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  • Daniel’s Vision of the Son of Man

    from Keith Mathison Jul 01, 2020 Category: Articles

    The vision recorded in the seventh chapter of Daniel is central to the book, and understanding it is crucial to grasping the meaning of a number of otherwise obscure passages in the New Testament. Daniel received this vision in the first year of Belshazzar (v. 1), so it occurred sometime after the events of chapter 4 but before the events of chapter 5. In the vision, Daniel sees the winds of heaven stirring up the sea (v. 2). From the sea, he witnesses four great beasts arise, each different from the other (v. 3). The first beast is like a lion with eagles' wings (v. 4). Its wings are removed and it is made to stand on two feet like a man. The second beast is like a bear (v. 5). It is raised up on one side and has three ribs in its mouth. The third beast is like a leopard (v. 6), but it has four wings and four heads. The fourth beast is almost indescribable (v. 7). It is terrifying and strong. It devours with its iron teeth and crushes what is left with its feet. It also has ten horns. As Daniel considers the horns, he sees a little horn arise among the ten (v. 8). The little horn has the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things. Keep Reading

  • The Fullness of Joy

    from R.C. Sproul Jun 29, 2020 Category: Articles

    I do not have a green thumb and my knowledge of horticulture is very rudimentary. However, I have experimented with growing roses, and I have learned that after the blossoms begin to decay, they have to be cut off at a certain point on the stem. If I am diligent in pruning away the dead aspects of the bush, the blossoms become even more brilliant in time. This process seems counterintuitive to me; I would assume that by cutting off part of a bush I would be harming it or even destroying it. But the pruning process focuses the nutrients in the bush, causing it to bear fruit more consistently. This process is especially important in the tending of grapevines, which is the vine that is in view in Jesus’ metaphor.   Keep Reading

  • God’s Sovereignty and Our Responsibility

    from Derek Thomas Jun 26, 2020 Category: Articles

    God is sovereign in creation, providence, redemption, and judgment. That is a central assertion of Christian belief and especially in Reformed theology. God is King and Lord of all. To put this another way: nothing happens without God’s willing it to happen, willing it to happen before it happens, and willing it to happen in the way that it happens. Put this way, it seems to say something that is expressly Reformed in doctrine. But at its heart, it is saying nothing different from the assertion of the Nicene Creed: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty.” To say that God is sovereign is to express His almightiness in every area.   Keep Reading

  • What Is the Covenant of Redemption?

    from R.C. Sproul Jun 24, 2020 Category: Articles

    The Bible has much to say about God's activity "before" the world was made. The Bible speaks often of God's eternal counsel, of His plan of salvation and the like Keep Reading

  • A Theology of the Home

    from John Tweeddale Jun 22, 2020 Category: Articles

    Christians have long viewed the home as the hub of life. It is a nursery for aspiring astronauts, playground for wannabe heroes, and sanctuary for weary but heaven-bound wayfarers. Home is a place for cultivating virtue through meandering conversations, large helpings of laughter, hearty meals, excruciating trials, and loads of hard work. Whether you are a child learning to read, a freshman in a dormitory, newlyweds settling into a first apartment, an upstart launching a career, a family with a quiver full of children, or a widow navigating life without a spouse, the comfort of home is a stabilizing reality of life.   Keep Reading

  • The Cure for a Lack of Fruit in Our Christian Lives

    from Derek Thomas Jun 19, 2020 Category: Articles

    The Westminster Confession of Faith insists that Christians may be “certainly assured that they are in the state of grace” (18:1) and goes on to assert that this “infallible assurance of faith” is “founded upon” three considerations: Keep Reading

  • The Significance of the Sinlessness of Jesus

    from Nicholas Batzig Jun 17, 2020 Category: Articles

    In a life that spanned three decades, our Lord never entertained a thought, never uttered a word, and never carried out an action that was defiled by impure motives. Keep Reading

  • What Is God’s Name?

    from R.C. Sproul Jun 15, 2020 Category: Articles

    Moses had a momentary encounter with the Holy, and the closer he got, the more afraid he became. He heard the voice of God sending him on a mission, and his fear turned to doubt. “Who am I, that I should go on this mission?” And God responded, “I will be with you” (Ex. 3:12). He didn’t really answer Moses’ question about who Moses was; He simply said, in effect, “Don’t worry about who you are, because I’m going to be with you.”   Keep Reading

  • Explaining the Universal Phenomenon of Religion

    from R.C. Sproul Jun 12, 2020 Category: Articles

    Have you ever wondered why there's a universal phenomenon of religion? You can go anywhere on the globe and you'll find evidence of cultic practices of sacrifice. Why is that? I suggest that it is because the original program and prescription for the worship of the living God was sacrifice Keep Reading

  • A Calvinist Evangelist?

    from Keith Mathison Jun 10, 2020 Category: Articles

    If I have heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times: "A Calvinist evangelist? Isn't that an oxymoron? Calvinism undermines evangelism." This accusation has been repeated so many times that few make the effort to argue it. Instead, it is simply assumed. Keep Reading
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