Ears to Hear, Covenant Preaching and Unity in Scripture

In popular thinking, all of these unfortunate distinctions that easily arise from the very way our Bibles are arranged usually become — if we don't think carefully — spiritually fatal separations. Grace is separated from law, faith from works, the work of the Father from that of the Spirit, external form from internal intention. Among the earliest thinkers in church history who fell into this error was Marcion (2nd century). He taught that the OT came from the God of the Jews, who was also Creator and Lawgiver.

Ears to Hear: Covenant Preaching

We hunger for sermons that throb with our Father's heartbeat. His pulsating heartbeat we have felt and heard in His very flesh-born Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Since Pentecost, their energizing Spirit now pumps divine life through the church (and thereby through individual believers); their Spirit regulates the rhythm of our own hearts, purges our impurities, strengthens weak members for the work of faith-obedience.

Ears to Hear: Thoughts on the Congregation's Role in Preaching (1)

The sermon belongs to the church's worship. If we are unaware of what we should be hearing from the pulpit, if we are vague about what sermons are supposed to "do," then God will be robbed of sincere and glo­rifying worship. We dare not do anything in our worship out of ignorance. Ignorance in the pew about the preaching of the pulpit is nothing less than superstitious worship, an abomination to the Lord.

Ethical Dimensions of the Lord's Prayer: Hallowed Be Thy Name

Rightly know­ing God (in order to glorify Him as God) is the first component of hallow­ing His Name. There is a second compo­nent, according to the Heidelberg Catechism: "...further also, that we may so order and direct our whole life, thoughts, words, and actions, that Thy Name may not be blasphemed but honored and praised on our account.

Engineering Humans

Genesis 1-3 is foundational to our discussion of biotechnology because of its teaching concerning human beings as those who are created by God in his image. There are things we may do with respect to plants and animals that we may not do with respect to human beings, by virtue of the nature of human creation. Human beings are created in the image of God. In other ‘words, human nature is not something we fashion for ourselves, but something that we receive.