Articles
Every Christian is a theologian. The question is whether if they are a good one or not. Our theology inevitably impacts every area of our lives (either consciously or unconsciously) – even our creativity – so it is important for creatives and Christians in general to think deeply about their theological beliefs.
GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY & HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY | What About Free Will?
The argument about God’s sovereignty and human responsibility has kept Cage Stage Calvinists and Arminians busy in the comments section of many social media posts. Sometimes it can seem like one of those debates that draws more heat than light. However, the controversy is not without its purpose and many Christians have found it both practically and spiritually edifying to do the hard work of seeking Biblical answers for these questions.
The History of Pentecostalism | How was this movement birthed?
The Pentecostal Movement is one of the largest Christian sects in the world today. However, not many know its origins or how it came to be. Origin stories are important for understanding the way our world is today and learning from the past. This article explores the story of the birth of the Pentecostal Movement.
The Nature of Tongues | A Historical Analysis
You can listen to an audio version of this article here: In our first article in this series, we explored theology behind the nature of tongues. That is, "what is the content of the spiritual gift...
The Nature of Tongues | A Theological Analysis
What does the Bible teach about the nature of the gift of tongues? Is it an unintelligible extatic heavenly language? Or is it the miraculous ability to speak an unlearned human language? This article examines the Bible’s teaching to see what it clearly says.
THE INCARNATION | Our Worship & Witness
In the previous article in this 2-part series on the incarnation, we looked at the wonder of the incarnation in the narrative of the Bible's redemptive history. In this article, we take a look at...
THE INCARNATION | The Wonder of Christmas
As we approach the celebration of Christmas, it is important that we reflect on the importance of the momentous event that it signifies. So often we can get caught up in the hustle and excitement of...
Culture & the Christian | Part 5 – Our Response to Culture
In this series, we've surveyed what is the Biblical view of culture and examined its religious nature in the practices that form us, the stories that give meaning, and the groups that define us....
The Communities of our Culture | Part 4 – The Groups that Define Us
We are created to be social or communal beings – truly, no man is an island. This is a good thing as the Lord Himself affirms that it is not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18). We naturally form groups and as such, we create identity markers that reinforce belonging to those groups. The communities we belong to in our culture are the groups that define us. This article explores this concept from a Christian worldview.
The Doctrine of our Culture | Part 3 – Stories that give meaning
The stories that a culture believes is its “doctrine” and substantially shapes the worldview that is popularized. The culture, in effect, is preaching its own “Gospel” – its own way to salvation – fully equipped with its own doctrine and story of creation, fall, redemption and consummation. This article explores the stories that give meaning in our culture.
The Religious Nature of Culture | Part 2 – Liturgies
All culture is religious in nature because culture is simply religion externalized. That is true for Christian, Muslim, Hindu and even Atheistic cultures. This article explores the religious nature of culture and why it matters.
A Theology of Culture | Part 1 – Series Intro
Culture is part of the ‘natural habitat’ we inhabit daily as we live our lives, yet something – like the water fish swim in – that we seldom stop to seriously consider. It’s one of those words we throw around and assumes that everyone knows what it is and what we mean but sometimes find it hard to actually define it. We feel caught off-guard. This article series explores the topic of “culture” from a Christian worldview.
ExeGreeksis | “A Higher Standard” – Matthew 5:21-32
The ΕχεGrεεκsις series of articles are meant for those who want to dig in deeper into the text beyond just a casual reading. It intends to pull back the curtain a little to see a bit of what goes on...
Perseverance of the Saints | Eternal Security
Can you lose your salvation? Reformed Theology states that the Bible teaches that all whom God has chosen, redeemed by Christ’s atoning work and regenerated by the powerful working of the Holy Spirit to give them a new heart are eternally justified, in the progress of sanctification and will eventually be glorified. All true believers, although they may struggle with sin and even serious lapses, are kept in the faith by the power of God himself and therefore will never ultimately fall away but rather persevere in faith until the end.
Irresistible Grace | Effectual Calling
Reformed Theology states that regeneration precedes (comes before) faith. The Holy Spirit graciously regenerates every one of the elect, creating a new heart in them whereby they freely and willingly believe in Christ as Saviour. Thus, the New Birth makes faith possible – the person must be made alive first to believe.
Limited Atonement | Definite Redemption
The title “Limited Atonement” really is an unfortunate misnomer. It can imply that what Calvinists are saying is that the atonement’s value is somehow limited – as if Christ’s death only had saving power for a certain amount of people. But this is not what was meant. Christ’s death is infinitely valuable. Instead, what is being said is that the scope or intention of the atonement is restricted to be effective for the elect. Another way to put it is that Christ’s atonement is sufficient for all, but efficient for the elect.