But, although these things were in principle present in Mary’s heart, she did not at that moment perceive the pledge of hope contained in them. Her grief was too profound to leave room for introspection. It even hid from her vision the . . . Continue reading →
2023 Archive
“Woman, Why Are You Weeping?”
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast: Sin, Salvation, & Service: The Threefold Truth Of Romans (15)
In this episode Dr Clark looks at Romans 4:1–3 and considers what indeed was gained by Abraham and how. Was it by works or through faith alone? What does “and it was counted to him for righteousness” mean? He also answers . . . Continue reading →
If The Very Physical Presence Of Christ Did Not Produce Faith Why Do We Turn To Images?
The apostles could hardly have forgotten the face of their Lord, yet their writings contain no description. They who worked hard to preserve Christ’s words were content to allow his appearance to be forgotten. It cannot have been mere practicality; if they . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: Holy Saturday In Light Of Psalm 62
King Jesus would know silence in a way that David never could because he was not merely wounded and abandoned. He was murdered in the most brutal way the Romans knew. He was publicly humiliated and shamed, and then, they hoped, silenced by being placed in a tomb.
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The Three Marys: A Good Friday Meditation
They are present in John’s gospel as objects of his love. Yes, Mary was standing (stabat) but she was standing there with the other two Marys not as Mediatrix and not as co-Redemptrix, but as a sinner saved by the favor of God alone (sola gratia), through faith alone (sola fide). Continue reading →
Take And Eat Became Verbs Of Salvation
God allows the forbidden its full appeal. The pattern of sin runs right through the act, for Eve listened to a creature instead of the Creator, followed her impressions against her instructions, and made self-fulfillment her goal. The prospect of material, aesthetic . . . Continue reading →
On Being Reformed Now Discounted To $24.99 Until April 19, 2023
The publisher has discounted the hardcover version of On Being Reformed to $24.99 until April 19, 2023 Continue reading →
The Suffering Servant: A Primer on the Passive Obedience of Christ (Part Two)
As we meditate on these truths and thus come to a greater understanding of what our Lord Jesus went through on our behalf, hopefully, this adds depth to our appreciation of him and his suffering for us. And so, this week, as we hear of his final Passover, his prayers in Gethsemane, his midnight trial, his disciples scattered, his discussion with Pilate, his death sentence, his torment on the way to the cross, his agony on the cross, his final words, his being pierced through by the spear, and his burial in the tomb, it is my prayer that we will not only see these as events that truly did occur in history but that they would have a profound influence on our lives. Continue reading →
Reformed Christians and Lent
Reformed Christians have at their disposal great resources to recover a richer and deeper piety of self-denial. In his exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, the English Reformed writer William Perkins devoted fifteen pages to discussing Matthew 5:16, “when you fast,” . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast: Is Confessional Reformed Theology Antinomian?
At the most recent Shepherds Conference held at Grace Community Church, GCC pastor/elder Phil Johnson responded, at some length, to some criticisms of The Gospel According to Jesus, which criticisms were published here in 2019. Continue reading →
The Suffering Servant: A Primer on the Passive Obedience of Christ (Part One)
On the night wherein he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus, knowing that he would soon be arrested and crucified, went to the Garden of Gethsemane, fell on his face in great agony, with sweat coming down his head like great drops of . . . Continue reading →
Machen Was Worth a Hundred of His Fellows
‘We have lost a man whom our times can ill spare, a man who had convictions which were real to him and who fought for those convictions and held to them through every change in time and human thought. There was power . . . Continue reading →
With Presbygirls On Abuse In The Church
Dr Clark joined the Presbygirls podcast (part of the Presbycast media empire) with Sarah Morris, Sean Morris, and Josh Squires this week to discuss how the church should and should not address abuse. Here is the video version: RESOURCES Subscribe To The . . . Continue reading →
Connecticut Church Sues Over Vaccine Mandate
A Connecticut church is suing the state for allegedly breaching its First Amendment rights by no longer allowing parents’ religious exemptions to vaccines. The lawsuit comes after the state ordered Milford Christian Church to implement the vaccine mandate and expel students who . . . Continue reading →
The CRC Is Right About Kinism (Part Two)
We began discussing the heresy of Kinism and its confusion between nature and grace in Part One of this article. The Kinists claim that people naturally congregate in ethnic/racial people groups, and they seek to use their analysis of nature to leverage . . . Continue reading →
Top Five Posts For the Week of March 27-April 2, 2023
These were the top five posts for the week beginning March 27, 2023. Continue reading →
Christian School Banned From Inter-Scholastic Competition Over Trans Policy
A private Christian school that forfeited a girls’ basketball game rather than play against a team with a transgender player has been banned from Vermont school sporting events. The Vermont Principals’ Association, which oversees school athletics, said Monday afternoon that Mid Vermont . . . Continue reading →
The CRC Is Right About Kinism (Part One)
The Covid crisis and lockdowns did a lot of damage physically, spiritually, and emotionally. One effect of the lockdowns is that it has given credibility to some who opposed the lockdowns. Christians who would have never countenanced the errors of theonomy, Christian Reconstructionism, or postmillennialism are . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast: Sin, Salvation, & Service: The Threefold Truth Of Romans (14)
In this episode Dr Clark looks at Romans 3:27–31 and consider’s what Paul meant by “the law of faith” and “outside the law” and whether Luther was correct to add “alone” to his translation of Romans 3:28. He answers a call from David . . . Continue reading →