Dr Paul Allen

The ancient Hebrew songwriter of Psalm 116 sings with joy, I love the Lord because he has heard          my voice and my pleas for mercy. . . . The snares of death encompassed me;          the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;          I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the Lord:           “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!” Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;          our God is merciful. . . . You have delivered my soul from death,          my eyes from tears,          my feet from stumbling. (Psalm 116:1–8) This is the collective testimony of God’s people — he loves us, and we love him. And because he loves us, our Savior has promised that when we pray for anything according to his will, he will answer us (John 14:13–14). In two previous articles, I wrote about how I prayed for my daught...

"The Kiss of Judas" is a traditional depiction of Judas by Giotto di Bondone, c. 1306. Fresco in the Scrovegni Chapel, Padua. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Sometimes people get the idea that the goal of the Gospel is to instill guilt in our lives. I have even met psychologists who contend that most mental illness is the result of deep-seated, religiously instilled unworthiness, regret, and repressed guilt. These doctors consequently expend much effort discrediting Christianity in order to free their clients of the source of their problem. The apostle Paul lends more light to this subject than virtually any other writer, biblical or secular, ancient or modern, in his short parenthesis in 2 Corinthians 7:8–11: Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it.… I am happy … because your sorrow led you to repentance . For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leav...