The Marrow: Seeing Evidence Of Faith Is Not A Return To The Covenant Of Works

Ant. But I pray you, sir, is not this his reflecting upon himself to find out a ground to lay his believing that he hath believed upon, a turning back from the covenant of grace to the covenant of works, and from Christ to himself? Evan. Indeed, if he should look upon these things in himself, and thereon conclude, that because he has done this, God had accepted of him, and justified him, and will save him, and so make them the ground of his believing; this were to turn back from the covenant of grace to the covenant of works, and from Christ to himself. But if he looks upon these things in himself, and thereupon conclude, that because these things are in his heart, Christ dwells there by faith, and therefore he is accepted of God, and justified, and shall certainly be saved, and so make them an evidence of his believing, or the ground of his believing that he has believed; this is neither to turn back from the covenant of grace to the covenant of works, nor from Christ to himself…[1] [1]
Thomas Boston | The Whole Works of Thomas Boston: An Explication of the Assembly’s Shorter Catechism, ed. Samuel M‘Millan, vol. 7 (Aberdeen: George and Robert King, 1850) 365.


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  • Tony Phelps
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    Tony grew up in Rhode Island. He was educated at BA (University of Rhode Island) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He worked in the insurance industry for ten years. He planted a PCA church in Wakefield, RI where he served for eleven years. In 2015–18 he pastored Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Colorado Springs. He is currently pastor of Living Hope (OPC). Tony is married to Donna and together they have three children.

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