Christians and Gay Marriage

Carl Trueman has written an excellent article regarding a Christian response to the Gay Marriage issue:

What is becoming increasingly clear is that the day is probably not far off when those who regard homosexual practice as wrong will be consistently presented as the moral, cultural and intellectual equivalents of white supremacists.

He also comments, as Al Mohler has done much recently, on how uncool biblical Christianity is in American culture.

This issue is set to shatter any possibility of traditional, biblical Christians being considered cool.

My wife has always said that I am uncool, and for the first time, I am proud of that description.

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John Calvin Is 500 Years Old

Some excellent comtemporary theologians have called Calvin the greatest theologian in the history of the church. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with that claim, the impact of Calvin's theological writings cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, most Christians are only familiar with the five points of Calvinism (T-U-L-I-P) and never dive much deeper into the life and works of Calvin. For this reason, and to honor his 500th birthday, Ligioneer Ministries has published this book as an attempt to famaliarize more Christians with the man and his work: John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, Doxology.

I cannot wait to get my hands on this collection of essays from some of today's most influential pastors and professors. If anyone needs a Christmas gift idea for me ... I'm just saying.

To get people in the mood, here is a quote from Calvin:

As the surest source of destruction to men is to obey themselves, so the only haven of safety is to have no other will, no other wisdom, than to follow the Lord wherever he leads.

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What is the Gospel?

I am more convinced than ever that it is essential for the church to understand the Gospel more fully: what it is, its message, and its power. At its most basic level, the Gospel is the story of Jesus Christ: who he is, what he accomplished, and mankind's relationship to him. Michael Horton has recently been in the habit of trying to clarify many points regarding the Gospel. Here is one such clarification:

By definition, the gospel is not something that we can live. It is only something that we can hear and receive. It is good news, not good advice.

I agree. The gospel is a proclamation; it is a factual account and a historical claim. It is news that must be believed in order for somone to be a Christian. The Gospel is a bold and clear statement about God, mankind, and the person and work of Jesus Christ. If the church is going to make any attempt at recovering the Gospel of Christ, then we must begin with this understanding.

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