Article Roundup: 2019.01.28
This week’s roundup has a new section: the quote of the week! Usually I’ll draw it from something I’m currently reading, whether Scripture, theology, or literature.
Of course, the roundup will have a few articles, per usual, from the Christian blogosphere. Enjoy!
Quote
From John Calvin’s Institutes, Book Second, Chapter 2, on man’s sinfulness and subsequent humiliation:
What remains, therefore, now that man is stripped of all his glory, than to acknowledge the God for whose kindness he failed to be grateful, when he was loaded with the riches of his grace? Not having glorified him by the acknowledgement of his blessings, now, at least, he ought to glorify him by the confession of his poverty. In truth, it is no less useful for us to renounce all the praise of wisdom and virtue, than to aim at the glory of God. Those who invest us with more than we possess only add sacrilege to our ruin. For when we are taught to contend in our own strength, what more is done than to lift us up, and then to leave us to lean on a reed which immediately gives way? Indeed our strength is exaggerated when it is compared to a reed. All that foolish men invent and prattle on this subject is mere smoke.
Articles
The Illusion of Enemy-Less Christian Discipleship | Albert Mohler
C.S. Lewis observed the same phenomenon in his classic work The Screwtape Letters. As Lewis explained, humanity is prone to two extremes when it comes to thinking about demonic forces:
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.” [1]
Why You Can’t Get to Heaven Through the Mormon Faith | Eric Davis | The Cripplegate
Some object, “That’s unkind to say that that someone’s personal faith can’t get them to heaven.” Once again, if someone is about to get hit by a truck, and we can prevent it, would it be more unkind to get them out of the way or say nothing? What is kind is to love someone’s eternal soul and bring them the truth.
Sometimes well-meaning individuals respond, “Well, I know some wonderful, moral people who are Mormons.” I, too, know some kind people in the Mormon faith. However, the issue here is not on the kindness of a system’s adherents, but the truthfulness of its doctrine. Despite the outward morality which may exist within Mormonism, it is an unsavable system since it departs from the most essential doctrines; Scripture, God, Christ, and the gospel.
As a reminder, all of the articles I’ve saved over the past years are available in my Evernote collection.