Theology for Everyone

The Lutheran doctrine of the Lord’s Supper is frequently described as consubstantiation . Though Lutherans do not prefer this description, it captures a key distinction being made in their eucharistic theology. Lutherans assert that along with ( con ) the bread and cup in the Supper, the humanity...

I recently preached a series on the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians chapter five and found it to be, well, fruitful. This vital section of Scripture draws a sharp contrast between the works of the flesh (vv. 19-21) and the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in the lives of God’s true children (...

In Matthew 26:26-28 Jesus spoke a few simple words that have been the cause of a great many differences between Christians. The differences, or disagreements, are centered upon what Jesus meant when the Bible tells us that: Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it...

God’s law reveals God’s character. By it, we know Him and know what it means to be like Him. Therefore, the law itself is beautiful and desirable, reflecting God Himself. The law is also mankind’s tutor. It instructs us of our inability to be like God or to fellowship with Him apart from a...

The Christian is tasked with being a citizen of Heaven while living in a broken world alongside sinful men and women within the context of a given culture or society. One aspect of that living that has seemed to transcend all cultures or societies throughout time has been a fascination with and...

Before I had come to truly embrace the doctrines of grace, I remember being incredibly hung up on the idea of the perseverance of the saints. I simply could not understand how it was remotely possible that a Christian could be saved and then would never need to fear losing their salvation. After...

The three uses of the law—restraining sin, convicting sinners, and guiding believers in holy living—reflect its multifaceted role in God’s moral order. While the third use promotes societal order and the second provides a blueprint for Christian living, it is the first use that acts as a catalyst...

Perhaps more than anything, we need to be heard by God. That is, we need divine favor. We need God to look upon us sinners favorably. The problem is, we’re sinners, and the God whose eyes are too pure to look well upon evil must look away from our defiled selves (Hab. 1:13). One of the of the...

In his book The Orthodox Church, the late Bishop Kallistos Ware, shared the story of a group of emissaries sent out by Prince Vladimir in search of “true religion.” They make their way through various kingdoms and religions all found unsatisfactory. Finally, they reach Constantinople and worship at...

One of the first sermon series I ever preached was on the life of Samson. I was new, at the time, to expository preaching, and I wanted to start with something manageable and familiar. Little did I know, a careful study of Judges 13-16 would radically alter my understanding of not just Samson, but...