Pulpit Magazine is posting a series of articles by John MacArthur on the relationship between biblical inerrancy and expository preaching:

The mandate is clear. Expository preaching is the declarative genre in which inerrancy finds its logical expression and the church its life and power. Stated simply, inerrancy demands exposition as the only method of preaching that preserves the purity of Scripture and accomplishes the purpose for which God gave us His Word.

Read Part 1 here.

This is clearly disturbing from a Southern Baptist point of view.

I just ordered John Ensor’s book, Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart, from Crossway. As the publisher’s summary says, “There is a radical, biblical alternative to much of what is taught and practiced today regarding relationships. Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart presents a bold plan for escaping the swift currents of contemporary patterns of hooking up, shacking up, and breaking up. It draws a compelling vision of complementarity between the sexes. It instructs men on what to do and informs women on what to look for in their mutual pursuit of a healthy, tender, long-term relationship.”

A quick look at the table of contents gives us a look at what biblical manhood and womanhood looks like:

He Initiates . . . She Responds
Hhe Leads . . . She Guides
He Works . . . She Waits
He Protects . . . She Welcomes Protection
He Abstains to Protect . . . She, to Test
His Unmet Desire Drives Him toward Marriage . . . Hers Is Rewarded with Marriage
He Displays Integrity . . . She, Inner Beauty
He Loves by Sacrificing . . . She, by Submitting
He Seeks His Happiness in Hers . . . She Seeks Hers in His
He Is the Primary Provider for the Family . . . She, the Primary Nurturer

Here’s an excerpt from Chapte 3 “What The Heart Lacks“, in the section titled
The Idolatry of Idyllic Love
Read the rest of this entry »

Nathan Williams on assurance:

One of the more interesting aspects of assurance of salvation is the difference in the way Scripture tells us to evaluate the salvation of those around us and the way we evaluate our own salvation. Ultimately, it is impossible to be sure of the salvation of another. However, we do have certain criteria from Scripture with which to assess whether or not spiritual life exists in someone else. In Matthew 7:17-18 Jesus tells us that good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit. In some ways it is quite simple to evaluate the spiritual state of another person. Good fruit means you are looking at a good tree and bad fruit means you are looking at a bad tree. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we were created in Christ Jesus for the purpose of performing good works. Again, we can look at the life of someone claiming to be a Christian and look at what the Bible considers good works and see if their life is producing good works. The basic principle is simple and vital, but because so much is based on internal motivation, it is ultimately impossible to know for certain the spiritual state of another.

Continue reading “Assurance” @ Pulpit Magazine.

Through Voddie Baucham’s blog, he has brought to light and to my attention issues of family and church that I have never thought of before. He has done it again most recently with his article on a new SBC resolution to get our children out of the public school system (and into Christian schools / home school):

I believe our current government education harms children academically, socially, morally, emotionally and spiritually. I believe Christian parents are obligated to do whatever they can to see to it that their children receive a Christian education. I do not believe this is a neutral, “whatever-you-feel-led-to-do” issue. As I have stated elsewhere, the Bible is not silent on the education issue. Nor has the church been silent over the years…

Read his article here.

“In life, you don’t find too many people with the ability to give you butterflies, so when you do, tell that person, otherwise life would be like living in your own personal prison.”

“If I could give everyone one piece of love advice, it would be once you find the one you’ve spent your whole lifetime searching for, don’t give them up without a fight. Never let them just walk right out of your life. Whatever you do, don’t ever let them go. Hold onto them with all that you’ve got, because you have no guarantee that they’ll be back. So, don’t make the mistake that I have made. Don’t just watch them leave. It could be the last time you ever see them. Don’t look back on it and regret not saying the words you needed to say, or doing the things you needed to do. Because the feeling of regret will never leave you.”

“If there’s anything you should do before you die, allow me to suggest something: look into someone’s eyes, someone who you really care about. Really look at them, just look at their face, their eyes; take them in. Breathe their breath into your lungs at a moment when they’re the most happy….and I promise you, I swear, you’ll never see anything more beautiful than the expression on their face….or the one on yours.”

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1:3-11)