Exploring Christianity

The doctrine of election is controversial because it is a statement about the works and will of God. So, our minds cannot fully comprehend it. We are left with simple statements, and we must consider them in light of other similar statements in the Bible to grasp as much as we possibly can. In this episode, we look at one such clear statement and consider what it means in light of the gospel statements connected to it and its meaning for our Christian lives.

Christians speak a lot about blessings, but they speak about material and earthly blessings more often than not. The Bible, however, does not promise us earthly, material blessings. Rather, it promises us the greatest blessing of all: Jesus Christ Himself. In this episode, we look at Ephesians 1:3 and consider what it means to be blessed in Christ.

When Paul greets the Ephesians, he isn't concerned about formality. Rather, he greets them in the gospel, and the two words best describing the gospel are grace and peace. These words get to the heart of the gospel. In this episode, we consider the work of the gospel and the God who has given us the gospel.

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Most people would turn to Martin Luther's famous 95 theses to know why the Reformation happened in the sixteenth century, but for our exploration, we turn to a lesser-known but better resource: John Calvin's The Necessity of Reforming the Church. We will consider the state of scholasticism and the trouble in the Catholic Church, but only to set the scene for Calvin's treatise to help us understand why the Reformation happened. Calvin focusses on four areas in the Church: Worship, Salvation, Sacraments, and Church Government, and while these can be taken for granted, Calvin shows us how important they are for the life of the Church. This episode not only helps us observe the state of sixteenth-century Christianity but also causes us to reflect on modern Christianity with the intention of pointing out our need to reform today. 

For more information: exploringchristianity.buzzsprout.com
To read the blog: thechristianexplorer.org
For my latest book: Amazon.ca
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In this episode, we begin our adventure through the book of Ephesians. To truly understand the message Paul intended for the church in Ephesus, we must let this letter speak for itself by first considering the content and context before we move to apply it to our lives today.  

"Romans is, humanly speaking, the most impressive of Paul's letters," Sinclair Ferguson once wrote, "But Ephesians is probably the most elegant." It is the gospel understood in light of union with Christ. In this episode, we take a helicopter tour over the book of Ephesians to see it is not a collection of disconnected parts, but one theme explained and applied. We also take a look at a neat historical event connecting Paul with the Ephesian church, and we get a glimpse into the culture of Ephesus.

What is the gospel? We hear a lot about the gospel, about "gospel" music, about being "gospel-centred," but not a lot of gospel itself. Paul gives us an indispensable overview of the gospel in the first eight chapters in writing to the Romans. He begins with our sinfulness, moving onto Jesus Christ as our substitute, and concluding with the assurance of the believer. In this episode, we dive into each of these aspects to understand the basic, simple gospel in a meaningful way.

Welcome to Exploring Christianity, a podcast for those who want to grow in their faith, in their understanding of God and their love for Him. Subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.