Free Republic

Disapproval of polemics¹ in the Christian Church is a very serious matter. But that is the attitude of the age in which we live. The prevailing idea today in many circles is not to bother about these things. As long as we are all Christians, anyhow, somehow, all is well. Do not let us argue about doctrine, let us all be Christians together and talk about the love of God. That is really the whole basis of ecumenicity. Unfortunately, that same attitude is creeping into evangelical circles also and many say that we must not be too precise about these...

By grace, God offers the righteousness of Christ to all who put their trust in Him. For all who believe, all who have faith in Him, the merit of Christ is reckoned to their account. Does this exclude good works in the life of the believer? By no means. Our justification is always unto good works. Though no merit ever proceeds from our works, either those done before our conversion or those done afterward, good works are a necessary fruit of true faith. “Necessary fruit?” Yes, necessary. Good works are not necessary for us to earn our justification. They are...

“. . . And in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness” (2 Peter 1:6). Godly perseverance is a sure evidence of true salvation. Commentator Michael Green has this to say about the believer who displays biblical perseverance: “The mature Christian does not give up. His Christianity is like the steady burning of a star rather than the ephemeral brilliance (and speedy eclipse) of a meteor.” The Greek word translated “perseverance” in today’s verse (hupomone) refers to consistent endurance in righteousness and faithfulness in resisting temptation. The precise meaning for hupomone is hard to pinpoint. There is no exact...

"To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away" (1 Pet. 1:4). Unlike earthly treasures, your eternal inheritance can never be taken away from you. Despite the benefits of bank accounts, stocks, bonds, and a myriad of other investment opportunities, every earthly inheritance eventually is lost. If someone doesn't steal it, or if it doesn't lose its value in a stock market crash or recession, death will separate it from you. It's inevitable! That's why Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break...

The gospel of free sins makes getting better sort of irrelevant. In fact, the constant pressure to “get better and better, every day in every way” is driving people away from the truth of the gospel. It’s not about getting better. Let’s start with a principle: almost everything of any importance is found while we’re headed somewhere else. I know that runs counter to the common wisdom of most leaders, but nevertheless, it’s true. We are admonished by almost everybody “who knows” that goals are important and if we don’t aim at something, we won’t hit anything. While setting goals...

Introducing the Church Fathers By Thomas Van ( | Jul 27, 2014 Several years ago, CatholicCulture.org processed and made available online a set of the writings of the Fathers of the Church. In order to make our readers aware of this under-used resource, and because the Fathers are still too little known despite their importance as a font of authentic Christian renewal, I will be posting a series of articles introducing the Fathers in chronological order. Who are the Fathers? Despite how the Qu’ran describes us, Christians are not “people of the book,” but people of the Word. While the New...

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 1 Corinthians 11:28 Bible Reading 1 Corinthians 11:23–29 The Lord Jesus calls and invites His church to celebrate the Lord’s Supper until He returns. This invitation should not be taken lightly. The Lord’s Supper is holy and celebrates God’s undeserved favour to lost sinners. This is why the apostle Paul calls every church member to examine themselves to see whether they really understand the significance of this sacrament. An individual who approaches the table in a careless manner is guilty of...

The question of whether animals will join us in the afterlife finally has a definitive response from Rome. It’s a topic that’s been long debated, with Popes weighing in unofficially on both sides. Last December, a story broke nationwide claiming that Pope Francis had declared that animals are going to heaven, but it turns out that the media had conflated two stories, and that it was actually Pope Paul VI who had, many years earlier, told a young boy that “one day we will see our animals in the eternity of Christ.” Paul was later contradicted by Pope Benedict XVI,...

The Christian faith is radical. In fact, if what you call “Christian” is not radical, then it is probably not Christian. Those of us who have been around Christianity a long time have forgotten how radical our faith really is. In fact, that we believe it at all is a very cogent argument for its truth. Nobody in their right mind would make it up. Think about it. We believe that there really is a God who created the whole world for His purposes and that those purposes are being worked out in history. We believe this God is holy...

“And in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance . . .” (2 Peter 1:6). Personal self-control demonstrates the certainty of your salvation. In Peter’s day, the word translated “self-control” was used to describe athletes. The successful ones abstained from sexual activity and an unhealthy diet for the sake of disciplined training exercises. You practice personal self-control when you control your desires and don’t allow them to control you. Let me share some practical tips that have helped me with self-control. 1. Start small. For example, begin by cleaning your bedroom or office, then extend that discipline to the...

"[God] caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Pet. 1:3). Everyone receives an eternal inheritance—either Heaven or Hell. We have seen several aspects of the believer's inheritance, and will see more in future days. But realize that unbelievers also will receive an inheritance, for Jesus will say to them, "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. . . . And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matt. 25:41,...

Veil in Reverse – A Reflection on the Veiling of Moses’ Face Msgr. Charles Pope • July 23, 2015 • In most traditional Catholic settings, we think of the veil as something a woman wears, a sign of traditional modesty and prayer. In this sense we consider it something good and positive, though perhaps some among us are less enthusiastic.But in the readings from Exodus that we are hearing in daily Mass, the veil is presented in far more ambivalent terms:As Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, he did not...

I was 11 years old when Roe v. Wade (1973) gave women a constitutional right to abortion. My parents told me a story to help me understand this momentous event. Here was the content: a member of my family, whom I loved, once used her own knitting needles to abort a baby she knew she couldn’t afford to feed. Here was the meaning: we were practical, hard-working Italians, and nothing was going to hinder us from achieving the American Dream for each and every family member. This was a story of heroism. The woman was a matriarch who knew how...

“In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.” - Ecclesiastes 7:14 It is no sin to be joyful when we prosper. Though we should be aware of the temptations that are unique to prosperity, we should not therefore think that prosperity is something to be avoided or that we have necessarily done something wrong when we enjoy the good things of life. Jesus, after all, even though He was not a...

“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) The thought that the death of Jesus and His shed blood were somehow the ransom price paid to redeem lost sinners from an eternal prison in hell has been a stumbling block to many of those very sinners. Yet that is the teaching of Scripture, whether it appeals to their reasonings or not. “Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold. . . . But with the precious...

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1:4 Bible Reading 1 Corinthians 1:4–9 Devotional Do you thank God for the manifestation of His grace in the life of other Christians? Expressing gratitude for God’s grace in others immunizes you against the deadly poison of hatred, resentment and bitterness that so easily gets into our blood. When you are able to thank the Lord for His grace in others you have an effective defence against envy, gossip and slander; it becomes extremely difficult to hold grudges...

“. . . in your moral excellence, knowledge” (2 Peter 1:5). Moral excellence cannot develop in an intellectual vacuum. It’s a frightening thing to realize the extent to which our culture downplays knowledge in favor of emotions. These days people are more likely to ask, “How will it make me feel?” instead of, “Is it true?” Sadly, the church has bought into the spirit of the age. Many people go to church, not to learn the truths of God’s Word, but to get an emotional high. The focus of theological discussion also reflects the contemporary hostility to knowledge. To a...

"According to His great mercy" (1 Pet. 1:3). Every dimension of life, whether physical or spiritual, is a testimony to God’s mercy. When God saved you and granted you an eternal inheritance, it wasn't because you were special or more deserving of His love and grace than others. It was because He sovereignly chose to love you and extend His great mercy to you. That's why Paul said, "God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you...

The Fire Next Time: A Meditation on the Glance of God from the Fiery Cloud Msgr. Charles Pope • July 22, 2015 • As we read through the Book of Exodus in daily Mass at this time of year (16th Week of the year) there comes the passage about the crossing of the Red Sea. As God parted the waters, He went on ahead of the people in the fiery column of His presence. And describing the Egyptians pursuit of the Israelites is this passage:In the night watch just before dawn the LORD, through the column of the fiery cloud,...

Oddly enough, it’s sometimes progressives who are most eager to move the culture backward. As we reflect in horror at the utter callousness with which some persons and organizations speak of (not to mention crush) the tiniest humans, it’s worth remembering that the ancient world was unabashedly open to the killing of children. For starters, they had almost none of the sentimentality we have towards kids. There was no Disney, no summer camps, no play dates. Family life–even if there was such a thing–certainly did not revolve around children. In general, children, were useful at best, burdens at worst, and...