Pursuit Of Holiness
In my previous article (January/February 2022), I made the case that in Hebrews 12:14, the “holiness” required to see God does not refer to our personal sanctification or holiness, but to the consecration obtained by faith in Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice. The point of that discussion, as well as this one, is to illustrate how one […]
The Protestant Reformation is justifiably known for recovering the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ alone. But one further benefit of this movement was the translation of the Bible into contemporary languages making it accessible to all. We may perhaps take it for granted that we have several outstanding English versions today, […]
Christians are used to a certain loneliness that comes with godliness. After all, Jesus told his disciples that they were to be not of the world (John 17:14). That means we must refuse to participate in sinful thinking and acting, and we should not be surprised when a culture at odds with God shuns us. […]
Do you ever feel like you’re more sinful today than you were yesterday or the day before? Me too. Perhaps you feel like your spiritual life never changes, that you’re stuck in neutral and not making any progress. For most Christians, staying still feels like you’re moving backwards. It’s like you’re treading water in a […]
Dallas Willard, the late professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, authored numerous books, including Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge (HarperCollins, 2009), The Great Omission: Rediscovering Jesus’ Essential Teachings on Discipleship (HarperCollins, 2006), and Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ (NavPress, 2002). […]
Perhaps someone should write a book titled Silliness and Sanctification, because, sadly, church history is replete with examples of strange and silly suggestions about the pursuit of holiness. In the ancient church, pillar saints led an ascetic life living alone on a platform built on top of a column. In the contemporary church, Spirit-chasers pursue […]
During a time of intense controversy and division within Reformed ranks, the English Puritan Richard Sibbes said that "factions breed factions." We are called to the peace and purity of the church, but when is the concern for peace a crutch for compromise, and when does our appeal to the church's purity become a cloak […]
Sharing his priorities for the next thirty years, best-selling author Richard Foster disclosed his "spiritual formation agenda" in a January 2009 Christianity Today article. Foster observes that there is a lot of interest these days in "social-service projects." "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but where, oh where, are those who think of changing themselves?" […]
“What would Jesus do?” Though the bracelets were influential, the question is not without controversy. Two key debates deserve mention. First, Jesus has been many things to many people, and he calls for many things from them. Jesus would free the oppressed or have a quiet time or eat with the marginalized or wash people’s […]
"Monk Habits for Everyday People: Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants" By Dennis Okholm
Of making many books on living the "spiritual life" there is no end (to paraphrase Ecclesiastes 12:12), and so one more is not surprising. The twist, however, is that this is a book on Benedictine spirituality written by a Presbyterian pastor and professor of theology. What is also surprising is that this book sold out […]
