Author Archives: MikeB

C.S. Lewis on Humility

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I have been reading (actually listening on my commute) C.S. Lewis’ classic the Screwtape Letters. These letters are insightful and challenging looks at how to live out the Christian life.

CSLewis

They are written from the perspective of how demons might seek to tempt and pull us away from our relationship with God (known as the Enemy).

In letter #14 we find the master tempter Screwtape instructing his nephew, Wormwood, on how to deal with a problem. The person (aka the patient) that has been assigned to Wormwood, whom he is responsible for tempting and discouraging, is growing in his Christian walk.

Your patient has become humble

The first line of attack that Screwtape encourages his nephew to consider is to get his patient to focus on his humility. In this way they might attempt to draw out the vice pride as the man would suddenly start to think: I am being humble. Continue reading →

Top Posts in 2015

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Thanks readers for spending time exploring theology with me on the blog. I hope it helped you in your walk and worship!

This year I was able to publish 53 posts. I was pretty excited about keeping up with the goal of averaging a post a week. Part of the year was spent blogging through the new book Grace for All, which is a good collection of essays exploring theology from an Arminian point of view. I was happy to have 9 posts published on the Society of Evangelical Arminian site. 

Here are the top 5 overall posts in 2015 (by total views)

Rank Post
1 Blessed are those who hunger for a Markan sandwich Part of a series on the Gospel of Mark, this post examines the literary technique of layering stories that the author of the gospel uses to highlight and emphasize the points that he wants to make.
2 The Five Act Hermenuetic (Scripture and the Authority of God by N.T. Wright) drops out of the top spot after 3 straight years holding the title top post. This post takes a look at NT Wright’s 5 act hermeneutic (a fancy word for framework) that focuses on the story line that runs through the pages of scripture from Genesis to Revelation and finds its climax in the hero of the story Jesus.
3 Choosing a name for your view of Soteriology (Infographic)

This post captured the adage a picture is worth a thousand words. It was an infographic exploring the way various views understand how a person comes to faith.
4 John Wesley On Original Sin and Total Depravity. This post is part of an occasional series that explores the theological writings of John Wesley. In this post Sermon #44 and What is an Arminian are used to explore Wesley’s views on the fallen state of man.
5 Does God want all to be saved? A response to Dr. Kruger. This post took a look at how Dr. Kruger defended a Reformed understanding of God wanting all to be saved. It has generated a lot of discussion.

Continue reading →

Irenaeus: Wishing you a Merry Christmas

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Irenaeus was a bishop and theologian during the 2nd century. His 5 part work entitled Against Heresies gives us a view into the early church. As Christmas approaches, here are some of his thoughts on the Incarnation (III.20).

Just as the physician is proved by his patients, so is God also revealed through men. And therefore Paul declares, “For God has concluded all in unbelief, that He may have mercy upon all” (Romans 11:32) [saying this in reference to man], who had been disobedient to God, and being cast off from immortality, then obtained mercy, receiving through the Son of God that adoption which is [accomplished] by Himself.

This adoption, which is a work of God, is granIrenaeusSantated to all who have an active faith in God and the salvation that comes through Christ.

For he who holds, without pride and boasting, the true glory (opinion) regarding created things and the Creator, who is the Almighty God of all, and who has granted existence to all; [such an one,] continuing in His love and subjection (obedience), and giving of thanks, shall also receive from Him the greater glory of promotion, looking forward to the time when he shall become like Him who died for him,

But this promotion is only possible because the Word was willing to become flesh (John 1:1,14). Continue reading →