The Bible presents us two kinds of folly, both very different. We meet the first in Proverbs. It’s the folly of the person who denies the existence of God, the person who embraces a materialist worldview. We encounter the second…
Tag archives for sanctification
Making grace stick
Sometimes we face problems in life that really rub us wrong, abrasive and hurtful experiences that we would never characterize as good. Like everyone, I have come through many of these episodes; in hindsight some of them even make sense….
Hippies, monks, and Lent
Here we are in the middle of Lent and I’m stuck on hippies. I’ve always been fascinated by the 1960s. These were wild and momentous years, populated by colorful and absurd characters whose impact far outstripped their usefulness. But drop…
Fighting Downton Abbey passions
At the dawn of the surprise-hit series Downton Abbey Mary Crawley has a momentary and tragic fling with a guest staying at her family’s estate. Opportunity presents in the form of the dashing Turkish envoy, Kemal Pamuk. Lust prevails, and…
Grace and the blame game
There’s a view of God’s sovereignty that can leave us with nothing to do. Since God provides for all our needs, it seems as if there is little to do but wait for him to act and accept everything that…
Make room for suffering
There is a strain of Christianity that promises material blessing as a sign of God’s favor: cars, homes, bank accounts, etc. Given the economic downturn over the last few years, this strain should strain all credibility. Did God decide to…
