A common human experience is to wonder what others are thinking. You are sitting there watching someone and you get this strong curiosity about what is going through their mind. We cannot read minds, which is probably a good thing, but we . . . Continue reading →
One of the unfortunate aspects of the intra-Dispensational argument—that is, the Lordship Salvation controversy—is that both sides appealed to the Reformation, but neither side represented the Reformation theology, piety, and practice. Dispensationalism is a nineteenth-century phenomenon. Its roots are in the holiness . . . Continue reading →
The overarching theme of this series has been that the Lordship Salvation doctrine confuses the law and the gospel.95 Nowhere is that confusion more evident than in his handling of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16–22: And behold, a man came . . . Continue reading →
The psalter teaches us that our songs before the Lord are prayers. I do not mean that a particular passage in the psalms states that our sung praises are prayers. I mean that the psalms are clearly prayers to the Lord but . . . Continue reading →
“Here today, gone tomorrow.” “Like the flip of a switch.” “In the blink of an eye.” “At the drop of a hat.” We have a stack of phrases to express how quickly our situations can change, even unexpectedly so. We can all . . . Continue reading →
The Psalter is a multivalent book, giving us examples for how the godly respond to the whole spectrum of experiences that we face in the Christian life. This collection of songs contains praises, laments, thanksgivings, and so many other examples of how . . . Continue reading →
Now, to the one who has the power to protect you from stumbling and to set you blameless in the presence of his glory with gladness, 25 to the only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, . . . Continue reading →
If you think back over your life, there are a few key life-shaping events—choices or happenings that set the trajectory of your life. They are forks in the road, where you decided to choose the right path over the left. But, every . . . Continue reading →
Despite all this, you beloved, by building yourselves upon your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love by waiting for the mercy of our Lord Christ Jesus that results in everlasting life.22 Further, one . . . Continue reading →
Because it seems that advocates of the Dispensational Lordship doctrine suspect anyone who critiques them of latent antinomianism, let me say here that I agree entirely with MacArthur when he writes, “and any ‘salvation’ that does not alter a lifestyle of sin . . . Continue reading →
As we saw in the first stanza of Psalm 63, while kneeling upon rocks and fenced in by thistles, David locked the eyes of his heart upon the Lord’s steadfast love within the sanctuary. His hope grasped on his future reunion with . . . Continue reading →
Despite all this, beloved, you must remember the words foretold by our Lord Jesus Christ’s apostles, 18 since they said to you, “In the last time, there will be mockers, pursuers of ungodliness according to their own desires. 19 These are the . . . Continue reading →
In a controversy, the temptation is to become competitive and to try to defeat one’s opponent, rather than to seek the truth. Controversy is an opportunity for the mortification (putting to death) of sin and vivification (the making alive of the new . . . Continue reading →
A hot and dry land—this is something some of us are familiar with, especially if you live in Southern California with its multi-year drought. Thankfully, we still have enough water for our persons, but our lawns and gardens feel the lack. As . . . Continue reading →
Further, Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about these false teachers, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones 15 with the result of executing judgment against everyone and with the result of convicting every soul concerning . . . Continue reading →
In chapter three, MacArthur turns to Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus in John 3. Since I have been primarily critical of his methods and conclusions, let me begin with some areas of agreement. When he writes, “the central theme of the Old Testament . . . Continue reading →
Woe to them because they walked in Cain’s way and committed themselves to Balaam’s error for the sake of pay and perished in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These false teachers are hidden reefs at your love feasts by feasting with you without reverence, . . . Continue reading →
The Psalms were written by many poets and at many different dates. Some, I believe, are allowed to go back to the reign of David; I think certain scholars allow that Psalm 18 (of which a slightly different version occurs in 1 . . . Continue reading →
There are real, substantive differences between the way MacArthur writes in The Gospel According to Jesus and the way those of us in the confessional Reformation traditions speak about good works and salvation. This does not mean that MacArthur does not say . . . Continue reading →
Since we have given this wonderful Psalm an exegetical, expositional, and pastoral survey in our previous three installments, we return one last time for a fourth wherein we consider some further implications of this psalm. With great indebtedness to the pastoral insight . . . Continue reading →
