Isaiah 1:18

Bible Brief

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (more…)

Bookstall on Holiness

Life, Review, Sola Panel

I’m compiling a reading list for the bookstall on our church conference (camp, house party or whatever you call it!) on the topic of holiness and santification. (more…)

Book review: “Outrageous Mercy: Rediscovering the radical nature of the cross”

Review

If you’re reading this, you probably need no convincing that regular reflection on the cross is a pretty good idea. But maybe you’re not sure that Outrageous Mercy: Rediscovering the radical nature of the cross deserves a place on your ‘Want to read’ list. I certainly wasn’t convinced; I’d never heard of William P Farley before this book came across my desk. What’s more, since I do like to judge a book by its cover, it didn’t immediately strike me as essential reading. With so many great books on the cross available, I confess that, on first glance, Outrageous Mercy looked a little too light and a little too American to really grab me. (more…)

The obedience of faith

Thought

What does faith in Christ mean? What do people ‘do’ when they believe in Christ? Do they ‘do’ anything? If they ‘do’ something, how do we avoid faith becoming a ‘work’ smuggled in through the Protestant back door? Presumably if we have ‘done’ something (when we believe in Christ), we may justifiably be a little proud of what we have done and think that our belief is some kind of achievement or virtue. So how do we accurately describe the nature of faith in such a way that we exclude human pride? (more…)