Tag: jesus
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Calvin and Lewis on Liturgy
John Calvin on liturgy: “As to what concerns a form of prayer and ecclesiastical rites, I highly approve of it that there be a certain form, from which the ministers be not allowed to vary: That first, some provision be made to help the simplicity and unskillfulness of some; secondly, that the consent and harmony…
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“Sin Boldly”: Righly Understanding Luther’s Counsel to Melanchthon
Melanchthon was having another one of his bouts of conscience. His sins and sinfulness were weighing on him. He wrote to Luther, wondering aloud if he was really and truly a Christian. Luther responded with straight gospel fire: “Sin boldly. But believe even more boldly in Christ, and rejoice.” In other words: yes, you are…
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Old X Posts, #2
Another post from the archives: — Every book in the New Testament teaches that our eternal destiny hinges on doing good works There is no salvation without obedience Good works are necessary if we are to be saved You will not be forgiven without repentance Do not be deceived: You will reap what you have…
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Quotebook #7
“Charity means pardoning the unpardonable, or it is no virtue at all. Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all. And faith means believing the incredible, or it is no virtue at all.”— Chesterton — “A good man’s work is effected by doing what he does, a woman’s by…
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Jesus and the Nations: What the Christian Nationalism Debate Is Really About
What kind of nation do we want to live in? What kind of nation should America be? Or to put it yet another way, what is good for America? What is good for Americans? Christian Nationalism is an attempt to answer that question. Of course, there isn ’t just one version of Christian Nationalism. Some…
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Home: What Christian Nationalism Is Really About
Christian nationalism grows out of and is undergirded by Christian familialism. There can be no Christian nation where there are not countless Christian families. And where there are happy and holy Christian families, the broader Christianization of the nation is sure to follow. Christian nationalism starts around the dining table. It starts in neighborhoods and…
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Conquest’s Second Law
These are old X posts, from August and November of 2024. — A thread on Conquests Second Law: Conquest’s Second Law states, roughly, “Any organization not explicitly and constitutionally right-wing will sooner or later become left-wing.” What Robert Conquest recognized in this law is that it takes more effort to build than to tear down,…
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More on Theonomy/Christian Reconstruction and Christian Nationalism: Calvin and the WCF, Public Religion, America’s Christian Founding, the Problems with Racial Identity Politics, Ordo Amoris, Patriotism, Calvin on the Civil Magistrate, and More
My article on the current Christian Nationalism movement was published by Theopolis. Here are some additional older notes I put together that cover some ground not covered in the Theopolis essay (some of this material has been posted to X; a few bits and pieces of it probably did make it into the Theopolis essay).…
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Calvinism and America’s Founding
On and around January 3, 2025, I put up a number of posts on X about the role of Calvinism in America’s founding. I reproduce some of them here, along with a few other notes. — The first Great Awakening, which was very Calvinistic in nature, was certainly instrumental in America’s founding. George Whitefield –…
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The Politics of Simeon (Luke 2)
In Luke 2:28ff, an elderly prophet named Simeon takes baby Jesus into his arms and sings a prophecy over him. The short song has three themes: This last point is especially relevant, both politically and missionally. Baby Jesus has come to accomplish a mission of salvation. That mission now continues through the church, as Jesus,…
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