Andrew Thorburn is lawyering up: I think that’s the right move
Stephen McAlpine continues talking into an issue in Australia around the sacking of Andrew Thorburn from Essendon Football Club. You may know nothing about the story, nor Essendon, but it is instructive for us in similar post-Christian contexts. This one helps us understand how and why we might engage in the public square; when to stand on our rights and when to lay them down. Worth a read.
Truth, love & making people sad
Taking a look at a recent comment from the Bishop of Oxford: ‘Practicing authentic truth and love at times means making people sad. Understanding that should be a basic requirement for anyone seeking to be a follower of Christ, and especially for those carrying ecclesiastical office.’
Yelling from the sidelines
‘I’ve been a member of a confessionally reformed church since I was 21 years old, and have been a Calvinist since I was converted at 17; and one of the most dangerous thing I’ve seen in the church are those who loudly proclaim “Reformation!” yet refuse to get their hands dirty in a church that is less pure than they can tolerate.’
10 things you should know about limited atonement
This is a really helpful one on the doctrine of limited atonement/definite atonement/particular redemption (they’re all the same thing). Though number 9 might jar for Particular Baptists, we would certainly say the same about appropriate baptismal candidates.
What makes my gift a spiritual gift?
I really liked this answer from John Piper and found his distinction between “natural” and “spiritual” gifts especially helpful.
Look to him
‘It is a strange kind of fight we’re in, the fight against sin. In pretty much every other war, the essential dictum is ‘know your enemy’. There is something of that in the fight for holiness – we are not unaware of the devil’s schemes – but knowing our enemy is not going to take us to victory. Doing reconnaissance, getting to understand sin and our own dark hearts better, is not going to get us there. The only thing that will bring victory over sin is looking to the Lord Jesus, gazing at him, seeing his beauty and glory and goodness, delighting in him.’
From the archive: What if we just really looked?
‘When my wife showed some of her friends pictures of the 12-week scan of one of our children, she met the same reaction a number of times. Several people commented how clearly – even on the 2D scan picture – you could see the head, arms, legs and all the rest of the baby. They said, openly, they just thought it would be ‘a clump of cells.’ It surprised them just how clearly it looked like a baby. And, as they say, if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably isn’t a clump of meaningless cells.’