Vigilant Christianity in this Present Evil Age

The new age has dawned in Christ but it is not yet consummated. As Christians we live between the times. We are rescued from the present evil age through Christ’s death, and yet we must be warned not to revert back to the old era. We are delivered from sin but are not sinless. We are perfect in Christ but not yet perfected. Hence, we must remain vigilant so that we do not become captive to a false gospel that actually panders to our selfishness and pride, even after we have become Christians.

~ Thomas Schreiner
    Galatians (ZECNT), p.80

Love Your Enemies; Trust the Avenger

Paul said that counting on the final wrath of God against his enemies is one of the crucial warrants for why we may not return evil for evil. It is precisely because we may trust the wisdom of God to apply his wrath justly that we must leave all vengeance to him and return good for evil.

Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” (Rom. 12:19-20 ESV). 

If God does not show wrath, sooner or later we shall take justice into our own hands. But God says, 'Don't. I will see to it.' 
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~ JOHN PIPER
Foreword to the book Pierced for Our Transgressions (by Jeffery, Ovey, and Sach)

Passionate Orthodoxy

Orthodoxy excites! Orthodoxy is the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith, tenaciously held throughout the centuries and delivered to us by faithful and fearless defenders of the faith. Orthodox doctrines are worth dying for! Orthodoxy moved Jude to charge us passionately to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). Jude's passion explodes on the pages of the Bible.

~ Alex Montoya
  Preaching With Passion, p.46-47

To the Selfie Generation

"In God’s estimate, to seek your own glory is to seek against his. He is not amused by our running out into the cosmos snapping selfies, yelling, “Look at me!” while the whole earth is full of his glory. This is God’s world, and our lives are lived before him as either the humble who delight in his name or the haughty who delight in our name."

~ JR Vassar 
   Glory Hunger (Crossway, 2015)

God and History

History is the product of God’s eternally wise planning, creative purposes, providential preservation, and common grace. God fills space and time with his presence, sustains history, and gives the temporal realm lasting value. The transcendent One is Lord of history. God does not negate time, but sustains, guides, and brings it to meaningful fulfillment of wise, gracious and just purposes.

~ Gordon R. Lewis

 Integrative Theology, p.200

Satan as an instrument of God

"... God uses our conflict with Satan to develop character. These struggles give us the opportunity of having our faith tested. Our spiritual war is a classroom where we can learn about the deceitfulness of sin and the chastisement of God-- along with His grace and power. God could have banished Satan to another planet or cast him immediately into the lake of fire. But He chose to use the devil, to give him a role to play in the divine drama. God knows that we must fight before we can celebrate. We must learn before we are appoved."

Erwin W. Lutzer
The Serpent of Paradise, p. 21

A Christian Neuroscientist Explains How Pornography Perverts A Man's Interactions With Women

"As men fall deeper into the mental habit of fixating on these images, the exposure to them creates neural pathways. Like a path is created in the woods with each successive hiker, so do the neural paths set the course for the next time an erotic image is viewed. Over time these neural paths become wider as they are repeatedly traveled with each exposure to pornography. They become the automatic pathway through which interactions with women are routed. The neural circuitry anchors this process solidly in the brain. With each lingering stare, pornography deepens the Grand Canyon-like gorge in the brain through with images of women are destined to flow. This extends to women that they have not seen naked or engaging in sexual acts as well. All women become potential porn stars in the minds of these men. They have unknowingly created a neurological circuit that imprisons their ability to see women rightly as created in God's image."

Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain
William M. Struthers
page 85, (IVP Books, 2009)