Dr Paul Allen

By John Piper Today we look at how to best speak of a culture’s sins — when we must do so. Such work is complicated by the fact that Paul seems to tell us there are some sins in a culture that are simply too wicked and too “shameful” to even speak of. That’s according to Ephesians 5:12, at least on the surface of it. So what shameful sins should Christians not even speak about? The question is from a listener named Dan. “Pastor John, hello to you! I am an elder at my church, and I was thinking about how sin is to be addressed by Christian preachers, both pastorally to the congregation and in calling out the sins of culture. What advice would you give preachers on how to avoid merely complaining or going off on angry rants about cultural sins, and how to wisely identify and call for repentance from sins inside the church? So what cultural sins do we expose and speak out against? What cultural sins do we ignore or refrain from talking about because of their vulgarity? And how do you thin

When I talk with new church members, I make a big promise. And so far, no one has ever returned to complain that I misled them. I promise that if they show up consistently (in our church, that means corporate worship on Sunday and home group on Wednesday) and seek to care for others, they will get everything they want out of the church. That could be spiritual growth, friendships, biblical knowledge, or practical help. They will get whatever they want from the church by fulfilling just those two simple tasks. If you don’t participate regularly, you don’t get the formative experience of church. You don’t grow in biblical knowledge through the teaching or in relational depth through praying with others. And if you don’t seek the good of others, you learn to judge the church for how it fails to meet your needs and how others fail to reach out to you. I’ve never seen people rediscover church and get what they want from the community unless they consistently show up and ask others how they

Last year, we surveyed 8,000 readers. The study revealed that pornography usage is higher among younger adults than their older counterparts. David Mathis sums up our findings: More than 15% of Christian men over age sixty admitted to ongoing use. It was more than 20% for men in their fifties, 25% for men in their forties, and 30% for men in their thirties. But nearly 50% of self-professing Christian men, ages 18–29, acknowledged ongoing use of porn. (The survey found a similar trend among women, but in lesser proportions: 10% of females, ages 18–29; 5% in their thirties; increasingly less for forties, fifties, and sixty-plus.) Sexual sin is one of the greatest threats to thriving and vibrant Christian living. Many Christians, especially young singles, are discouraged and defeated in their fight to overcome sexual sin. Many are so overwhelmed they simply give up for a season. They give in to their sin, stop reading their Bibles, stop sharing the gospel, and eventually stop at

If we ask what is the most characteristic and comprehensive work of the Holy Spirit, according to the New Testament, there can be little doubt that we should answer in the one word, “fellowship”. When the Apostle expands his usual simple benediction—“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you”—into the triple form which we employ,2 he does it by going behind the grace of Christ to the love of God which inspired it, and by coming forward into the Church’s experience of fellowship with the Father, through that grace, a fellowship created by the Holy Spirit.   But fellowship with God so essentially means fellowship with men (since men are inevitably drawn closer together as they approach God) that he makes this fellowship of Christians with one another in the Spirit the basis of his appeals for humble and helpful service.3 The charismatic gifts of the Spirit are all imparted for the service of the fellowship, and His greatest of all gifts is love.4  The peculiar fruit of

How can we have fellowship with God? In this familiar yet vital New Testament passage, John unlocked truths that can transform us—and our attitude toward ourselves as well as toward God. Light (1 John 1:5–7). John’s first answer to the question of how believers can have fellowship with God was simple. God is Light. If we walk in the light, we will have fellowship. Often when John spoke of light (and he used the term 30 times in his writings), he was quoting Jesus: “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12; see 9:5; 12:46). The essential nature of God as light sets God apart from man. Man’s sinful condition has made the world lie in darkness. Even worse, “Men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (3:19). Confronted with the nature of God, men twist and struggle to turn away from such holiness. “Light” and “darkness” are moral terms in John’s writings. The character of God is e

Vertical is how we talk about godwardness, transcendence, holy moments, the reverent hush of the sanctuary. Horizontal describes handshakes, exhortations, brotherly affections, the cheerful chatter of the lobby. I am not altogether dissatisfied with these two words as a device to describe elements of corporate worship. But at times I find myself at a complete loss how to divide certain activities in our services. Which kind of moment is passing the communion bread? Should singing to God build up my neighbor? Can I worship while greeting or ushering? These two planes intersect in these remarkable words from John: If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20) John writes his first letter to help readers increase confidence in their faith (1 John 5:13). He weaves together these simple and profound tests for Christian legitimacy. One of the tests is affecti

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19–22) The writer to the Hebrews commands us to draw near to God. This letter exhorts us to persevere, and this profound call to draw near to God is right at the heart. In the midst of difficulty and temptation, we’re told to come closer. To move in. To draw near. This command to draw near might be summarized as a summons to live in a rich God-accomplished relationship with God. Rich — And Accomplished by God It’s a rich relationship, not a mechanical one. It requires a “true heart in full assurance of faith.” This is a full and rich and satisfying relationship — one tha