Christian teaching regarding sex and sexuality is as straightforward to understand as it is often challenging to practice. Put simply, it requires all sexual activity to occur within a monogamous, lifelong, heterosexual marriage relationship. Sexually, anything beyond this comes of evil. This is not just a quirky, arbitrary religious rule about sex — although itContinue reading “Human Sexuality, Chastity and Christian Witness”
Author Archives: pastorjdburns
In Defense of Denominations
Why Denominations, especially Confessional Denominations, are Good for Us Almost every major denomination in America is and has been losing membership for some time, including the Missouri Synod, and the trend is likely to continue. The primary beneficiaries of all these losses are so-called “non-denominational” churches. Many Christians in America are simply switching to non-denominationContinue reading “In Defense of Denominations”
Roe Gone? God Willing!
Brothers and sisters, let us assume for a moment that the draft opinion leaked from the Supreme Court yesterday evening will ultimately be the Court’s ruling concerning Row v. Wade. May it be so! This has been a dreadful law since its beginning in 1973. It is well passed time to lay it to rest.Continue reading “Roe Gone? God Willing!”
Sicknesses and Demons
Cleaning an old shed, or a garage, which hasn’t been cleaned in a long, long, time, is not only a dirty business, but sometimes comes with surprises. Dirt on the floor, dust everywhere, boxes stacked on boxes, some broken open, some fallen over. Junk. Lots of junk. Pick through it, one item at a time,Continue reading “Sicknesses and Demons”
After 49 years of Roe v. Wade, Life is Still Sacred
For a Christian, a human person is a sacred thing, the pinnacle of God’s creative work. God Himself became a human being. He didn’t become an angel, but a human person. All creation is designed by God to support human life, and human beings themselves are specifically commanded by God to support it. The mostContinue reading “After 49 years of Roe v. Wade, Life is Still Sacred”
The Most Important Words
The Words of Institution are the most important words ever spoken. They are about the most important thing that ever occurred. They are spoken by the most important person who ever lived. The Words of Institution are about the meaning of the death of Jesus, and they are delivered by Jesus Himself within hours ofContinue reading “The Most Important Words”
Does Baptism “Save”? And if it Does, Does it Save Infants?
Some Christians believe it is wrong to speak about Baptism “saving”. They say that only Jesus saves, that Baptism is only an action commanded by Christ, that it is meant to be an outward sign of the believer’s faith, and that it is at most, perhaps, also a sign of what the Holy Spirit accomplishesContinue reading “Does Baptism “Save”? And if it Does, Does it Save Infants?”
Faith Doesn’t Save
“Faith” by itself is meaningless. No one just has “faith”. “Faith” has to be in something. So, to speak intelligently of faith, we must speak both of the act of believing, and in the thing believed. People believe things. They don’t just “believe”. According to the Scripture, “saving faith” does not save because it isContinue reading “Faith Doesn’t Save”
The Gospel
“I am not ashamed of the Gospel,” Paul said, “for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). The Gospel is the power of salvation. Not the Bible, not Scripture, but the Gospel. On the Last Day, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will beContinue reading “The Gospel”