But in some places “the cross” also indicates the doctrine that Christ died for sinners on the cross – the atonement that He made for sinners by His suffering for them on the cross, the complete and perfect sacrifice for sin that . . . Continue reading →
HeidelQuotes
Perkins: We Receive Christ Through Word And Sacrament
Of our receiving of Christ given by God, two things must be observed. One is that we must there receive Christ where God offers and gives Him, that is, in the word and sacraments. The second is that faith is our hand . . . Continue reading →
What About Deepfakes?
As technology advances, it is only becoming easier to lie. That statement might be surprising at first glance. With the advent of photography, audio, and video recording, we have gained access to more truth than ever before. We are now able to . . . Continue reading →
Luther: Moralists Are Thieves
…[Paul] scolds the Galatians in great indignation for having let this divine and heavenly doctrine be stolen from their hearts so quickly and easily; it is as though he were saying: “You have teachers who want to lead you back into the . . . Continue reading →
Riddlebarger: Jesus Did Not Come To Establish A Political Kingdom
Much like modern dispensationalists expect Jesus to reign over the nations in the future millennial kingdom, the Jews expected the Messiah to establish a political kingdom whereby Israel would rule over the Gentile nations. This explains why the Jews rejected Jesus as . . . Continue reading →
But What About My Works?
I have been asked many times, in the context of biblical counseling, about the relationship between a person’s faith and their good works. In most cases, the person asking the question was struggling at some level with their own sense of assurance of pardon from . . . Continue reading →
What In The World Is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT and similar tools that generate text or images are one example of advances in technology that use algorithms built from data rather than being human-handcrafted. You probably have used some of them: Data-generated algorithms can identify faces in photographs, control autonomous . . . Continue reading →
Riddlebarger: The Headcrusher Must Himself Be Crushed
The entire Old Testament is filled with the expectation and promise of a coming Redeemer. He would crush the serpent but would be bruised himself. He would come from the seed of the woman (a veiled reference to the virginal conception), be . . . Continue reading →
Of Choirs And Praise Bands
Choirs (and their casual, modern descendants worship teams and praise bands) have been near-ubiquitous in Reformed churches for less than two centuries, but just like government programs, once instituted these groups are difficult to disband even though their historical pedigree is weak. Arrangements may be . . . Continue reading →
Luther: The Law And Gospel Are Found Throughout Scripture
But you might say, “Isn’t there also much Law in the Gospels and in the Epistles of Paul, and again many promises in the books of Moses and the prophets?” Answer: There is no book in the Bible in which both are . . . Continue reading →
Perkins On The First Mark Of Faith
The second question is, when faith begins first to breed in the heart? Answer. When a man begins to be touched in his conscience for his sins, and, upon feeling of his own spiritual poverty, earnestly hungers and thirsts after Christ and . . . Continue reading →
Being A Witness In A Hostile Workplace
I have a Christian friend who works in human resources for a large financial services institution. She recently shared with me that, for the sake of diversity and inclusion, employees are now strictly prohibited from discussing matters of religion in the office. . . . Continue reading →
There Is Hope!
In Proverbs 13:12, we read that, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick . . .” Thousands of counseling hours over more than ten years at Baylight have made this biblical truth visibly evident. Life’s dominating circumstances can surely weigh anyone down, but nothing . . . Continue reading →
Riddlebarger: Christ Is Our Prophet, Priest, And King
As the story of redemption unfolded in the Old Testament, the offices of prophet, priest, and king repeatedly came into view. Moses prophesied that “the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. . . . Continue reading →
The Second Commandment Is God’s Word
In recent decades, there has been a renewed appreciation for and embrace of a “Calvinistic” (i.e. Biblical) soteriology in which God is recognized as sovereign in all the affairs of men and even in salvation. Dr. T. David Gordon suggests this phenomenon . . . Continue reading →
Luther On The Two Words
The second word of God is neither Law nor command and demands nothing of us. But when the first word of the Law has worked misery and poverty in the heart, then He comes and offers us His blessed and life-giving Word. . . . Continue reading →
Perkins On The Privilege Of Adoption
What is the excellency of this benefit [of adoption by God’s grace]? Answer. Great every way (John 1:12). He which is the child of God is heir and fellow-heir with Christ (Rom. 8:17), and that of the kingdom of heaven, and of . . . Continue reading →
Johnson On The Timing Of The Kingdom
Jesus’ parables sometimes send mixed messages about the timing of the coming kingdom. He speaks the parable of the wedding banquet in response to a fellow dinner guest’s pious-sounding beatitude that seemed to envision a distant future age, “Blessed is everyone who . . . Continue reading →
Biblicism Never Dies
In 2016, there was an eruption in conservative Evangelical and Reformed theologians surrounding the doctrine of the Eternal Functional Subordination of the Son (EFS). There’s no need to rehash what has already been said, as that has been summarized helpfully elsewhere. Needless to . . . Continue reading →
Riddlebarger: Christ Is The Central Character
The central character of the story, even in the Old Testament, was the Redeemer, Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and sinful humans (1 Tim. 2:5). He lay hidden in Old Testament shadows but was revealed in the New. Seeing the . . . Continue reading →