Issue
The Garden of God
Vol. 24, No. 4 • Jul/Aug 2015
My parents sent me off to college with, among other things, a copy of Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. Despite the majesty of Calvin’s theology, reading through the Institutes can be a difficult endeavor. Most difficult are the parts where Calvin engages in extended refutations of his contemporary opponents. As a college freshman, I […]
All Articles (17)
The Son of God in Adam’s Shadow
My parents sent me off to college with, among other things, a copy of Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. Despite the majesty of Calvin’s theology, reading through the Institutes can be a difficult endeavor. Most difficult are the parts where Calvin engages in extended refutations of his contemporary opponents. As a college freshman, I […]
The Cyber-Disciple vs. The Church Member
The Garden
You can become anything you want to be.” I think I may have said that to my own kids before. Happily, upon further reflection, it’s not true. God handcrafts human beings, through nature and nurture, to fulfill a specific role in the web of relationships in society and, above all, in Christ’s body. “There are […]
The Seed
Editor’s Introduction In January 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicated the German Reformer Martin Luther. Later that spring Luther was called to the Diet of Worms, a gathering of political and ecclesiastical officials in the presence of Emperor Charles V, to defend his beliefs. When he famously refused to recant, staking his position on the word […]
The (New and Improved!) Church Calendar
A Year of Signposts—Following the Church Calendar
ADVENT – Fourth Sunday before Christmas EPIPHANY – 12 days after Christmas LENT – 46 days (approx. 6 weeks) before Easter EASTER – First Sunday after the Paschal full moon (a Sunday between Mar. 22 and Apr. 25) ASCENSION – 39 days after Easter PENTECOST – 10 days after Ascension I realize that following the […]
Christian Living
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Help! Saved but Still Sinning
Sanctification isn’t effortless. The act of dying to sin implies spiritual battle and life-long war against sin. Living unto righteousness implies costly, intensive labor that daily says “no” to sin and “yes” to Christlikeness. So what do we do when we fail yet again? How can we overcome feelings of failure, defeat, and self-loathing when we sin?
Fearing Death Isn’t a Sin. Here’s Why.
“To the one who is afraid of death, dear brother or sister, Don’t let your fear turn into faithlessness, but instead offer it to God.” Jesus’s death and resurrection have transformed what death means for the Christian. Pastor Adriel shares that feeling fear at the approach of death is not automatically sinful, however, the real […]
The Weight of Steadfastness
What if the discomfort we’ve avoided—the very trial we’ve begged God to remove—is the instrument our loving Father is using to bring us to completion, the place where lasting joy is found?
Assurance in the Shadow of Doubt
The coexistence of assurance and doubt is not a contradiction, but a reflection of the Christian life lived between justification and glorification. True assurance rests not in the strength of one’s faith, but in the object of that faith—Jesus Christ—and the presence of doubt, while unsettling, does not nullify genuine belief.
