Tag: legalism

Revelation, The Daily WordLeave a comment

Sincerity: The Fifth Mark of an Ideal Church (Revelation 3:1–6)

georgepwood

Sincerity—also known as authenticity—is the fifth mark of the church (Rev. 3:1–6). Its opposite is hypocrisy, which derives from a Greek word for actor. Just as an actor dons a costume and assumes a character for the stage, so a hypocrite dons a public persona that is at variance with his private self. The church in Sardis was a hypocritical church: “I know your works,” Jesus says. “You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” Several years ago, I read an article praising hypocrisy in The New Republic. The author did not voice a full-throated praise of … Continue reading Sincerity: The Fifth Mark of an Ideal Church (Revelation 3:1–6)

TheologyLeave a comment

What Legalists and Atheists Cannot Understand: Grace

georgepwood

Over at The Gospel Coalition, Chris Castaldo reminds us that how we Christians see God impacts how others see our God: The parable [of the prodigal son] ends there. Unlike the earlier stories, there is no explicit lesson from Jesus. We don’t know whether the formerly lost son’s big brother joins in the celebration, though it is clear that he should. The point, you see, is not bowing to some crabbed notion of fairness, but losing ourselves in God’s grand graciousness. Will the son forsake his pride and jealousy and become more like his gracious father? Will the Pharisees and … Continue reading What Legalists and Atheists Cannot Understand: Grace