Heidelcast: Is Confessional Reformed Theology Antinomian?

Heidelblog

on April 5, 2023 | 9 Comments

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 →

Turretin: Works Are Signs Of Justification

Heidelblog

on March 24, 2023 | 6 Comments

Although our justification will be fully declared on the last day (our good works also being brought forward as the sign and proof of its truth, Matt 25:34–40), still falsely would anyone maintain from this a twofold gospel justification—one from faith in . . . Continue reading →

Where Is Faith In Justification?

Heidelblog

on February 1, 2023 | 2 Comments

In Romans and other Pauline epistles, repentance is a fruit of God’s grace rather than its cause. For example, we find in Romans 2:4: Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s . . . Continue reading →

Lordship Salvation, The Federal Vision, And The Covenant Theology That The Reformation Rejected

Or Why History Is Useful

R. Scott Clark

on January 9, 2023 | 14 Comments

More than twenty years ago, in the summer of 2001, Mike Horton and I were sitting beside a hotel swimming pool one evening during Synod Escondido, along with several ministers from our federation (denomination) of churches (the United Reformed Churches in North . . . Continue reading →

Second Council Of Orange On Nature And Grace In Justification

Heidelblog

on December 7, 2022

CANON 21. Concerning nature and grace. As the Apostle most truly says to those who would be justified by the law and have fallen from grace, “If justification were through the law, then Christ died to no purpose” (Gal. 2:21), so it . . . Continue reading →

Evangelicals And Catholics Together: A Post-Mortem

R. Scott Clark

on December 2, 2022 | 3 Comments

When the essay first appeared, the controversy over Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT) was still relatively fresh. Reformed leaders (e.g., Mike Horton, R. C. Sproul, James M. Boice, and W. Robert Godfrey, et al.) had responded to ECT by forming the Alliance . . . Continue reading →

Berkhof On Legal And Spiritual Unity With Christ

Heidelblog

on November 19, 2022 | 2 Comments

The mystical union in the sense in which we are now speaking of it is not the judicial ground, on the basis of which we become partakers of the riches that are in Christ. It is sometimes said that the merits of . . . Continue reading →

UPDATED Coming In 2023: Beza, Polanus, and Turretin On Justification By Faith Alone

R. Scott Clark

on November 17, 2022 | 1 Comment

For the first time ever in English, the Classic Reformed Theology Series is proud to present a treatise by Theodore Beza (1519-1605), a section from the Syntagma of Amandus Polanus (1561-1610), and an academic disputation by Francis Turretin (1623-1687) on the doctrine of justification. Continue reading →

Second Council Of Orange On Adam And Christ

Heidelblog

on November 16, 2022

CANON 15. Adam was changed, but for the worse, through his own iniquity from what God made him. Through the grace of God the believer is changed, but for the better, from what his iniquity has done for him. The one, therefore, . . . Continue reading →

Rome Believes In A Two-Part Justification

Heidelblog

on November 8, 2022 | 3 Comments

Before justification the sinner enters into a state of preparation whereby he, by his own free-will and in co-operation with the Holy Spirit, is prepared for future justification. During this preparation the sinner comes to accept a general knowledge of God and . . . Continue reading →

Calvin On Justification Without The Aid Of Love Or Works

Heidelblog

on November 5, 2022

John Calvin insists on the importance of adhering to the exclusive particle. Continue reading →

Ursinus Against The Antinomians, Libertines, And Similar Fanatics Who Deny That The Decalogue Is For Teaching in the Christian Church (Objection 5)

Heidelblog

on September 26, 2022

Obj. 5. He who makes satisfaction to the law by punishment, is not bound to obedience according to the rule, The law binds to obedience or punishment, but not to both at the same time. We now make satisfaction to the law . . . Continue reading →

Turretin: Works Justify Faith

Heidelblog

on August 26, 2022

A twofold trial can be entered into by God with man: either by the law (inasmuch as he is viewed as guilty of violating the law by sin and thus comes under the accusation and condemnation of the law); or by the . . . Continue reading →

Tyndale: Justified And Beloved

Heidelblog

on August 13, 2022

Our good deeds do but testify only that we are justified and beloved. Continue reading →

Turretin: The Twofold Nature Of Salvation

Heidelblog

on August 12, 2022

We remark that the obedience of Christ has a twofold efficacy, satisfactory and meritorious; the former by which we are freed from the punishments incurred by sin; the latter by which (through the remission of sin) a right to eternal life and . . . Continue reading →

Regarding Piper’s Notion Of Justification And Love

Heidelblog

on August 8, 2022 | 4 Comments

But surely that is a progressive response of sanctification. It is not definitive, but justification is a once-for-all act of divine declaration “Righteous!” I am certainly more satisfied with Christ today than I was sixty years ago when I first believed, but . . . Continue reading →

Examining The Remonstrants On Reconciliation

Heidelcast

on August 5, 2022

The Reformed disagreed with the Remonstrants on the definition of “reconciliation.” Continue reading →

A Debtor’s Ethic

R. Scott Clark

on July 4, 2022 | 14 Comments

John Piper has complained that the historic Reformed understanding of the Christian faith and life produces what he calls a “debtor’s ethic.” The assumption is that a “debtor’s ethic” is something that we are supposed to reject out of hand. I have . . . Continue reading →

Sobre la justificación en Romanos y Hebreos

S. M. Baugh

on June 28, 2022 | 1 Comment

Uno no suele pensar en Hebreos cuando se trata de la doctrina de la justificación, sino que normalmente vamos directamente a los escritos de Pablo. Pero Hebreos en realidad contiene mucha enseñanza que contribuye significativamente a la doctrina más amplia de la justificación . . . Continue reading →

Perkins: The Doctrine Of A Two-Stage Justification Is A “Popish Device”

Heidelblog

on June 23, 2022 | 5 Comments

That popish device of a second justification is a satanical delusion for the Word of God does acknowledge no more but one justification at all, and that absolute and complete of itself. There is but one justice, but one satisfaction of God . . . Continue reading →