It is being argued by some prominent evangelicals, who identify themselves as Reformed, that salvation is in two stages. They say that the first stage of salvation is justification by grace alone, through faith alone on the basis of Christ’s righteousness imputed. . . . Continue reading →
2019 Archive
Recovering Our Reformed Past: On J. H. Heidegger With Ryan Glomsrud (Part 2)
What if I told you that there is an entire library of orthodox, careful, influential, important, Reformed books, that formed and shaped our entire history—books on Reformed theology, piety, and practice, biblical interpretation, biblical theology, covenant theology, commentaries on Scripture, the Christian . . . Continue reading →
On Sale Now For $25: On Being Reformed (UPDATED)
This slender volume contains four essays. One written jointly by Crawford Gribben and Chris Caughey, one by Matthew Bingham, one by D. G. Hart, and one by yours truly. Ordinarily this volume is, for its size, rather expensive. It is a little . . . Continue reading →
Bavinck’s Critique Of Pietism
Like so many other efforts at reforming life in Protestant churches, Pietism and Methodism were right in their opposition to dead orthodoxy. Originally their intention was only to arouse a sleeping Christianity; they wished not to bring about a change in the . . . Continue reading →
On Jesus, Assumptions, Temptation, And Speculation
In a recent interview posted to the Australian edition of a very popular evangelical website, Ed Shaw, co-founder of the Living Out website, where it is argued that same-sex attraction (SSA) is “natural” and that SSA is not per sesinful—this is the . . . Continue reading →
God Does Not Re-Define Sin Or Righteousness
The words “felon,” “offender,” “convict,” “addict” and “juvenile delinquent” would be part of the past in official San Francisco parlance under new “person first” language guidelines adopted by the Board of Supervisors. Going forward, what was once called a convicted felon or . . . Continue reading →
He Is Not A Pastor Any More
Investigative journalist Julie Roys has alerted us all to news published in the Palm Beach Post that Tullian Tchividjian has planted a new congregation in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. This is news because Tchvidjian’s ministerial credentials were revoked by his PCA presbytery on . . . Continue reading →
Some Practical Consequences Of Reformed Covenant Theology
It is exciting to discover what are sometimes called “the doctrines of grace,” i.e., the teaching that even though by nature we are dead in sins and trespasses, we came to faith because God loved us in Christ from all eternity and . . . Continue reading →
John Owen: The New Covenant Is The Abrahamic Covenant Renewed
18. Thus under the old testament, when God would take the posterity of Abraham into a new, peculiar church-state, he did it by a solemn covenant. Herein, as he prescribed all the duties of his worship to them, and made them many . . . Continue reading →
Spirit And Truth Preview
Some Practical Consequences Of Reformed Covenant Theology
In Matthew 16:18 he promised to build “his church” and that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church. He gave the “keys of the kingdom” (16:19) to Peter as a Christ-confessor an anticipation of his office as apostle. In . . . Continue reading →
Making Melody With Instruments Versus Making Melody In The Heart
The Ancient Christian church did not use musical instruments in public worship. They did not enter public worship in the West until the middle of the 8th century, i.e., well into the early medieval period. Further, that was one isolated instance, in . . . Continue reading →
Calvin: Musical Instruments Were Intended Only For God’s Ancient People
The musical instruments he mentions were peculiar to this infancy of the Church, nor should we foolishly imitate a practice which was intended only for God’s ancient people. But the Psalmist confirms what has been already mentioned, that their religious assemblies which . . . Continue reading →
Comfort In The Midst Of Corruption, Death, And Sorrow
The Presenting Problem For most Americans this past week has been very sad. For those in directly affected in El Paso and Dayton, it has been a horrible week that has changed their lives permanently. Loved ones and friends have been murdered . . . Continue reading →
AGR 2019 Conference Audio—Hospitality: The Gospel Comes With A House Key
On July 26, 2019 AGR and the Escondido United Reformed Church were pleased to co-host the first-ever Abounding Grace Radio conference. Our speaker this year was Dr Rosaria Butterfield. She is a former tenured professor of English and women’s studies at Syracuse . . . Continue reading →
AGR Conference Audio—Intersectionality: What It Is And Why It Matters
On July 26, 2019 AGR and the Escondido United Reformed Church were pleased to co-host the first-ever Abounding Grace Radio conference. Our speaker this year was Dr Rosaria Butterfield. She is a former tenured professor of English and women’s studies at Syracuse . . . Continue reading →
With The New Geneva Podcast On Amillennialism (Part 2)
For many American evangelicals, faithfulness to the Bible means believing in a view of end times (eschatology) that teaches that says something like this: The book of the Revelation is to be read literally (including chapter 20) The formation of the nation . . . Continue reading →
Recovering Our Reformed Past: On J. H. Heidegger With Ryan Glomsrud
What if I told you that there is an entire library of orthodox, careful, influential, important, Reformed books, that formed and shaped our entire history—books on Reformed theology, piety, and practice, biblical interpretation, biblical theology, covenant theology, commentaries on Scripture, the Christian . . . Continue reading →
Deconversion And Covenant Theology
In the wake of Josh Harris’ announcement of his apostasy a group of leaders in the so-called Young, Restless, and Reformed movement (YRR) or New Calvinism has written of his “deconversion.” If one searches the history of Christianity one will probably not . . . Continue reading →