The Fruit of the Davidic Branch

Body

“when you don’t grind or dig out a stump, sometimes there’s still life left in it, and these little shoots grow up, and they look like branches with leaves. That’s Isaiah’s image when he speaks of “a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots.” - Theology in 3D

Discussion

The God Who Understands

Body

“Scripture highlights the fact that God loves His people. It was love that drew God from heaven to earth in the incarnation. In Christ, God becomes like us in order to dwell with us––and all because He has loved us. This is the wonder of the Immanuel promise (Is. 7:14).” - Feeding On Christ

Discussion

Optimized Flies Should Bug Darwinists

Body

“More and more, it appears that life is well-designed—perhaps even optimally designed. And this is strong support for the idea that living things are the work of a Designer. But what is ‘optimal design,’ and how can we tell?” - Breakpoint

Discussion

This is your brain on materialism

Body

“Their thoughts about the brain, or anything else, would be products of material causes and [have] no more significance than steam wafting from a bowl of oatmeal.” - CPost

Discussion

Light in the Darkness: A Series for Advent Part Two – Shadows

Read Part 1.

As the darkness gives way to the daylight, we notice long shadows—perhaps moving directly upon us.

Shadows have the capacity to unnerve—even frighten us. Sometimes the shadows may be mistaken for something real. At other times, something real may be hiding in the shadows.

Shadows make us uncomfortable. They represent incompleteness and uncertainty—”variation or shadow of turning” (Js. 1:17).

Discussion

The Branch That Beautifies

Body

“Scripture nowhere references the use of trees to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Nevertheless, on several occasions the OT prophetic books anticipate certain aspects of the Messiah’s ministry with a metaphor that’s related to a tree.” - BJU Seminary

Discussion

Kept through Faith: Eternal Security in 1 Peter 1:1-9 (Part 3 of 3)

Body

“Peter’s argument here implies this: If refining fire is necessary for perishable gold, how much more is it necessary for imperishable faith? The gold perishes, but the faith—proven genuine in the fires of testing—does not.” - P&D

Discussion

The Importance of Justification

How is a person justified before God? That was the question that ignited the Reformation. Beyond that foundational question, theologians have debated additional questions, such as “What is the importance of justification in relation to the other benefits of salvation?” and “Where does justification fit logically in relation to saving faith?”

To answer these questions about justification, we must first explore the exact nature of justification. Theologians have held two main positions: infusion and imputation.

Roman Catholic Position: Infusion

At the time of the Reformation, Catholics and Protestants differed greatly in their understanding of justification and grace. The Catholic position defined justification to include all of the benefits of salvation, making it a process. Grace was understood as a God-given ability to do good works which was infused into the person. This Catholic view is sometimes described by the words, “Christ IN us.”

Discussion