There is a ton of scripture that uses the image of God burning away sin. Commonly it is a refining fire, burning away the unhealthy, unholy, and unclean in us yet leaving behind the precious, holy, and true. From the Old Testament to the New, this refining fire is a terrifying image of God. Who […]
Late one night, I get the call from the police station that my daughter is in the drunk tank. I’ve warned her again and again yet here she is. I travel downtown and bail her out, bringing her home for a warm shower, good meal and soft bed. In the morning I warn her again […]
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. Knowledge is a dangerous thing. Both Paul and James have things to say on this matter. And neither is very encouraging. Paul says that if we think something is a sin, then for us it is […]
Yesterday we hit one of the most famous statements in the New Testament: “Faith without works is dead.” But reading the whole passage, short as it is, shows us just how often we misuse this passage. Way too often we use the bible as a proof text for whatever theology we want to espouse. It […]
When I first arrived at one of the churches I’ve served, I was watching closely to see who this new congregation was. And so I watched with interest as a couple, young and well dressed, entered the church doors, met the greeters and were pointed to the sanctuary for worship with a smile. Immediately following […]