Dr Paul Allen

Most Christians can list the so-called seven deadly sins without hesitation. Pride. Lust. Greed. Gluttony. Sloth. Envy. Wrath. They’re preached, dramatized, and recycled endlessly. There is just one problem: the Bible never lists them like that. Not once. Not together. It is not regarded as a divine classification. The “seven deadly sins” are not a biblical list. They were systematized centuries later by Pope Gregory I in the sixth century as a moral teaching tool. While useful for instruction, the "seven deadly sins" are not found in Scripture. And somewhere along the way, tradition quietly replaced text. What Scripture actually gives us is far more direct—and far more uncomfortable. Proverbs 6:16–19 does not speculate. It does not symbolize. It does not philosophise. It says plainly, “There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him.” Then God lists them. Haughty eyes. A lying tongue. Some hands cause innocent blood to spill. There exists a heart that i...

David Mathis Have you ever wondered why we Christians so often sing about Jesus’s blood? It’s a very strange thing to emphasize, is it not? Not simply the cross and his death, but his blood. Just last Sunday, our church sang twice about the blood of Jesus. First in an old hymn: “And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior’s blood?” Then in a newer song: “By his blood and in his name, in his freedom I am free.” Growing up, I often sang, “There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-workin’ pow’r in the blood of the Lamb.” That was my dad’s favourite. Or one that many of us know: “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” We Bible-believing Christians do not simply recognize the reality of Jesus’s blood and refer on occasion to Jesus’s blood, but we sing about it. We glory in it. That is, in a spirit of worship, in declaring Jesus’s worth to each other, and in praising him for his greatness, we often sing about the otherwise morbid topic of blood. Have you ever stopped ...

In John 6, Jesus’ disciples comment that His words were “hard sayings.” Pastors are often asked, “What is the unforgivable sin?” Remember Jesus’ response to this question: “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” (Matt. 12:31–32) This is an amazing pronouncement about forgiveness. What an astonishing statement.  God, this majestic, glorious being, who has authority and power, whose kingdom endures through all generations, forgives sinners. Even from the cross, we hear Jesus beseech the Father for us, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Yet there is a seeming contradiction here:   “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.”  How can we resolve this paradox? D.A. Carson suggests that we ...

I imagine the tears really came once he could finally get the words out. How many times had he and his wife sat and cried together in silence? How many times had they had the same aching conversations? How many times had they talked about names? How many times had they held someone else’s newborn? How many times had they thought she might be pregnant? How many times had they asked for a child? And here he was, buried in their arms. The dream they had stopped dreaming. The son they thought they’d never meet. Like many first-time fathers (myself included), the man couldn’t find the words. In this case, however, he literally couldn’t speak. When Zechariah finally met his son, he could only ask for something to write on. He didn’t get to taste the boy’s name on his lips for eight whole days. I vividly remember meeting our firstborn. I can’t imagine feeling all I felt those days in silence. It might have killed me to try. So why had God held Zechariah’s tongue? When the angel Gabriel came t...

Sinners rescued from the road to hell love to rehearse and celebrate the mercy of God. Where would we be today without mercy? Where would we be  for eternity  without mercy? Without mercy, we would be dead in our sin, a death worse than death. Mercy called us from the tomb. Mercy lifted us out of the pit. Mercy opened our blind eyes. Mercy gifted us with faith, repentance, and joy. We deserved every possible ounce of rejection, punishment, wrath, but God gave forgiveness, love, and life instead. All that we have, we have by the mercy of God. Is there any other god, in all the religious imaginations on earth, who deals so gently and compassionately with sinners? “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,” Jesus says, “for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” ( Matthew 11:29 ). Knowing how we’ve treated him, all the endless ways we’ve each ignored and insulted him, he has every righteous reason to be severe and merciless, but he’s gentle with us...

As a Christian, I have read thriller and crimes novels on my holidays to relax. At times some books are a good read, others are filled with despair with no hope. Last year, I decided to write a thriller suspense espionage novel but I would put a Christian in the mix as a key person. In the Hunt for the Red Banners, I have also put two Muslim brothers. One seeks revenge and the other brother finally doesn't like the plan.  So I have the second brother trying to discover if guilt can be removed and if forgiveness can happen in a person's life. So he wanders into a church looking for answers. It is subtle and brief and yet some readers may reject it. Hopefully, they will identify with him in that - what does a person do with their guilt. The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Lulu.

She sits in my office, tears running down her face. Two years ago her mother died in hospice while she lay asleep at home. She was trying to get a decent night’s rest after days spent at her mother’s side. “I just can’t forgive myself. I let her die alone. I knew I should have been there, but I was selfish. I can never forgive myself for that.” Dozens have shared similar confessions with me. Does this resonate with you? What guilt do you bear? What burdens are you carrying because you can’t forgive yourself? If Christ has forgiven you, do you also have to forgive yourself? If Christ has forgiven you, do you also have to forgive yourself? Many are trapped because they can’t forgive themselves. My friend isn’t alone. And she feels trapped. Because she’ll never hear her mother offer her forgiveness, she feels like she can’t release herself from guilt. What Does Scripture Say?   Why can’t you release yourself from your sin? Is it because the weight is too much? Because you know yo...