I found thearticles by Martin Foord and Simon Manchester in December’s Briefing very helpful. It’s always good to be reminded of the seriousness of sin both in our own relationship with God and in speaking to others. However, shortly afterwards, I read two other articles by Jim Packer and Ray Comfort that made me wonder if there was something missing from what Martin and Simon had said. (more…)
Category Archives: Sin
The comfort of fear
Life, Sola Panel
I find myself drawn back to 1 Corinthians 4 like a moth to flame. I’m like a small child watching the scary parts of the movie from behind his mother’s skirts, afraid to look, but unable to look away. (more…)
Fallen short
Thought
Psalm 19 is famous and rightly so:
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
The very practical doctrine of total depravity
Thought
Preaching to the sinners
Nothing makes a preacher more unpopular than him telling his flock that they are all sinners. Yet nothing, as Simon Manchester discovers, is more essential for them.
When I was invited to write on this subject, my first reaction was to flatter myself that such a theme, though difficult, was merely secondary. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this subject is so central, so urgent and so (ultimately) wonderful, it must occupy our mind in all we do. Knowing how easy it is to begin an article, only to pull out part-way, I want to urge you to persevere so you reach the application (‘Practical issues’) so you will grasp the urgency of the task. Is it too much to say that we will never appreciate our saviour unless we appreciate our sin? Shallow views of sin lead to shallow views of Jesus:
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A painful diagnosis: Overcoming Sin and Temptation by John Owen
Review, Sola Panel
Overcoming Sin and Temptation: Three classic works by John Owen (more…)
Humility: True greatness
Humility: True greatness
CJ Mahaney
Multnomah, Colorado Springs, 2005, 176pp.
Humility and pride are funny things. It’s amazing how often I catch myself taking pride in my humility. Actually, I catch myself taking pride in my public displays of humility. When someone pays me a compliment, I know just how to affect the right degree of nonchalance—the right shrug of the shoulders—the right words to deflect the glory away from me—while, on the inside, I am proud that my efforts have been recognized—proud (and perversely so) that they think I’m humble. At the same time, I convince myself that pride is not that serious—certainly not as bad as other more obvious sins. In my sophistry, I convince myself that surely pride is a good thing (when it is deserved); it’s arrogance that is the sin. Yet, when I read the Bible, I know I am kidding myself: as Proverbs 16:5 makes clear,
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God, sin and Christ: why we need all three
What ever happened to preaching the holiness of God and the seriousness of sin? Martin Foord asks whether our evangelism has been rendered worthless by a loss of nerve.
One day my mother discovered a pimple-like bump on her arm. So she went to her GP for a diagnosis and was told, “It’s nothing to worry about”. However, she decided to get a second opinion from a skin specialist, and this time the diagnosis was radically different: it was melanoma, and she was under the surgeon’s knife within several days. Stories like this remind us uneasily of how perilous it is to be ignorant of bad news. If we have a melanoma, it’s critical we know, otherwise we can’t take the appropriate action. (more…)
A scary, prayer-rie verse
Up front
For the last few months, I’ve been catching up weekly with my friend Alex. We meet to pray and read the Bible together, and, like a plague of two Egyptian locusts, to raid the contents of my fridge or the local takeaway (depending where we meet) for something resembling lunch. (more…)
The stinger of death
Con Campbell contemplates a pointed little part of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.
“The sting of death is sin”: that’s what 1 Corinthians 15:56 tells us. Appearing at the end of a wonderful discussion about the resurrection of Christ and the hope of resurrection for those who trust in him, this little phrase can cause Christians much confusion. In what sense is the sting of death sin? (more…)
Conflict resolution
Up front, Sola Panel
Sometimes it’s better to just overlook it when someone sins against you.
Matthew 18:15-20 is such a helpful passage when you feel someone has sinned against you. It encourages you to talk to them in private to point out the sin or offence. (Maturity now makes me realize that when you do this, there’s also the possibility of hearing another side to the story, which may make you reconsider.) Then, if there’s no repentance, you involve a couple of elder-type Christians. Only in the face of continued defiance would it finally become a public matter for discipline in the church. Notice there’s no room for gossip or whingeing to others! Churches would enjoy improved relationships if we could follow these principles. (more…)
Can we?
Couldn't Help Noticing, Sola Panel
In the fascinating rise and rise of Barack Obama, we see a resurgence of what the Americans call ‘liberalism’ and what we Australians don’t really have a decent name for, apart from the vague designation ‘leftist’. It’s a moral and political philosophy that takes an optimistic view of mankind and the human heart, and believes that if we all start afresh, work together, and change the way we do things, then together we can build a better America, a better Australia, a better world. Yes, we can. (more…)