righteousness
God is Not Just
I’m back! 2020 was a rough year, and 2021 will likely be difficult as well, but I am going to try to get back into blogging and podcasting. In this first episode of 2021, I explain the new format for my podcast, and discuss three things: My thoughts on the response of some Christian pastors and authors on the January 6, 2021 election protest in Washington DC Mailbag: How to know you have eternal life and did not commit the unforgivable sin. Why God is not just, the Bible does not talk about justice, and how we can respond to injustice. Is God a God of love AND justice? Nope. On the topic of justice, here is a brief summary of what I say in the podcast, and also what I will be teaching in my soon-to-be-released Gospel Dictionary lesson on justice: “Justice” is not in the Bible. Indeed, the ...
Putting on the Breastplate of Righteousness (Ephesians 6:14b)
As we continue to look at the spiritual armor God has given us for our spiritual battle, we look at the breastplate. Specifically in Ephesians 6:14, Paul calls it the breastplate of righteousness. And just as with the belt of truth, we will look at this second piece of the armor in three ways. First, how it was used on the soldier, second, how it is to be used for us as Christians in spiritual battle, and then finally, how we can put it on for battle. Let us begin with what the breastplate did for the soldier. The Breastplate for the Soldier As the name implies, the breastplate of the Roman soldier was worn on the chest or torso of the soldier. Although at times, they were made out of leather, the breastplates worn by soldiers in Paul’s day were typically made from iron. But the breastplat...
