Resources by Topic: Doctrine and Theology

The widely stated notion “all sin is alike to God” is not grounded in Scripture. Yes, all sin is bad, separates us from God, and is deserving of God’s wrath. All sin crucified Jesus, and He freely offers His grace because no sin is beyond the reach of God’s grace. But it’s a myth that every sin is exactly the same to God.

While I doubt anyone this side of Heaven will ever manage to fully “explain” how God’s sovereignty and human choice fully fit together, I believe Scripture provides us with many examples of how the two work symbiotically.

Christ had and has free will, but it too is governed by His nature. Because He is holy by nature, He could not sin, for as God He is incapable of sinning. 

In my books and on my blog, I’ve written about the happiness of God. But some might ask, “Humans who are happy with themselves are often considered arrogant and self-obsessed. So how can it be a compliment to say that God is happy with Himself?”

It’s become increasingly popular for people to share their “de-conversion stories,” talking about how they moved from belief in Christ and the Bible to a design-it-yourself type of spirituality, or even out right atheism. In the following article, Alisa Childers writes about “3 Beliefs Some Progressive Christians and Atheists Share.”

I’ve shared before my appreciation for Wayne Grudem, and long recommended his books on theology. I can't emphasize enough the importance of learning systematic theology. This article from him is a great introduction to what systematic theology is, and why it matters.

This is an excerpt from Greg Gilbert’s book What Is the Gospel? Gilbert uses satire to portray the type of god that many people seem to believe in these days. He’s basically toothless and harmless.

Question from a Reader: Do you believe the gift of prophecy has ceased?

There is nothing like the attributes of God to overwhelm us with a sense of eternal perspective as well as to give us comfort and encouragement.

Question from a Reader: In Revelation 3:5 Jesus says, “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life.” Doesn’t that clearly suggest that it is in fact possible to be blotted out of the book of life? In other words, that a saved person can become unsaved if they fail to “conquer,” that is, to live a victorious Christian life?

Last year, Paul Young, author of The Shack, had a book come out called Lies We Believe About God. Ironically, many of the doctrinal concerns that I and many others expressed about The Shack have proven to be true.

Question from a reader: What are your favorite books on apologetics?

By all means, we should rejoice in God’s mercy and love. But we must also recognize that our Lord is relentlessly holy, righteous, and just. 

Question from a Reader: I’m studying the book of Luke. I know that the Jews were expecting a Messiah that was king, deliverer, etc., but did they also expect a Messiah that was actually God? Are there any Old Testament prophecies that mention that?