“If God knew that Adam would fail the test and eat from the Tree, then wasn’t it unfair of him to set the test in the first place?” This is one of the questions we often get asked. The simple and short answer is “ He didn’t set a test” at least not in the… Continue reading Why did God test Adam with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?
Posts
The narrow gate
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy[a] that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few[1] We have been thinking about what it means to be part… Continue reading The narrow gate
The obedient son
Does The Son of God submit to and obey his Father? Over the past few weeks, I’ve been writing some articles about the relationship between The Father and the Son and responding to a particular controversy. The controversy is over whether or not The Son submits to The Father in eternity. Some Christians believe that… Continue reading The obedient son
The Last Night of the Proms and missing the point
The controversy about the Last Night of the Proms rumbles on. Apparently, Jerusalem, the National Anthem and a version of You’ll Never Walk Alone will be sung by choirs. Meanwhile, Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory will feature as orchestral pieces without singing. That doesn’t sound too bad does it? The music is… Continue reading The Last Night of the Proms and missing the point
The Golden Rule
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” I must admit, I am not that great a fan of the way that Matthew 7:12 has become known as “The Golden Rule.” It sounds like one of those mechanistic laws for life. Almost as… Continue reading The Golden Rule
How to spot legalism
The other night, we were looking at Paul’s passionate plea and rebuke to the Galatian church, the one where he talks about wishing that the Judaizers would go all the way and just castrate themselves. The question came up about how we spot legalism at work. In the conversation, we talked about how legalism might… Continue reading How to spot legalism
The Good of the City (Proverbs 11)
Why does it matter how our politicians, celebrities and business leaders behave? Why the tabloid obsession with their misdemeanours? Partly it’s just gossip. But a big part of it links to a sense of justice – that good people should do well and when they do, we all do well. It’s why we get behind… Continue reading The Good of the City (Proverbs 11)
Can I be a faithful follower of Jesus without attending church? (5 Reasons why the answer is “No”)
It is actually the wrong question to start with. Church is not a venue or an event that you attend. Church is the people of God. You don’t attend a church, you are part of the church. If you belong to Jesus then you belong to his family meaning that you are a member of… Continue reading Can I be a faithful follower of Jesus without attending church? (5 Reasons why the answer is “No”)
Righteousness (Proverbs 10)
The Proverbs offer meditation on God’s law. Wisdom is therefore about how we live in God’s world under his rule and reign in relationship with him. Wisdom is practical righteousness. So, here in Proverbs 10, we see a set of contrasts that compare wisdom and foolishness, righteousness and unrighteousness. Here are some of the examples… Continue reading Righteousness (Proverbs 10)
Was Billy Graham right? Is it just my job to love?
This is one of those quotes that sounds brilliant at first but after a little bit of reflection leaves one feeling uneasy. I guess that when Billy Graham said it, he had Matthew 7:1-6 in mind. In that sense the quote should warn us against the harsh judgementalism that we too often see -especially on… Continue reading Was Billy Graham right? Is it just my job to love?
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