I Know People Like This...

If you have not grasped the gospel fully and deeply, you will return to being condescending, condemning, anxious, insecure, joyless, and angry all the time. Elder brothers have an undercurrent of anger toward life circumstances, hold grudges long and bitterly, look down at people of other races, religions, and lifestyles, experience life as a joyless, crushing drudgery, have little intimacy and joy in their prayer lives, and have a deep insecurity that makes them overly sensitive to criticism and rejection yet fierce and merciless in condemning others. What a terrible picture! - Tim Keller, The Prodigal God, 70-71.

Martin Downes posts an interview with Ligon Duncan. You can read it here. This paragraph is worth reproducing since we are faced with opposition by those who think they know our position, but do not. Christians are not always good at dealing with criticism. This is valuable advice:

Refuse to take the insults thrown back at you personally. You are a servant of the word. And if a servant, you must be prepared to be treated like a servant. The only thing that matters is the glory of God, the vindication of the word, the upholding of the truth, the faithful proclamation of the Gospel and the good of souls. Let them cast what aspersions they may. You only crave the affirmation of One.

Thanks to Justin Taylor at Between Two Worlds for this link.

Five Reasons

Follow this link to read "Five Reasons to You Need to Study Theology," then follow the link on that blog to read five more.