Posts by David Huffstutler
The Salvation of Infants and the Mentally Disabled
Good people disagree over what happens to infants and the mentally disabled when they pass away before their “the age of accountability,” the age when a child can realize the difference between right and wrong. Some emphasize the justice of God as to how to deal with the sin of the deceased, and others emphasize…
Read MoreUnion with Christ Breaks the Power of Sin
Romans 5:12–21 describes an amazing reality for believers. We were once sinners in Adam, under the reign of sin and death. Now, however, we have received the grace of God and free gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ. We have been declared righteous by God, and grace reigns over us, leading to eternal life through…
Read MoreHope in Romans 5:1-11
In Romans 5:1–11, Paul refers to hope three times (Romans 5:2, 4, 5) and speaks to the content of our hope as well (Romans 5:9–10). The following briefly examines these mentions of hope for our encouragement today. Hope in the Glory of God First, Paul sates, “We rejoice in hope of the glory of God”…
Read MoreIn and Out of the Tomb: The Resurrection of Jesus
What follows below is a moment-by-moment summary of what of the Gospels say about what happened at the tomb with a primary focus on Jesus. In the Tomb: Matthew 27:57–66; Mark 15:42–47; Luke 23:50–56; John 19:38–42 In the evening after the death of Jesus (Friday), Joseph of Arimathea took courage and secretly asked Pilate for…
Read MoreHistorical Fundamentalism: A Personal Word
My personal ecclesiastical heritage stems from what I would call historical fundamentalism. While those two words together may not be the first phrase out of my mouth to describe myself or my church’s history to a guest at my church, it can be a helpful phrase to use if one has the time to give…
Read MoreHezekiah: An Example in Character for the New Year
In one of the Bible’s “new years,” 2 Chronicles 29:3 records of Hezekiah, “In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them.” At first glance, this may seem like simple maintenance, but further study shows that opening and repairing these…
Read MoreFrom Sorrow to Salvation (Psalm 69)
From David to God Above: Psalm 69 in Its Original Setting Sorrows overwhelm us from time to time—so many, that they seem to be a sea. David was almost drowning in them when he wrote Psalm 69, his lifeline to heaven to pull him safely back up? (cf. Ps 69:29). He startles us with an…
Read MoreThanking God as a People; Thanking Him One by One
Thanksgiving comes every year, and giving thanks to God is a standard privilege of the Christian life. It is our obedience: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It is also a way to glorify God—notice the parallelism in Psalm 86:12: “I…
Read MoreWhat the Bible Says about Premarital Sex
This post is my brief summary of “A Biblical Argument Against Premarital Sex” by Mark Snoeberger in Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 20 (2015), pages 45–63. If you have time, I would encourage you to read the entire article. At the least, a quick consideration of the passages below is helpful as we seek to live…
Read MoreWhat Does It Mean to Be a Busybody?
Three verses in the New Testament refer to a busybody—2 Thessalonians 3:11, 1 Timothy 5:13, and 1 Peter 4:15. The following briefly explores the meaning of busybody in each verse. 2 Thessalonians 3:11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. “Busybodies” in this verse…
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