The Bible and Abortion
The late John Murray said, “Nothing shows the moral bankruptcy of a people or of a generation more than disregard for the sanctity of life.”[1] Abortion is an indicator of the moral bankruptcy of people in this generation and demonstrates the exceeding wickedness of sin. The Bible reveals that man is created in the image of God, and therefore to murder man is to assault the divine majesty.[2] The fact that man is created in the image of God is not true only of healthy adults, but is true of man in every phase of his life. Man is the image...
read moreThe Story of Revival
Sola Scriptura Ministries will host a conference on revival at the Free Grace Baptist Church in October. Here is a brief summary of the event (taken from the Sola Scriptura website) – “Two sessions will focus on what the Scriptures have to say about this amazing and spectacular out pouring of the Spirit of God. Mark Jones will focus on Acts 2, the first New Testament record of Revival and then followup with a session entitled Diligent Plodding. The periods of Revival, though dramatic and spectacular only encompass a small span of...
read moreThe Day of Atonement
In Leviticus 16, the Lord God commanded Old Covenant Israel to observe the Day of Atonement on the 10th day of the 7th month as a perpetual ordinance. The Day of Atonement was a type and shadow that pointed forward to New Covenant fulfillment in and through the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The stated purpose of the ritual of Leviticus 16 was “to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year” (v.34). The word ‘atonement’ means ‘to cover’ and is used in other contexts to refer to...
read moreThe Killing Continues
With the recent decision of a B.C. Supreme Court judge, the province inches closer to creating a macabre open season on human beings. In a strange twist of logic, Supreme Court Justice Lynn Smith ruled that the provisions of the Charter of Rights unjustifiably infringe on a disabled person’s life, liberty, and security.[1] If this logic were applied to liberty and security, the Justice would authorize freemen plunging themselves into slavery and secure men placing themselves in harm’s way. Why bother with a Charter of Rights at all? This...
read moreThe Authority of Scripture
The role of the Bible in Christianity cannot be overstated. The Scriptures declare that God is and that He has spoken. It is true that God has revealed Himself through the created order, but the special revelation of God recorded in the Old and New Testaments is foundational for all matters of faith and practice. In Deuteronomy chapter 5, Moses rehearsed the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel on the Plains of Moab. After completing the Decalogue, he said, “These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the...
read moreThe Worship of the Lamb, Revelation 5
Worship and adoration are the appropriate responses to the revelation of the Lamb who has prevailed to open the scroll of God’s judgment. In fact, falling down before the Lamb, presenting prayers before the Lamb, singing to the Lamb, and worshiping the Lamb are all consistent with the revelation of His glory. This activity is not confined to the twenty-four elders (representatives of the church), but extends to “many angels around the throne” along with the “living creatures” and encompassing a great number of worshipers, “and the...
read moreWhat is the Gospel?
The word “gospel” simply means “good news.” The gospel is the historic, revealed message concerning Jesus Christ. It is that record of events which focus upon Christ’s life, death, and resurrection for sinners. It is important to understand this as some Christians with good intentions maintain that believers should “live the gospel.” Technically, one cannot live the good news of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection for sinners – it is a message, it is a declaration, it is good news. One can live in light of it or one...
read moreThe Peace of Christ
In John’s gospel, the Lord Jesus spends time with His disciples in an upper room prior to His crucifixion and resurrection. He encourages His disciples and readies them for the battle that lay ahead. In Jn 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” This is a most blessed legacy to leave to His disciples. Matthew Henry commented, “When Christ left the world, He made His will. His soul He bequeathed to His Father and His body to Joseph. His clothes fell to the soldiers....
read moreC.H. Spurgeon: Paul…and His Books
In a sermon on 2 Tim 4:13 entitled “Paul – His Cloak and His Books,” C.H. Spurgeon commented, “We will LOOK AT HIS BOOKS. We do not know what the books were about, and we can only form some guess as to what the parchments were. Paul had a few books which were left, perhaps wrapped up in the cloak, and Timothy was to be careful to bring them. Even an apostle must read. Some of our very ultra Calvinistic brethren think that a minister who reads books and studies his sermon must be a very deplorable specimen of a preacher. A man who...
read moreThe Preface to the Lord’s Prayer
In Mt 6:1-18, the Lord Jesus addresses the issue of man’s approach to religious observances (almsgiving, prayer, fasting). He cautioned His disciples against praying like hypocrites and heathens. The Lord then gives His disciples a model to use for prayer. Calvin comments on the prayer: “[Christ] embraces, therefore, in six petitions what we are at liberty to ask from God. Nothing is more advantageous to us than such instruction. Though this is the most important exercise of piety, yet in forming our prayers, and regulating our wishes,...
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