Our Spiritual Blessings in Christ
Predestination, election, and adoption: such words scare some of us, conjuring up ideas that carry theological baggage. Has God elected to save some and chosen to damn others? Is Christianity a mere fatalistic religion? And what does it mean to be adopted by God? What does it mean to be God’s chosen people, His elect? These questions are particularly important for Arminians who have not always addressed these issues sufficiently. How...
Mere Christmas
“‘The White Witch? Who is she?’, ‘Why, it is she that has got all Narnia under her thumb. It’s she that makes it always winter and never Christmas; think of that!’ ‘How awful!’ said Lucy” [1]. One of the greatest dystopias that C. S. Lewis could imagine under an evil tyrant was an eternal winter—with no Christmas. The very thought of it brings us back to childhood threats of receiving coal rather than candy. Narnia’s bitter,...
“How Firm a Foundation”: Reflections on the 2012 FWB Leadership Conference
As people committed to their Free Will Baptist brethren, the Helwys Society frequently attends denominational events. We believe there is much value in many of these events, and the annual Leadership Conference is no exception. Recently, I was privileged to be able to attend the 2012 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee on December 3-4. The conference consisted of two plenary addresses on Monday and Tuesday evening, coupled with two...
Born Again, Again
In a small metropolitan church, a soft-spoken young woman sits before a group of six boys. It’s Sunday morning in this Sunday school class of 2nd grade boys. At the head of one of those industrial foldout tables, she asks, “If you were to die on your way home today with unconfessed sin in your heart would you go to heaven?” One of the boys quickly replies with a hearty “No!” “Well,” says the young teacher, “we must immediately confess...
Saving Schaeffer
On a shelf in the library archives of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is a box. Inside is an aging, well-worn Bible. Finding a Bible in a library is nothing special—but this one is. It, along with thousands of letters, cassette tapes, and videos comprise the Francis Schaeffer literary estate. While many Christians aren’t familiar with his books, many have heard his name. Some have even seen pictures of this unique man...
C. S. Lewis’s Journey of Faith: From Atheism to Christianity
Today, we celebrate Clive Staples “Jack” Lewis (1898-1963). Having authored popular works including Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Chronicles of Narnia, he is indisputably one of Christianity’s most beloved authors of the 20th century. As such he warrants a place in our Reformational Worldview Emphasis Month. Like Luther, Kuyper, and Schaeffer, Lewis took seriously those reformational categories of Scripture,...
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