Christians in Context: from orthodoxy to orthopraxy.: Sola Amor, or “Love” Alone: An Emerging Gospel:

When we decide that God is “more loving” than any other quality, we are engaging in a-Biblical, speculative theology. Despite its popularity in the postmodern church (and in sympathetic churches), speculative theology is precisely that: speculation. Due to its dependence on the fallible and wavering human mind, it is dangerous, leading us to contrived, false images of God. God as only love is one such contrived perception. The attributes and character of God are revealed to us through Scripture, and that which humans concoct about His character is powerless to affect what truly is.

Randy Stinson, president of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, has been running a great series on how he “uses the game of baseball in the lives of his two sons to build Christian character and cultivate biblical masculinity.”

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

I’m not at all a sports fan, so you know this must be good if I’m enjoying it!

Mark Coppenger writes on the jealousy of God, in the context of Oprah’s problem with it.

So, then, how could you feel comfortable with a jealous God? Well, a little more theology could help. When you learn that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good, then you realize that the Lord cannot be afflicted with insecurity, suspicion and selfishness — factors that poison human jealousy. It’s quite plain that something nobler is at work in the case of God, to whom all honor is obviously due. His jealousy is a matter of righteous indignation.

Read more.

“That henceforth we should not serve sin.” – Romans 6:6

Christian, what hast thou to do with sin? Hath it not cost thee enough already? Burnt child, wilt thou play with the fire? What! when thou hast already been between the jaws of the lion, wilt thou step a second time into his den? Hast thou not had enough of the old serpent? Did he not poison all thy veins once, and wilt thou play upon the hole of the asp, and put thy hand upon the cockatrice’s den a second time? Oh, be not so mad! so foolish! Did sin ever yield thee real pleasure? Didst thou find solid satisfaction in it? If so, go back to thine old drudgery, and wear the chain again, if it delight thee. But inasmuch as sin did never give thee what it promised to bestow, but deluded thee with lies, be not a second time snared by the old fowler- be free, and let the remembrance of thy ancient bondage forbid thee to enter the net again! It is contrary to the designs of eternal love, which all have an eye to thy purity and holiness; therefore run not counter to the purposes of thy Lord. Another thought should restrain thee from sin. Christians can never sin cheaply; they pay a heavy price for iniquity. Transgression destroys peace of mind, obscures fellowship with Jesus, hinders prayer, brings darkness over the soul; therefore be not the serf and bondman of sin. There is yet a higher argument: each time you “serve sin” you have “Crucified the Lord afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Can you bear that thought? Oh! if you have fallen into any special sin during this day, it may be my Master has sent this admonition this evening, to bring you back before you have backslidden very far. Turn thee to Jesus anew; he has not forgotten his love to thee; his grace is still the same. With weeping and repentance, come thou to his footstool, and thou shalt be once more received into his heart; thou shalt be set upon a rock again, and thy goings shall be established.

- Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, May 30 Evening