Categories
Christology Eschatology

What did Jesus suffer “for us and for our salvation”?

A podcast interview with me Chris Date has begun a series of podcasts in which he will interview authors of chapters in A Consuming Passion. I am the first person on deck, and Chris spent quite a long time talking with me about my journey to annihilationism. Whether or not you have read the series […]

Categories
Eschatology Ethics

How can people who do not love God be considered not to be sinning?

In an earlier blog post, I argued that sinners in hell reach a point at which they no longer sin. In the comment thread, Chris Wettstein has asked: “If, then, the reprobate will not be ‘sinning’ can they be said to be ‘loving God’ and ‘loving their neighbour’?” I started to write a response to […]

Categories
Soteriology Spirituality

What makes us lovely to God, and why do we love him?

The love of God does not find, but creates, that which is pleasing to it. The love of man comes into being through that which is pleasing to it. So wrote Martin Luther, in the last one of the 28 theses that he composed for the disputation on April 26, 1518. Those theses and their […]

Categories
Ethics Hamartiology

What authority should we give to the conscience?

Naselli’s explanation of why our understanding of the conscience matters In a previous post, I shared some of the presentation made by Andrew Naselli (of Bethlehem College and Seminary) at the ETS meetings in Baltimore, in his paper entitled: “Defining the Conscience (Suneidesis): What It Means and Five Reasons It Matters.” After defining the conscience, […]

Categories
Evangelism

The gospel for people who identify themselves by their sexuality

She interrupted the sermon I was preaching. “Excuse me. I don’t mean any disrespect. I’m a lesbian. You’re talking about all of this love and mercy. What does this mean for me?” It was the launch day of our church plant in Long Beach, California. Long Beach has a large LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual) […]