Not only are Christian confessions consistent with Scripture and church history, they are practically conducive to positive societal engagement. Historic confessions help ground our evangelistic method in the larger scope of church history, essentially protecting us against inventing some new doctrine, or . . . Continue reading →
Salvation
Don’t Leave It In The Vault
As is especially evident in today’s context, it’s one thing to adopt a confession and quite another to be confessional’ to think, witness, live, and worship consistently with our profession. A confession can be a historical document that we leave in the . . . Continue reading →
Owen: To Deny Baptism To The Children Of Believers Is To Deny Christ’s Faithfulness
To deny that the children of believing, professing parents…have the same right and interest with their parents in the covenant, is plainly to deny the fidelity of Christ in the discharge of his office. John Owen | The Works of John Owen, . . . Continue reading →
Luther On God Pleasing Despair
I remember that Staupitz used to say: “More than a thousand times I have vowed to God that I would improve, but I have never performed what I have vowed. Hereafter I shall not make such vows, because I know perfectly well . . . Continue reading →
Calvin: Through Faith Two Apparently Inconsistent Things Are Reconciled
Then these two things, though apparently inconsistent, do yet perfectly harmonize when we speak of faith; for the Spirit of God shows to us hidden things, the knowledge of which cannot reach our senses: Promised to us is eternal life, but it . . . Continue reading →
Owen: A Little Faith Gives The Whole Christ
True faith in the least degree, gives the soul a share in the first resurrection. It is of the vital principle which we receive when we are quickened. Now, be it never so weak a life we have, yet it is a . . . Continue reading →
Colquhoun: You Cannot Add Your Works To Christ’s
As this is a great error [to mingle law and gospel], so it is a very dangerous error. If a man attempts to add any works of his own to the consummate righteousness of Jesus Christ as the ground of his justification . . . Continue reading →
Colquhoun: You Won’t Get Away With It. Flee To Christ
Can you imagine that the omniscient and righteous Judge of all the earth will take no notice of you or that He who is “of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity” (Hab. 1:13) but with infinite . . . Continue reading →
Luther Distinguished Law And Gospel In 1519
Now, what need is there to go through all of Latomus, point by point, since what has been said thoroughly refutes his entire position and confirms mine? I have sufficiently shown that his whole work consists of begging the question, for he . . . Continue reading →
Owen: It Is Christ’s Obedience Or Nothing
And therefore those who affirm that our obedience is the condition or cause of our justification, do all of them deny the imputation of the obedience of Christ unto us. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, as that on the . . . Continue reading →
How Baxter Came To Reject The Reformation Doctrine Of Salvation
To repeat my point, Owen could have had any number of authors in mind when he offered this extended critique, but it has to be said that Richard Baxter fitted the bill pretty well. In his first publication, the Aphorismes of Justification, published . . . Continue reading →
Colquhoun: The Whole Salvation Is Freely Offered
Is the whole of Christ’s salvation offered in the gospel to sinners? Then salvation from the law as a covenant of works is tendered to them. In the declarations and offers of the blessed gospel, the consummate righteousness of Jesus Christ, which . . . Continue reading →
Owen: It Was All For Us And Credited To Us
First, By the obedience of the life of Christ you see what is intended,—his willing submission unto, and perfect, complete fulfilling of, every law of God, that any of the saints of God were obliged unto. It is true, every act almost . . . Continue reading →
Owen: Only Christ’s Righteousness For Us
In eternal vengeance will he plead with the adversaries of his beloved, Matt. 25:41–46; 2 Thess. 1:6; Jude 15. It is hence evident that Christ abounds in pity and compassion towards his beloved. Instances might be multiplied, but these things are obvious, . . . Continue reading →
Owen: Christ Performed All Our Obedience
1st. He expiates former iniquities, he satisfies for sin, and procures remission of it. Rom. 3:24, 25, ‘Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith . . . Continue reading →
Luther: Only Christ’s Merits And Works Save
Listen to this: For Christ alone it is proper to help and save others with His merits and works. The works of others are of benefit to no one, not to themselves either; for the statement stands: “The just shall live by . . . Continue reading →
Calvin: Christ Brings Only To the Father Those Given To Him By The Father
Christ brings none to the Father, but those given him by the Father; and this donation, we know, depends on eternal election; for those whom the Father has destined to life, he delivers to the keeping of his Son, that he may . . . 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 →
Perkins In Defense Of Particular Redemption
Whereas Paul says that “the promise is given to believers,” [Gal. 3:22] it is manifest that the promise is not universal in respect of all mankind, but only indefinite and universal in respect of believers. Wherefore their doctrine is not sound that . . . Continue reading →
Perkins: The End Of The Law Is Conviction
Mark further, the end of the law is conviction. And the end of our conviction is that the promise of mercy may be given to them that believe. Here is notable comfort, with encouragement to all good duties. Does the law as . . . Continue reading →