A New Documentary on Puritan Theology, and more…

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Here are my favorite quotes from key Christian articles around the web, including a new documentary about the Puritans, ways you might be tempted to drift from the Gospel, and more!

Three Ways You Might Drift from The Gospel (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

Jesus died for sins in order that there might be a change in us. He bore our sins so that we might die to sins. The our whose sins Jesus carried is the we who die to sin and live to righteousness. This is very different from the casual confidence that says, “Jesus died, so I’m ok!”

The Bible Belongs to Every Age (Stephen Nichols, Ligonier Ministries)

As Edwards noted, the Bible belongs to every age. It is not simply the true Word for the first century. It is not simply the authoritative Word for the first century. It is not simply the necessary Word for the first century. It is not simply the sufficient Word for the first century.

It is the true, authoritative, necessary, clear, and sufficient Word for all centuries, including the twenty-first

The Irony of Holding a Grudge (K. V. Paxton, For the Church)

Putting aside for a moment the graceless and gospel-less problems in holding a grudge, we will actually find, ironically, that the one who is harmed when we hold a grudge is not the one we are holding the grudge against. Rather, when we think we are executing some kind of justice by holding a grudge, we actually harm ourselves more than we harm the object of our disdain (again, set aside the massive problems in wanting someone to be “harmed” for a moment).

Three Ways to Make War on Your Sin (Jacob Leeming, TGC Canda)

Paul argues here that sanctification (the process of becoming more like Jesus) happens by the power of the Spirit as believers behold Christ!

On a practical level, what this means for us is that the way to overcoming sinful habits and desires is not merely about self-control. It is filling our minds with a deeper understanding of our Savior. It is fixing our eyes on the “founder and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2) and then running the race that is set before us in the strength that He supplies.