Ever have a complicated relationship with someone? A relationship where you love the person so much but they also drive you crazy? A relationship where you want what's best for them, but they look at your advice suspiciously? If so, you're in luck, because the apostle Paul also had some complicated relationships, especially with the…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.2.1 | Two Wrong Responses to Total Depravity
The dominion of sin not only extends to all humanity but also dominates every individual soul. Because of the utter pervasiveness of sin, do people have any freedom of the will? If there is any freedom for people, how far does its power extend? To find the answer, we need to consider the dangers that…
10 Things I’ve Learned about Parenting in 10 Years
Inspired by this post, I wanted to reflect on things I've learned over the years about parenting so far. Your marriage is most important. What inspired me to write this was ultimately Bryan Caplan's statement that "you can't be a good parent and a bad spouse." Yes and amen. Marriage is God's design for human…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.1.11 | Was Humanity Flawed from the Beginning?
Humanity is corrupted by a natural viciousness. However, this corruption did not come from within our human nature. When I say that it didn't come from nature, I mean that it was an event from outside of humanity that caused man to fall rather than an inner flaw given to humanity from the beginning. I…
2024 in Books
Losing Our Religion by Russell Moore (January - 4 out of 5 stars) The Lord's Work in the Lord's Way; No Little People, No Little Places by Franic Schaeffer (January - 5 out of 5 stars) Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (January - 5 out 5 stars) The Lord's Prayer by Kevin DeYoung (January…
The Kids Are (Sort of) Alright (Part 1)
"I just want my kids to be happy." How did that statement become the dominant parenting philosophy today? Author Andrew Root briefly tours history to answer that question. He explores the answer to that question in his provocatively titled book, The End of Youth Ministry?. The Shift to Happiness In the book, Root traces how…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.1.10 | God is Not the Author of Sin
We cannot attribute to God the vices of humanity. Some people believe that God made people sinful. Instead, they should look for God's handiwork in Adam's nature when it was still whole and uncorrupted. The blame of our ruin rests solely upon us, not with God. The only cause of our sinful conditions comes from…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.1.9 | Depravity Affects All Parts of the Soul
Ever since Adam revolted against God, all parts of the soul were possessed by sin. Not only did the appetites of the body entice Adam, but also a damnable impiety siezed his mind. Pride penetrated his innermost heart (Romans 7:12). Therefore, it is foolish to confine the corruption of sin merely to bodily desires. It…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.1.8 | Definition of Original Sin
Let's define original sin. I don't have any intention, however, of discussing all the definitions that different writers have adopted. I'm only going to talk about the one which I think is closest to the truth. Original sin, then, is the hereditary corruption and depravity of our nature. It extends to all parts of the…
Violence in the Book of Joshua
Reading Joshua can be a shock to the system. The book details the conquest of Canaan by Israel which often involved war and violence. Modern readers, especially Christians, can feel uncomfortable with the narrations of violence in the book because they seem so contrary to not only what contemporary people believe about human rights, but…
Raising Lazarus 