the kingdom of God. When we speak of the kingdom and spiritual realities, there are three main things we're talking about. The first one is the knowledge of God. The second one is God's fatherly kindness towards us which leads us to salvation. And…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.2.17 | All Talents are Gifts of God’s Grace
Let me summarize my point so far. When you survey the human race, one distinguishing mark of humans is the ability to reason. This reasoning ability distinguishes us from animals, just like animals are distinguished from inanimate objects. While some individuals are born with reason, their defect does not impair the general kindness of God.…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.2.16 | The Spirit at Work in All Humanity
We should never forgot that the Holy Spirit dispenses many blessings on whomever he wants in order to benefit all humanity. The Spirit gave skill and knowledge to Bezaleel and Aholiab to construct the Tabernacle (Exodus 31:2; 35:30). Therefore, it shouldn't be strange to us that the most important truths in human life are given…
Better than Boring: How to Deliver Engaging Christ-Centered Sermons. Pt. 4: Preach the Text
Engaging preaching avoids merely using the Scripture text as a trampoline to jump to the topic the preacher really wants to talk about. Instead, faithful and engaging preachers preach the text. Preaching the text requires studying the text. Studying the text requires attention to placing the text in context and understanding its genre. Once these…
What I’ve Learned on Sabbatical
I've read a few different articles and listened to a few podcast episodes about pastoral sabbaticals. I've also had conversations with various pastors about their sabbatical experiences. And the one thing I've come to realize is that no one knows how to sabbatical. There are no pre-determined rules or ways that a typical sabbatical unfolds.…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.2.15 | All Truth is God’s Truth
When we read non-Christian authors, we should be reminded that the amazing power of the human mind when they make incredible insights into the world. The human mind still has many admirable gifts from the Creator even though it is fallen and corrupted by sin. If we recognize that the Spirit of God is the…
Raising Lazarus 