Monthly Archives

May 2021

In Bible Study, Blog, Habakkuk on
May 31, 2021

Live by Faith

Some of the least read books of the Bible are the Minor Prophets. Though they are short books, they are full of poetic language and imagery that is often difficult to understand and interpret. Because of this, many Christians (especially American Christians) don’t see how these books are at all relevant to their daily lives. But these books are more relevant than you might think.

In one of my last classes of my graduate program, I had to write a brief commentary on the book of Habakkuk for one of my Old Testament classes. I couldn’t have told you the last time I had read Habakkuk or even if I had ever read through the entire book at any time during my Christian life. However, as I began to study and dig deep into the book, I realized that the message of Habakkuk is extremely relevant and necessary for all Christians in this day and age.

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In Blog, Common Questions, Theology on
May 24, 2021

Is Everyone a Child of God?

Christian music artist Tauren Wells released a song called “All God’s Children” this past December. It’s a beautiful song that brings awareness to the human trafficking that is happening all around the globe and reminds us that no person, and especially no child, deserves this kind of treatment. Every person is created in God’s image and worthy of love and freedom. The song goes,

“We are all God’s children, made in His image. Perfectly loved, worthy of freedom. All God’s children, made in His image. Perfectly loved, worthy of freedom. Held and treasured every soul together. All God’s children, made in His image. Perfectly loved, worthy of freedom.”[1]

“All God’s Children” really is a great song with a great message. But is it actually biblically and theologically accurate? You may be thinking, “Well, of course it is!” After all, loving people who are created in the image of God is something we are commanded to do in Scripture (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39, Galatians 5:14). But is everyone a child of God?

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In Blog, Book Reviews, Trinity on
May 17, 2021

Delighting in the Trinity

Many have attempted to describe the Trinity and how God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit relate to each other in simple terms. Some have said that the Trinity is like a shamrock, and the shamrock’s three leaves represent the three persons of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Spirit). However, this analogy could suggest that each person of the Trinity is only one part of the Trinity and not fully God without the other two persons.

Others have said that the Trinity is like the three states of water – liquid water, ice, and vapor. All three of these states are fully water, and all three persons of the Trinity are fully God. But this analogy could suggest that God changes form (Father becomes the Son, Son becomes the Spirit, etc.), and this is actually a heresy known as modalism.

Neither of these analogies accurately describe the Trinitarian relationship we read about in Scripture, and I’ve heard of several other analogies that aren’t quite right either (eggs, apples, triangles, etc.). As believers, we need to have an accurate view of God and the relationship between the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. This is why Michael Reeves wrote his book, Delighting in the Trinity.

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In Attributes of God, Blog, Theology on
May 10, 2021

He is Omniscient

I love being “in the know.” I love knowing what’s going to happen ahead of time so I can be prepared for what’s ahead. I don’t like feeling like I don’t understand something. Maybe you’re the same way? Our culture is obsessed with instant knowledge. When you want to know what the weather will be like this afternoon, you look at your phone’s weather app. When you want to know what’s going on in your friends’ lives, you go on Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook. When you want to know the average lifespan of a chicken, you Google it (it’s five to eight years, by the way).[1] Unfortunately, we don’t know everything. We can’t! And we can never be fully prepared for the future because we don’t know what the future truly holds. But guess who does know everything, including our futures? God!

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In Bible Study, Blog, Philippians on
May 3, 2021

All Things Through Christ

One of the most popular and well-known Bible verses is Philippians 4:13. It’s a particular favorite of many Christian athletes, and it appears on numerous Christian Instagram bios. But Philippians 4:13 is also one of the most misused and abused verses of the Bible. Christians often take it out of context and use it in a way that attempts to manipulate God’s power to serve their own wants and desires. But when we look at the context of this popular and misused Bible verse, we will see that its true message is far more comforting and encouraging.

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