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Review of The Role of Works at the Final Judgment edited by Alan P. Stanley.
Read more: Review of The Role of Works at the Final Judgment edited by Alan P. Stanley.Wilkin, Robert N., Thomas R. Schreiner, James D. G. Dunn, Michael P. Barber, and Alan P. Stanley.Four Views On the Role of Works at the Final Judgment. Edited by Alan P. Stanley. Counterpoints. Bible and Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013. 234 pages. Softcover. Retail: $17.99. ISBN: 9780310490333 “The Role of Works at the Final Judgement,”…
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Mind-Blowing Monks at a Benedictine Monastery
Read more: Mind-Blowing Monks at a Benedictine MonasteryGrowing up in a Filipino-American conservative Protestant church, and having parents who converted from Roman Catholicism (the prevalent religion in the Philippines) to “born-again” Christianity, I was well aware of the ways we disagreed with Roman Catholics – how our faith was about grace, and how their faith was about works. It was an “us”…
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Confessions of a Codependent
Read more: Confessions of a CodependentInstead of writing something myself this week, I wanted to share-with her permission–a post from my dear friend Adria Murphy. When I read this, it spoke words of truth and comfort to that fearful part of my heart that is always unable to understand or accept that God loves me unconditionally, forever. Hopefully, this will…
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The Giving Word: a Reflection
Read more: The Giving Word: a Reflection“For this we labor and strive…” God is a giver. So much of Christian belief and action rests on this elementary observation that it is almost shameful to put into words. God’s gifts of grace and mercy are daily refreshed (Lam 3:22-23), and the gifted grace of Christ Jesus is held as the defining “giving”…
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Straight Idolatry
Read more: Straight IdolatryI admit it. I’ve tried to “pray the gay away.” I’ve spent nights on my knees, asking God to take away my homosexual desires. Any Christian who struggles with same-sex attraction has probably done the same, and rightly so. Casting our cares on God should be the first thing we do (1 Peter 5:7). So…
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The Gospel and Les Mis, Part 2 (Guest Post)
Read more: The Gospel and Les Mis, Part 2 (Guest Post)Most of the readers of this blog will be familiar with the Law/Gospel distinction that is present in the New Testament. While this distinction grew out of a particular set of controversies involving a particular law code and its relevance to a particular cultural situation (something that we Protestants often forget to our own exegetical detriment),…
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The Gospel and Les Mis, Part 1 (Guest Post)
Read more: The Gospel and Les Mis, Part 1 (Guest Post)It should go without saying that art is a powerful thing. When it is done well it can easily change the way we see the world, subverting our perspective in a way where other forms of communication would struggle or fail. We are surrounded by well executed art, yet it is an exhilarating rarity to…
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Scared Straight… Now What?
Read more: Scared Straight… Now What?Last week I watched a few episodes of “Beyond Scared Straight,” the reality show that follows a group of rebellious teens to prison, where they get a taste of life behind bars. Aside from being thoroughly entertained, I learned a lot about false hopes and society’s view of redemption. The show introduces us to fresh-faced…
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Amazing Grace: The Prisoner’s Anthem
Read more: Amazing Grace: The Prisoner’s AnthemWhen I received news of Chuck Colson’s passing, I was instantly overcome by the grace of God and his relentless desire to save the most wretched people on earth. Chuck Colson was a man transformed by the power of Christ. He entered those prison walls a convicted felon, but he found freedom like nothing on…
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Adoration of Adoption
Read more: Adoration of AdoptionNovember, for those unaware, is National Adoption Month. For many American’s, adoption has transformed lives in many powerful ways. And for those of us who know the Lord, adoption is certainly one of the most powerful realities true about us today. In fact, J.I. Packer goes so far as to say that his summary answer…