We see them often in our neighbourhoods. A guy and a lady offering to share God’s word with us and leave behind some literature. Their iconic shoulder bag is a constant witness to their devotion and zeal. Jehovah’s witnesses are a religious group comprising about 8 million members globally across over 100,000 congregations. Founded by…
Tag: doctrine
Behold, Jesus, our Saviour!
At the heart of the Christian worldview is the person of Jesus Christ. Christians are the community of people who relate to Jesus in a certain way. While the rest of the world may admire Jesus for his moral integrity or consider him as one of the ‘greats’ of history, the Christian Church…
Do we need Creeds?
In the section of Nigerian Christianity where I grew up, few people know of creeds*. And the few who know about them often speak of them with disdain as elements of the worship of ‘orthodox churches’. By ‘orthodox churches’ is meant older denominations like Anglican, Baptist, and Presbyterian congregations. What are creeds? Creeds are established…
The Transcendence of God
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV) The transcendence of God is closely related to his sovereignty. It means that God is above, other than,…
Why the Apostles’ Creed Matters
We live in an anti-creedal age. Many churches do not have a body of jointly held beliefs. Where these are present, they often have little or no bearing on the life of the community. Sermons consist of sound bites, anecdotes and motivational remarks. If the Church is to be a force for change in the…
The Nature of Conversion
Conversion is the commencement of a journey – the christian journey. It is the start of a new life. ‘Once I was blind, but now I see’, described John Newton. Old things have passed away, all have become new. If conversion is such an important event, it is important that we clearly understand what it…
The Nature of Conversion
Conversion is the commencement of a journey – the christian journey. It is the start of a new life. ‘Once I was blind, but now I see’, described John Newton. Old things have passed away, all have become new. If conversion is such an important event, it is important that we clearly understand what it…
Why we need the Puritans, by J.I.Packer (Part 4 of 4)
The present chapter is, I confess, advocacy, barefaced and unashamed. I am seeking to make good the claim that the Puritans can teach us lessons that we badly need to learn. Let me pursue my line of argument a little further. It must by now be apparent that the great Puritan pastor-theologians – Owen, Baxter,…
Why we need the Puritans, by J.I.Packer (Part 3 of 4)
The foregoing celebration of Puritan greatness may leave some readers skeptical. It is, however, as was hinted earlier, wholly in line with the major reassessment of Puritanism that has taken place in historical scholarship. Fifty years ago the academic study of Puritanism went over a watershed with the discovery that there was such a thing…
Why we need the Puritans, by J.I.Packer (Part 2 of 4)
In what ways can they do this? Let me suggest some specifics. First, there are lessons for us in the integration of their daily lives. As their Christianity was all-embracing, so their living was all of a piece. Nowadays we would call their lifestyle holistic: all awareness, activity, and enjoyment, all ‘use of the creatures’…
The Christian Mind 