The call to repent is not a single appeal at the beginning of the Christian life — it is the fundamental note of the entire gospel, sounded by every prophet, by John, by Christ, by the apostles, and by the Risen Lord writing to seven churches….
Division in the church is the most frequently condemned sin in the New Testament — more often and more severely denounced than covetousness, idolatry, adultery, drunkenness, or hypocrisy. The reason is theological: the church is the body of Christ, and to divide the body of Christ…
Revelation and inspiration are distinct acts in a related chain: God reveals truth about himself; inspiration ensures that revelation is accurately recorded and transmitted in human language. Divine revelation comes in two forms — general (through nature) and special (through direct communication, visions, prophets, and ultimately…
God has a purpose in all that he does. The first advent was purposeful: the prophets expressed it, Christ stated it, and he accomplished it completely — “It is finished” (John 19:30). The second advent is equally purposeful: not to establish a kingdom (already established), not…
Because God is all-wise, all-powerful, and good, He gave a book that completely supplies man’s every spiritual need; Scripture is therefore sufficient, and the man of God equipped by it needs nothing added to it. A congregation rarely denies the Bible outright. It simply acts as…
Jesus established one church; it has never ceased; and because it was established at a definite time, place, and foundation, with definite terms and marks, it can still be identified today — and any body established otherwise cannot be it. Hundreds of different churches all claim…
Jesus’ attitude toward His enemies — holding no grudges, bearing injury without malice, returning kindness for hostility, and forgiving freely — is a window into His heart and the pattern His followers must not merely admire but imitate. Character is best measured not by how we…
Sanctification is the setting apart of the Christian from the world and unto God — accomplished by the Spirit, through the truth, by the will of God, in Christ. It is not achieved by the Christian’s moral effort alone; it is the Spirit’s work applied to…
Every person who encounters the crucifixion takes one of three postures: sympathy (deliberate, costly love — those who stood near by choice), apathy (presence without personal investment — those who were there by command, chance, or curiosity), or antipathy (open contempt — those who came to…
Excerpt:
A church may preach the gospel, teach young people, and support preaching in other places without building separate ministry structures, branded sub-organizations, or institutional networks beyond the local church. The issue is not whether evangelism and discipleship are important, but whether the New Testament authorizes the structures modern churches use to carry out that work.