Articles by Mark Johnston

'What makes a preacher choose any book or passage of the Bible to preach on?' That's the sixty-four thousand dollar question I tend to ask myself on not a few occasions and feel I have to answer to my congregation (usually when I'm beginning a new series). I suppose there is a degree of similarity in that to the mountaineer's question and answer: 'Why climb that mountain? - Because it's there!' continue

As we come to the last of our studies in the Apostles' Creed, we cannot help but be struck by the way it ends: I believe '...in the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting'. Given the brevity of the preceding statement on the forgiveness of sins, there is something in us that wants to hear more about the 'here and now' of the life of faith; but instead we're taken directly to the 'there and then'. continue

Our journey through the Creed has taken us from the heights of glory, contemplating God in his triune majesty, through to the new community Christ is building in the church. But as we have been confessing these great truths we might by this stage be forgiven for wondering, 'Where do I fit into all of this?' It is, of course, the burning question of personal salvation and what it entails. Without individual salvation there is fellowship with God and no place in his church. continue

The full depth of what that means brings us back to what went wrong with our race at the very beginning and to God's intentions for humanity as it was meant to be. As man was made uniquely for union and communion with God, so his union and communion with his fellow human beings was contingent on that primary relationship being intact. continue

The stark brevity of the Apostles' Creed's affirmation of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is enough to give many Christians apoplexy in today's church. To their ears it sounds almost insulting to the third Person of the Trinity after having said so much by comparison about the Father and the Son. But then again, perhaps today's church is not the benchmark of orthodoxy when it comes to this doctrine. continue

The New Testament refers to the return of Christ on some 300 occasions, so it is not something we can easily ignore or simply sideline in our understanding of the Faith. Yet, it is an aspect of the Bible's teaching that has been largely overlooked in recent times - at least in many Reformed churches. There may well be several reasons behind this oversight in the current teaching patterns of the church. continue

The One whose appearance and true identity were obscured and marred almost beyond recognition through his incarnation and then his crucifixion, is now exalted to his rightful place as Saviour-King of the world. continue

There is nothing more central to the Christian message than the cross of Christ. It is there in the shadows of the Old Testament. It explodes to the fore in the New, dominating the landscape of the Gospel records. continue

 It is one of best-known facts of Bible; yet it is shrouded in mystery. Its details are rehearsed every year in preaching, reading and song; yet they defy our comprehension. The virgin birth - or, more accurately, the virginal conception... continue

'I believe in God...!' So what? - don't most people? The number of real atheists in the world and throughout history is pretty small. So what's so special about these opening four words of the Apostles' Creed? The answer, of course, is what lies behind them. continue