In our sin-plagued world, the bent of civil government is to trend towards tyranny. This is especially true of a society that has cast off God’s total claim as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords – a society that has become post-Christian. In such a country, the state picks up the claim to total authority seeking to control more and more of its citizen’s lives. Rod Dreher, in his book Live Not by Lies, illustrates this truth by recounting the struggles Christians faced behind the Iron Curtain. He draws parallels from the Soviet era to our modern … Read More
Veterans Day
Much ink has been spilt—and much debate has occurred—over the question of whether it is right for a Christian to go to war. Today, as we celebrate Veterans Day and honor the memory of those soldiers who served our country during times of war, this presents a good time to reflect on that question. Can a Christian, in good conscience before God, go to war? This is the very question that challenged our Christian forefathers on the eve of the War for Independence. Their position was derived from Scripture, proclaimed from pulpits, and animated them with a spirit of conviction that … Read More
Reflections on the Dobbs Decision
Last month the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Mississippi law banning nearly all abortions in the state. Fierce debate, large protests, and even acts and threats of violence quickly followed, highlighting America’s growing cultural and political division. With many self-proclaimed Christians on both sides of this issue, it is important that we – as principled followers of Christ – set aside our partisan allegiance and personal experiences and consider Dobbs on its Biblical and Constitutional merits. Biblical Merits The central question of the debate over the original Roe v Wade ruling and now the Dobbs v … Read More
Podcast Interview with Heidi St. John
In this series of podcasts, IPS President, Mike Winther, joins Heidi St. John for two episodes on the “Off the Bench” podcast and one episode on “America’s Town Hall“. You can listen to each episode below. For years, pastors have been telling their parishioners that they cannot speak about political issues, hiding behind their tax-exempt 501(c)3 status. But is that correct? Mike Winther and Heidi St. John talk about this very important topic. How did our country stray so far from the Constitution and from the intended role of government? Put simply, it is a lack of education. Mike Winther … Read More
Are Christians Selfish With Our Liberties?
An IPS CommentaryBy Mike Winther, President of the Institute for Principle Studies Are Christian Selfish With Our Liberties? As the “stay-at-home” orders and other government restrictions on movement and assembly have continued, many churches have become frustrated at the limitations on their corporate worship. As a result, many church bodies have made statements or drafted documents that are asking public officials to restore their ability to gather for congregational worship. I want to applaud these efforts. It is important for the church to defend its God-given rights to travel, assemble, and worship. I do, however, want to challenge all churches … Read More
Abortion and Presumption
By Michael R. Winther, President of the Institute for Principle Studies Earlier this week, Alabama governor, Kay Ivey signed the Alabama Human Life Protection Act. This law is a bold statement in the defense of human life. A landslide of voices will attack and condemn the law–and those who supported it. Much of this criticism will be based on phrases like: “reproductive rights” and “equal rights for women”. The heart of the issue, however, comes down to how we view the fetus. (For the record, I should note that the origin of the word fetus reflects a meaning that is … Read More
The Workers in the Vineyard
THE WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD A parable takes a commonly-understood truth and uses it as a foundation (or a principle) to explain some other truth. In other words, it takes what the audience already understands and then uses this understanding to explain something the audience does not understand. In Matthew 20, the parable of the workers in the vineyard teaches some important spiritual truths. This parable teaches about God’s sovereignty, His justice, His faithfulness to His promises, His grace and mercy, and we cannot forget verse 16, “So the last will be first and the first will be last”. Volumes … Read More