December
The Glory of the Incarnation
As we continue the Christmas season, let us remember the enormity of God’s grace poured out to us in the sending of His Son.
Your Role as a Church Member
Church membership is the closest of relationships where we are supernaturally made brothers and sisters who minister to one another.
Your Role as a Church Member
The Peace of Christmas
The peace that Christ was born to proclaim is an everlasting peace with God. It is the same message that Christ has given his followers since then.
Christ, the Gift of All Gifts
In a time of restlessness and anxiety in the world, the gift of God has come to us in the Lord Jesus, bringing peace and joy.
Christ, the Gift of All Gifts
Responding to the Prophetic Word of Jesus
Jesus continues to offend the world because this baby is a prophet who calls people to repentance and obedience.
Responding to the Prophetic Word of Jesus
The Fragrance of Life and Death
We should not be surprised at public censure of the gospel. The gospel message is a reminder to the unbelieving world that the way of sin is death.
The Lamb Will Be Their Shepherd
God Himself is the perfect shepherd cleansing, protecting and providing for His people.
The Lamb Will Be Their Shepherd
The Incarnation and its Implications
What does the incarnation of Jesus Christ mean? The historic nature of Christianity makes it a unique, real and living faith, over against materialist or spiritual heresies.
Wisdom and Government Part 3
Wisdom in all spheres of government - civil, self, family, church and vocation - is to recognize and live in light of the reign of Christ over all things.
November
How Tragic Injustice Freed the Human Race
How Tragic Injustice Freed the Human Race
Universal dominion is given to the Son of Man who ushers the saints of the Most High into an everlasting kingdom.
Rediscovering the Glory and Beauty of the Gospel Q&A
MOG2015 05: Joe Boot, David Robinson and Michael Nazir-Ali answer questions regarding: the Mission of God; Christian Education; Radical Islam; Christian Transformation of Society; Male and Female Roles; Climate Change from a Christian Perspective.
How Angry Rebels are Brought into Loving Service to Their Lord
MOG2015 04: Denying his Creator, man is alienated from the very source of his existence and seeks to cope by turning to idolatry in the form of addictions, money and power. But because of God's radical love at the cross, people are attracted out of the world into participation in the transforming work of God.
Biblical Anthropology Identifies Man's Basic Need as Moral and Spiritual Rebirth
MOG2015 03: Created in God's image, man and woman are agents capable of changing the world as they undertake the task of fulfilling the cultural mandate.
The Deception of the Beast of Revelation, Modern Promises of Salvation, and the Eternal Gospel
MOG2015 02: The book of Revelation sets forth two groups of people: those who follow the Beast and bear his mark and those who follow the Lamb and bear his name. The book declares the eternal gospel (Rev 14:6-7), which is a universal summons to follow the Lamb in true worship and salvation.
Why Everything Hinges on the Historical Garden of Eden
MOG2015 01: The fall of Adam and Eve in the garden is the essential foundation for understanding the gospel meta-story. The gospel is cosmic in scope and in the cross all creation is being restored in proper relation to its Creator and Owner.
Wisdom and Government Part 2
The biblical understanding of folly is not mere stupidity, but a self-centered pragmatism that shows contempt for the Lord, his Word, and his servants.
The Cross of Christ and the New Creation
Today in the face of persecution and liberalism in the church, we need to stand firm in living and proclaiming the cross of Christ.
The Cross of Christ and the New Creation
The Dangers of Dualism
Learn about the different senses of dualism, and how they affect theology, church and culture.
Walking in Step with the Spirit
Sowing the seeds of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives means we increasingly radiate the glory of God, and its result is eternal life in the presence of God.
Walking in Step with the Spirit
Sowing the seeds of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives means we increasingly radiate the glory of God, and its result is eternal life in the presence of God.
Instability and Apostasy
In an age where abandoning Christian faith and principles is a temptation to many, let us heed the biblical call to endurance, obedience and faithfulness.
Wisdom and Government Part 1
When a society abandons God and His Word, it abandons the only true source of wisdom, and the result is folly in our personal, social, and civil governments.
Fruit of the Spirit
Fruit of the Spirit
The degree to which we walk in the Spirit of God is the degree to which we overcome the flesh.
The Art of What is Possible
Wisdom and Government
What does God's word have to say about our livelihoods, families, neighborhoods and nations? What place does Scripture have in the public sphere, and how does it relate to the government of nations?
What is the Gospel?
If the Gospel is rightly described as Good News, we must ask what the news is about. The answer Jesus gives is that it is “the good news of the kingdom of God” (Luke 4:43; Acts 8:12). The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords, and that He is building His kingdom of righteousness among us.
Called to be Free
To fall from grace is to turn back from the gospel we have understood and to start depending on some human effort to be the basis of our acceptance before God.
Called to be Free
October
Sarah and Hagar
Since Christ has set us free, we cannot return to humanistic slavery and pagan gods made in man's image.
Sarah and Hagar
Since Christ has set us free, we cannot return to humanistic slavery and pagan gods made in man's image.
The Criminalization of Christianity Part 2
As historic liberties are increasingly denied to Christian individuals and churches, we must stand with Christ and with Scripture.
Who Were the Puritans?
See why the faith and hope of the Puritans provide a worthy example for Christians in our day.
The Crisis of our Age
If we would see our culture flourish, we must restore the Word of God to its proper place of authority for life. What are some of the causes and effects of the loss of biblical literacy?
Evangelism and Evangelization
In a worldview that seeks to proclaim the lordship of Jesus over every area of life, what does Christian evangelism look like?
Sons and Heirs
Sons and Heirs
The law was a harsh schoolmaster designed to drive sinners to Christ; now, through faith in Christ, all who believe enjoy the privilege of being familially related to God Himself by adoption.
The Criminalization of Christianity
Recent legislation in the UK would introduce an unprecedented level of state control over the pulpit, ironically undercutting the same “British values” to which they appeal.
Why Parents are Protesting the new Sex-ed Curriculum
The sex-ed curriculum being forced into Ontario public schools should alarm us, but not overwhelm us. There are several godly options to resist and reject such godless teaching.
Why Then the Law?
Paul explains to the Galatians the distinction between grace and law and in doing so shows them why the Law was given in the first place, and how it prepares people for the Gospel and serves the goals of the Gospel.
Why Then the Law?
Paul explains to the Galatians the distinction between grace and law and in doing so shows them why the Law was given in the first place, and how it prepares people for the Gospel and serves the goals of the Gospel.
Faith, Law and Promise
The Galatians' transformation was the fruit of grace, not the root of it. Paul indicts them for reversing the order and asserting that obedience is the root of grace.
Faith, Law and Promise
September
Crucified with Christ
Crucified with Christ
The Gospel makes the distinctions between Jews and Gentiles irrelevant because their justification before God now places them in an equal state where to continue living by the Mosaic Law would be both hypocritical as well as pointless.
The Gospel, Culture and Public Life
Christ is not one authority among many, but the ruler of the kings of the earth.The Son of God appeared on earth to destroy the works of the devil, and has given us the task of cultural renewal in every area of life, including the public square.
Educating in Light of the Gospel
One of the most significant ways that Christians fulfill the Great Commission mandate, making disciples of all nations, is by educating our children in a God-honouring way.
The Gospel Basis of Liberty
The basic freedom of the Christian is the freedom from bondage to sin and death. The state is God's minister to punish wrongdoing, but when a state oversteps its God-given bounds of authority, it ceases to be legitimate. In God's economy, church, state and family are partners, with distinct roles in society.
No Other Gospel
Paul calls on God to destroy those who pervert the gospel because the glory of God and the salvation of people are at stake.
No Other Gospel
Paul calls on God to destroy those who pervert the gospel because the glory of God and the salvation of people are at stake.
The Meaning of Deliverance
Contrary to modern notions, true freedom is not the casting off of all restraint, but freedom from the power of sin.
Apologetics and the Church
What do we mean when we talk of Christian apologetics? How has the church historically practiced apologetics?
Evangelism and Pluralism
Should Christians practice evangelism in a pluralistic context, where different worldviews and value systems abound? If so, how do we go about it?
The Epistle of Grace
Paul's vision of the living Christ established his authority to proclaim the gospel of justifcation by faith in Christ, apart from human rituals or effort.
The Epistle of Grace
Paul's vision of the living Christ established his authority to proclaim the gospel of justifcation by faith in Christ apart from human rituals or effort.
Do This in Remembrance of Me
In the Lord’s Supper we eat and drink in remembrance of the risen and reigning Lord Jesus, who is present with us. In the meal, we’re confirmed in our identity as God’s covenant people and renew our commitment to trust and obey him. The Lord’s Supper is a perpetual proclamation of the Gospel and anticipation of Jesus’ Second Coming.
Do This in Remembrance of Me
Infidelity Uncovered
The recent hack of adultery website Ashley Madison is a reminder that sin is never truly hidden.
August
The Remembrance of God
The covenant promises of God are assured forever. God is always totally and absolutely faithful, even when we don't observe His activity.
The Remembrance of God
The covenant promises of God are assured forever. God is always totally and absolutely faithful, even when we dont observe His activity.
True Religion
True Religion
Psalm 50 magnifies the condition of our souls as God calls a cosmic court session and charges His people with superficial religion and hypocrisy.
The Privatization of Faith
By restricting God’s sphere of authority to a private faith and church life, we fail to recognize and apply the Great Commission mandate of Christ, to whom has been given all authority in heaven and earth.
The Royal Wedding
Christ is the righteous warrior-king who makes His bride glorious. Christ reigns righteously by His Word until He returns to secure His victory and to judge the living and the dead.
The Royal Wedding
The Peace Tower, Parliament, and Christian Canada
Canada's heritage as a nation under God is plainly carved on the walls of our Parliamentary buildings. They serve as a rebuke, as well as an encouragement, to all Canadians, that God continues to call His people to covenant faithfulness.
Islam, Christianity and Culture
The religion of Islam is a derivation and distortion of Christianity, teaching a false gospel. Christians need to be attentive to the cultural implications of Islam.
Truly God is Good
The tension between what we experience in the world and what we believe to be true by faith is resolved by knowing that God is guiding our lives toward glory.
Truly God is Good
The tension between what we experience in the world and what we believe to be true by faith is resolved by knowing that God is guiding our lives toward glory.
The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin
Like a precious coin, the Lord works constantly to rescue and redeem His people, and through us, to redeem our culture and world.
The Free-Thinking Fool
Atheism is more than merely the absence of belief in God, it is the presence of a state of being in which the revelation of God's existence evokes anger and rebellion instead of relief and repentance.
The Free-Thinking Fool
Atheism is more than merely the absence of belief in God, it is the presence of a state of being in which the revelation of God's existence evokes anger and rebellion instead of relief and repentence.
Why Young Adults are Leaving the Church
Youth programs and activities are not sufficient to stem the tide of young people leaving the church. The church's best investment in young adults is to confront difficult questions, preach relevant sermons, and reclaim the sense of God's mission for the church.
July
Royal Assent
When we speak of God as Lord and King, we must remember that these are not merely figurehead titles. Christ’s lordship is real and active, and calls all men to account.
Send Out Your Light and Your Truth
In every line Psalm 43 draws us to God. God is our rock of refuge, our judge, our deliverer, our light, our truth, our life, our hope, our salvation, and our exceeding joy.
Send Out Your Light and Your Truth
In every line Psalm 43 draws us to God. God is our rock of refuge, our judge, our deliverer, our light, our truth, our life, our hope, our salvation, and our exceeding joy.
That Old Fox
Power for power’s sake becomes the only thing of value when a culture abandons God and His word. Even human life becomes merely a means to an end.
Why Are You Downcast?
In times of trouble or depression, it is God's Word and His covenant faithfulness which defines our reality and interprets our circumstances.
Why Are You Downcast?
In times of trouble or depression, it is God's Word and His covenant faithfulness which defines our reality and interprets our circumstances.
Chariots of Fire
Christians must not give in to the temptation to despair in the face of loud, high-profile opposition to God and the Christian faith. The same is true for us as it was with Elisha, that the sovereign Lord is on the throne, and “those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kgs. 6:16).
The Oil of Unity
Discipleship involves taking the yoke of Christ upon us as we work through differences and problems to reap God's blessing of life and joy.
The Oil of Unity
Discipleship involves taking the yoke of Christ upon us as we work through differences and problems to reap God's blessing of life and joy.
Gnosticism & Paganism
Alone among world religions, biblical Christianity acknowledges God as a being totally distinct from His created order. Pagan beliefs and gnostic ideologies seek ways for man to become as God, while Christianity is clear that the chief end of man is to love and glorify God as His image-bearer.
June
The Blessing of Repentance and Forgiveness
The Blessing of Repentance and Forgiveness
The picture of sin and forgiveness in Psalm 32 points us to the work of Christ in bearing the burden of our sin on the cross.
Striving for Godliness within the Christian Community
The Christian community is to be counter-cultural and yet we are to live in such a way that our influence is compelling to the world around us.
Striving for Godliness within the Christian Community
The Christian Church is counter-cultural and yet we are to live in such a way that our influence is compelling to the world around us.
A New Beginning: The Man of Faith
Leaving his father's house, Abraham follows the Lord's call in faith and receives His salvation promises.
A New Beginning: The Man of Faith
Leaving his father's house, Abraham follows the Lord's call in faith and receives His salvation promises.
GUEST BLOG: The Numbers Speak for Themselves
Contrary to popular belief, when it comes to poverty relief, conservative Christian groups are among the most active in the world.
This entry was originally posted at Religion News Service. Reprinted by permission
The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
All of creation is to be cultivated in terms of the lordship of Christ; the gospel of the Kingdom of God has implications for the entire universe, not only to bring us to Heaven when we die
Tower of Babel: The Society of Satan
Babel's rebellion of autonomous man-centred religion is present with us today, but, in Christ, God is establishing an everlasting kingdom which will shatter all kingdoms of men.
Tower of Babel: The Society of Satan
Love your Enemies
Peace, justice and love are defined for us in God’s Word and by His divine character. Therefore there is a right way to seek after these things and we must be careful to discern it by the application of Scripture.
May
The Table of Nations and Renewed War
In the record of Noah's descendants we see already the conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of evil which God's people must confront.
The Table of Nations and Renewed War
In the record of Noah's descendants we already see the conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of evil which God's people must confront.
Peacekeepers or Peacemakers?
A truly biblical perspective on war and peace rules out the possibility of pacifism.
Covering the Nakedness of Noah
Noah was caught up in the sin of drunkenness, and his sons showed their hearts by their responses exposing or covering his shame. God's love for us is demonstrated in the cross of Christ; only God can cover our sin and shame.
Covering the Nakedness of Noah
Noah was caught up in the sin of drunkenness, and his sons showed their hearts by their responses exposing or covering his shame. God's love for us is demonstrated in the cross of Christ; only God can cover our sin and shame.
Signs of the Covenant
Signs of the Covenant
God made the rainbow a sign of his covenant that he would never again flood the Earth. Since this sign is visible to all peoples everywhere and through all times then everyone is included in God's covenant and is subsequently either a covenant-keeper or a covenant-breaker.
Sanctifying Compromise
The common tendency among Christians to avoid so-called political topics is not an act of prudence, but a failure to take seriously the work that God has given us to do in this world.
Renewed Mandate for Cultural Renewal
The flood did not cleanse the human heart but, in Christ, God promises us blessing and renewal by the Holy Spirit that we might have eternal life.
Renewed Mandate for Cultural Renewal
The flood did not cleanse the human heart but, in Christ, God promises us blessing and renewal by the Holy Spirit that we might have eternal life.
Rest on Unfailing Promises
Despite the flood's total destruction, God never abandons creation or culture, but rather He renews it by preserving a faithful remnant.
Rest on Unfailing Promises
April
The Gospel and Freedom
The gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of Christ’s lordship, and it is only in submission to that Lord that true freedom is found.
The World that Perished
God destroyed the wicked and their world, but saved a remnant through the obedience of one man.
The World that Perished
God destroyed the wicked and their world, but saved a remnant through the obedience of one man.
Noah, Grace and the Future
If we do not understand the sinful depravity of man, we cannot fully comprehend God's judgment, His justice, or His grace.
Noah, Grace and the Future
If we do not understand the sinful depravity of man, we cannot fully comprehend God's judgment, His justice, or His grace.
The Gospel and Education
The foundation of true education is the truth that man, though fallen and sinful, is made in the image of God the creator and king. Education is a core implication of the gospel truth that Jesus Christ is Lord over all the earth.
The Truth Decay of Public Sex Education
At the heart of Ontario’s radical new sex-ed curriculum is the false belief in human autonomy and the perverse claim that children raise themselves. We may deny the reality of sin, but without Christ, can never truly free ourselves from the sense of guilt that accompanies it.
Godly Relationships
Godly Relationships
God calls us to nurture godly marriages, relationships, families, and communities that we might glorify God and fulfill His kingdom purposes for our lives.
Triumphal Procession
The victory of Christ over death and all enemies is central to the gospel. If we are Christians, we participate in the total victory of Christ over all things.
Triumphal Procession
The victory of Christ over death and all enemies is central to the gospel. If we are Christians, we participate in the total victory of Christ over all things.
The Silencing Power of the Gospel
In the face of growing apostasy and hostility to Jesus Christ, we are reminded that God establishes strength and silences His enemies through children, raised on the truth and power of the gospel.
Political Liberalism: Theological Presuppositions
Andrew Sandlin demonstrates that the bedrock assumptions of the most pernicious political vision of our time are actually religious beliefs: an apostasy from the God of the Bible. Defeating that political vision cannot be accomplished without overturning its apostate religious assumptions and recalling people to biblical faithfulness and our covenant-keeping God.
March
The Ten Generations (Adam - Noah)
The Ten Generations (Adam - Noah)
In contrast to Cain's rebellious city, the line of Seth called on the name of the Lord, living before God in a culture of prayer, worship, and obedience.
Culture and the Cainitic Mind
Ever since the first murder of Abel by his brother Cain, sinful man has sought sinful, autonomous ways to atone for his own guilt, while at the same time raging against God by assaulting his fellow man, God's image-bearer.
A Tale of Two Cities
Cain resists God's judgment of banishment from the covenant people and he creates a rival city of man in rebellion against God's rule and worship.
A Tale of Two Cities
Cain resists God's judgment of banishment from the covenant people and he creates a rival city of man in rebellion against God's rule and worship.
Murder in the First and the Cainitic Mind
Like all rebels after him, Cain sought to justify himself by destroying the reminder of his guilt. Cain was also striking at God by killing God's image bearer.
Murder in the First and the Cainitic Mind
Like all rebels after him, Cain sought to justify himself by destroying the reminder of his guilt. Cain was also striking at God by killing God's image bearer.
Education and the Depths of the Sea
The proposed Ontario sex-ed curriculum is an attempt to rationalize and normalize sin, and is a scandal upon our children, leading them to stumble.
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Outside of Christ we remain people who are driven from the presence of God, covenantally separated from God and alienated from one another.
God's Gracious Judgment
Adam and Eve are cursed with pain and difficulty in their callings as well as physical and spiritual death. But even in judging sin God is gracious and in the judgment there is hope.
God's Gracious Judgment
Adam and Eve are cursed with pain and difficulty in their callings as well as physical and spiritual death. But even in judging sin God is gracious and in the judgment there is hope.
February
The Science of Faith and the Faith of Science
Worship includes the use of our minds. A Christian cosmology maintains that the laws of nature are only laws because they are God's ordinary way of working. There is no conflict inherent between science and religion.
Social Justice (Part 2)
Social Justice - properly understood in light of the Word of God - is indispensable to the Christian. It is a reflection of the social nature of the Triune God, and is to be pursued in every area of our lives.
The Uniqueness of Christ and the Christian Worldview
Of Man's Disobedience
The world and mankind are fallen because our first parents ceased to listen to the Word of God, rejecting what God said and what He revealed about the world He created.
Of Man's Disobedience
The world and mankind are fallen because our first parents ceased to listen to the Word of God, rejecting what God said and what He revealed about the world He created.
Marriage, Family and the Creation of Woman
God created woman distinct from the rib of man; yet man and woman are interdependent, and created to be in covenant with God and one another in marriage.
Marriage, Family and the Creation of Woman
The Context of Education in Ontario and Canada
The Garden of Eden
God personally and intimately forms man from the dust of the ground, and woman from the rib of man. God then graciously grants them a priestly work of extending the Edenic garden blessings to the whole earth.
Can't We all Just Get Along?
There is a humanistic movement towards a superficial religious unity, which amounts to little more than the abolishment of distinctions as part of a greater effort towards man-centered sociopolitical unity.
The Six Days of Creation
In the creation account we see God's separation and setting of things into covenantal relationship. By virtue of creation all people are covenantally related to God, either as covenant keepers or as rebels.
The Six Days of Creation
In the creation account we see God's separation and setting of things into covenantal relationship. By virtue of creation all people are covenantally related to God, either as covenant keepers or as rebels.
January
The Creation of the World
The creation account is foundational to Christian theology. The literal interpretation of Genesis 1 is supported by the rest of the Bible, linguistic analysis, the testimony of historic Christian orthodoxy, and science itself.
The Creation of the World
The Book of Beginnings
Genesis provides a total cosmology of the Christian worldview, defining the order and structure of God's creation.
The Book of Beginnings
Genesis provides a total cosmology of the Christian worldview, defining the order and structure of God's creation.
Forgotten Freedoms
In the wake of recent terrorist attacks in Paris, France, it is worthwhile to pause and reflect on some of the early modern origins of freedom; when we forget these, the consequences are dire.
EICC Strategic Mission and Manifesto
The Ezra Institute for Contemporary Christianity (EICC) exists for the defense, confirmation and vindication of a biblical cosmology affirming the Lordship of the triune God over all life and thought. The great need of our day for God's church is the recovery of a full-orbed gospel and comprehensive faith that recognizes and applies the salvation-victory and lordship of Jesus Christ to all creation: from the family, to education, evangelism, law, church, state and every other sphere.
The Joy of the Lord is our Strength
The restoration events depicted in Nehemiah 8 are a good example to the Church today of what our attitude towards the teachings of scripture should be, especially as we enter a new year.
The Joy of the Lord is our Strength
Guide Us to Thy Perfect Light
The Magi received the Word of God in Jerusalem, and the illumination of the star (the work of the Holy Spirit) led them to Christ.
Guide Us to Thy Perfect Light
The Christian Sexual Worldview
Our broad thinking of life doesn’t just shape our view of human sexuality. Our view of human sexuality shapes the rest of our thinking. This book is about why the Western sexual worldview has changed, how injurious it has been to our culture, and what Christians can do to reverse it.
