Jeffrey Perry

Somewhere along the way, many Christians began speaking about “milk” and “meat” as though the gospel were the elementary, while the truly mature believer eventually moves on to more serious matters like practical obedience and spiritual disciplines.

The Beatific Vision and the Future-Driven Shape of Sanctification (Part 4) Sanctification is often spoken of as duty, discipline, or effort. While Scripture does call believers to strive, it consistently locates the energy for that striving not in fear or self-reliance, but in hope. The New Testament does not motivate holiness by endlessly pressing Christians back upon themselves, but instead it pulls them forward, and the horizon toward which it pulls them is the promise of seeing God. The...

How the Beatific Vision Shapes Christian Worship (Part 5) Worship Oriented Toward Sight Too often, Christian worship is described in functional terms. It instructs, encourages, corrects, and unites the people of God, and just to be clear, all of this is true, but it is not yet sufficient. Instead, scripture frames worship in eschatological terms. The gathered church stands between promise and fulfillment, between faith and sight, and when this tension is lost, worship easily becomes primarily...