The primary claim of those arguing that concupiscence is sin with the implication that it is sinful to even be tempted is that theirs is the historical position of the church. This will often include a reference to Augustine, although his view doesn’t seem to have been as clear cut. However, the claim is also… Continue reading Calvin on sin, desire and temptation
Posts
Draw Closer
What would you do if you won the lottery? Maybe you’re wanting to say to me “but Dave that’s gambling I’d never play it.” I did know of some Christians who used to write down their numbers every week and they would sit in front of the TV to see if they guessed it right,… Continue reading Draw Closer
Is creation care a Gospel issue?
This was a question posed in Evangelicals Now, back in December by John Samuel and Richard Buggs. The question was prompted by a statement in the 2011 Cape Town Commitment from the Lausanne Movement which also found its way into the 2024 Lausanne Congress. It reads: If Jesus is Lord of all the earth, we… Continue reading Is creation care a Gospel issue?
Make it memorable … make it stick
Here’s the latest and final video in my series on Bible communication/preaching and teaching
What is an Evangelical?
It’s over twenty years now since the controversy over Steve Chalke’s book, The Lost Message of Jesus. Central to the controversy was his rejection of Penal Substitution and central to the response was that you can’t deny Penal Substitution and continue to be recognised as an Evangelical. It is worth noting that at the time,… Continue reading What is an Evangelical?
Desire: What is the concupiscence debate all about?
I’ve been starting to dip my toe into a little theological debate about something called “concupiscence”. I’ve so far focused on highlighting what Scripture has to say about desire and temptation. It’s probably worth saying a little bit more about what the debate seems to be all about. In the new volume, Ruined Sinners to… Continue reading Desire: What is the concupiscence debate all about?
Jesus, desire and temptation
We cannot talk about desire and temptation without looking at Jesus’ experience of temptation. We can see this exemplified in the temptation he experienced in the wilderness from Satan and secondly in the Garden of Gethsemane. Remember that Jesus’ experience of temptation is different to ours, he was without sin and so his nature was… Continue reading Jesus, desire and temptation
Have we given up on children and Church?
Matthew Roberts writes in The Critic Magazine “If there is one thing which has typified the collapse of confidence of Christian churches in Britain in the last century, it has been the strange assumption that Christian worship is not for children.” There are a few presumptions in that statement which I’m going to look at… Continue reading Have we given up on children and Church?
Is depression an emotional state that makes people interpret the events in their lives in a negative way?
A quote in the Daily Telegraph says ““Depression is an emotional state that makes people interpret the events in their lives in a negative way,” explains Mabel Martinelli, the director of the Cambridge Centre for Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy. “It’s only by helping someone to find some space from that feeling that they are able… Continue reading Is depression an emotional state that makes people interpret the events in their lives in a negative way?
Preaching through a Gospel – going large
I thought it might be worth saying something about approaching a preaching and teaching series through a Gospel. There are a few ways in which you can do this. You can choose to approach the whole book like you might do other books of the Bible and work through passage by passage, alternatively you can… Continue reading Preaching through a Gospel – going large
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