Brothers and Sisters, Fight for Holiness!
The Christian life is not a stroll but a methodical walking in line with the Holy Spirit.
The Christian life is not a stroll but a methodical walking in line with the Holy Spirit.
In my experience most Christians aren’t very interested in godliness. That’s a strong statement, but I remain persuaded that modern evangelical culture has a real problem here. My experience is that calls to godliness among modern Christians are largely met with silence and slowly coasting tumbleweed. Sadly, this appears to be just as true at the ministry conferences and pastors’ retreats as in churches. It doesn’t excite or interest us much. The Bible tells us endlessly to “be holy, be godly, pursue righteousness.” But that doesn’t get our hearts racing. What excites us are new ministry strategies and initiatives. That...
Ask the parents of small children about the joys of toilet training and they will probably have some amusing stories to share. Not that those events are funny at the time—sometimes they seem very tiresome. Parenting literally involves getting your hands dirty. It means dealing with the bodily wastes of other people. This fact is not adequately highlighted on the “have a baby” brochure. You discover it after you’ve already got one. Parenting literally involves getting your hands dirty. It means dealing with the bodily wastes of other people. This fact is not adequately highlighted on the “have a baby” brochure....
Sanctification and Sin John Newton was famously familiar with grace. As a slave-trader turned clergyman, he was a living depiction of his much-beloved hymn, Amazing Grace. However, Newton’s experience of grace did not climax at conversion. In a less remembered hymn, I Asked the Lord that I Might Grow, Newton captures the tension which lies at the heart of every Christian life: sanctification and sin. Accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour demands a whole-hearted and life changing pursuit of righteousness. The Bible commands us to flee from sin and God promises to mould us into the image of Christ. How...
When I was growing up I thought that TV ratings (G, PG, M, MA15+, R18+) indicated age suitability. I thought that the MA rating meant ‘this is good and healthy for people who are 15 or older’. It was only natural that I should look forward to being of the age when ‘MA’ and ‘R’ rated movies would be good and healthy things for me to watch. But that’s not what those ratings mean. At least, that’s not how Christians can possibly view them. Growing up means recognising that a lot of things are not good or healthy for anyone...