Michael Horton on the gospel and kingdom....
Martin Davie clarifying the often misunderstood post-World War II Latin phrase, “ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda."...
There is no such thing as a “non-liturgical church.” The choice is not between liturgy or no liturgy, but between having an agreed-upon, well-thought-out liturgy or leaving things to the spur of the moment and the discretion of the leader. As one wag has rightly observed, if you think “organized religion” is bad, try disorganized religion....
The Protestant Reformation was waged on two fronts: the errors of Rome and the errors of the radical Reformation (i.e., so-called Anabaptists)....
The Double-Edged Nature of God's Revelation- The sacraments are means of grace. However, because they are linked to the covenant and more broadly to divine revelation, they are not always means of grace but sometimes means of judgment apart from a Spirit-wrought faith....
John Calvin: Christ has Redeemed us through His Obedience, which He practiced throughout His Life (Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2.16.5)...
Walter Marshall on how true saving faith embraces Christ for both justification and sanctification. He shows that God's grace is twofold (i.e., the duplex [twofold] beneficium [benefit]). Justification is the first benefit (beneficium) and sanctification is the second benefit (beneficium). ...
According to Andy Stanley, the 21st century church must “unhitch the Christian faith from their Jewish scriptures.” Is this correct? No! We know this from Jesus' attitude towards the Old Testament, as well as the Apostles' and NT writers. We also object to Stanley's suggestion because of the nature of progressive revelation and the Scriptures central witness to Christ and His saving work....
Assurance lies in the very direct act of faith as one is presented with Christ, the object of faith. The reflex act of faith can support our profession but it cannot become the ground our assurance....
In Hebrews 12:18-24, the author of Hebrews expresses deep concern about where his readers stand in relation to the God who asks, “Adam, where are you?” To prevent his readers from a calamitous reversion to Jewish beliefs and practices, the author of Hebrews sets forth two contrasting relationships with God, determined by two antithetical covenants. By contrasting the old and new covenants, the author demonstrates the superiority of the new covenant over the old covenant. This superiority not only stresses the disastrous consequences of reverting under the old covenant (10:26-31; 12:25-29) but also provides the motivation for his readers to progress and move forward rather than drift and fall away from God (2:1-3; 3:12)....
Collapsing the covenants into one overarching theme of grace confuses law and gospel and effectively eliminates an explicit law-gospel distinction in Scripture....
Keep ReadingDoes placing primary emphasis upon justification for assurance understate the importance and necessity of good works (i.e., sanctification)? Does this emphasis dishonor the Holy Spirit’s indwelling work?...
Keep ReadingJohn Calvin discusses the four "causes" of salvation (i.e, the efficient cause- God the Father's mercy; the material cause- Christ's obedience/death; the formal/instrumental cause- faith alone; the final cause- the glory of God)....
Keep ReadingZacharias Ursinus, author of the Heidelberg Catechism, discusses the law and gospel. Ursinus refers to the law and gospel the "chief and most expressive mark of the true church."...
Keep ReadingTheodore Beza on how the Gospel changes the effect of the preaching of the Law in believers....
Keep ReadingTheodore Beza on the similarities and the differences between the Law and the Gospel....
Keep ReadingTheodore Beza on what end (purpose) the Holy Spirit uses the preaching of the Law....
Keep ReadingTheodore Beza on the Gospel and its authority, why, how and for what end (purpose) it was written....
Keep ReadingTheodore Beza on the manner in which the Gospel includes, in substance, the books of the Old Testament....
Keep ReadingTheodore Beza on the two parts of the Word of God....
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