2. Under the new covenant or testament, however, these promised blessings are not given to all men, because God is true, thus the covenant is necessarily discriminate. These blessings are given, however, doubly when the covenant is received. In the first place, . . . Continue reading →
Author: Heidelblog
The Heidelblog has been in publication since 2007. It is devoted to recovering the Reformed confession and to helping others discover Reformed theology, piety, and practice.
Bernard Lewis: Political Secularism Is A Christian Idea
Secularism in the modern political meaning – the idea that religion and political authority, church and state are different, and can or should be separated – is, in a profound sense, Christian. Its origins may be traced in the teaching of Christ, . . . Continue reading →
On The Creator And Man With Whom He Contracted The Covenant
God promised through the prophet Jeremiah [31:31, 32] that he himself would make a new covenant with us, not like that covenant which he came to regret with the fathers, when he led them from the land of Egypt. Because they made . . . Continue reading →
Do You See How He Makes This Distinction Between Law And Gospel?
Do you see how he makes this the distinction between law and gospel: that the former attributes righteousness to works, the latter bestows free righteousness apart from the help of works? This is an important passage, and one that can extricate us . . . Continue reading →
Ross Douthat On The Virtues Of Confessionalism
For evangelicals, it means thinking more seriously about ecclesiology and what it will take to sustain Christianity across generations. Promise Keepers, Campus Crusade for Christ, and other parachurch groups have been important to evangelicalism. But “parachurch” makes sense over the long term . . . Continue reading →
What An Early Presbyterian Learned From Moses
How Thomas Cartwright Interpreted Exodus 3
13 Then Moses said unto God, Behold, when I shall come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you: if they say unto me, What is his Name? what shall . . . Continue reading →
God’s Immutable Purpose In Christ
A Strong Source of Assurance
Election is the unchangeable purpose of God, whereby, before the foundation of the world, He has out of mere grace, according to the sovereign good pleasure of His own will, chosen from the whole human race, which had fallen through their own . . . Continue reading →
Calvin: God Works Effectually Where The Spirit Illuminates The Heart
At the same time, as he works not effectually in all, but only where the Spirit, the inward teacher, illuminates the heart, he subjoins, to every one who believes. The gospel is indeed offered to all for their salvation but the power . . . Continue reading →
The Covenant Of Creation Was A Covenant Of Law
At the beginning of the human race that old serpent led humanity away from the word of the law, and thus from the covenant of creation by a false interpretation. . . . The summary of this law shining forth in the . . . Continue reading →
Why Covenant Theology?
Q: 4 Why is the redemption or reconciliation of humanity with God presented to us in the form of a covenant, indeed a covenant of grace? A: God compares the means of our salvation to a covenant, indeed an eternal covenant, so . . . Continue reading →
The Preaching Of The Word: An Offer Of Grace And Summons To Embrace It
Therefore one has in the preaching of the Word an offer of the promise of grace and a summons to embrace it; both are directed in this way to the elect as well as to the reprobate. But only in the elect . . . Continue reading →
Faith-The Instrument By Which We Embrace Christ
We do not mean, however, properly speaking, that it is faith itself that justifies us — for faith is only the instrument by which we embrace Christ, our righteousness. But Jesus Christ is our righteousness in making available to us all his . . . Continue reading →
The Son Of God Appointed A Guarantor
The Son of God, having been appointed by God as Mediator of the covenant, becomes the guarantor on two counts: 1) He shall satisfy for the sins of all those whom the Father has given him; 2) He shall also bring it to pass that . . . Continue reading →
The Church Does Not Defend Vices In The Church (But Sects Do)
If it be here objected that great vices have often made their appearance in the church we would reply that these are not defended and adhered to by the church, as by the various sects. Indeed, the church is the first to . . . Continue reading →
William Perkins: Two Kingdoms As The Answer To Monasticism
This serves to decry unto us the blind error of many ages before us, wherein it has been thought, and is by Papists at this day, to be a state of perfection, to live as a monk or hermit out of all . . . Continue reading →
How Do You Know? Ursinus On Assurance
5. Objection: “But what if you fall from the grace of Christ? For you may sin and become weak, because it is a long and difficult road to heaven.” Answer: “Christ has not only merited and conferred his benefits on me but . . . Continue reading →
Ursinus On The Structure Of The Catechism
The catechism of which we shall speak in these lectures consists of three parts. The first treats of the misery of man, the second of his deliverance from this misery, and the third of gratitude, which division does not, in reality, differ . . . Continue reading →
God, Not Man, Is The Author Of Sanctification
Sanctification is a work of the Triune God, that is ascribed more particularly to the Holy Spirit in Scripture. It is particularly important in our day, with its emphasis on the necessity of approaching the study of theology anthropologically and its one-sided . . . Continue reading →
Francis Turretin On Natural Law
XV. …it is even most absurd that the rational creature as rational should not be subject to him [God] in the genus of morals and not be governed by him suitably to his nature (i.e., by moral means) by the establishment of . . . Continue reading →
Jeremiah Burroughs On The Spiritual Value Of Distinguishing Between The Covenants Of Works And Grace
The doubts and fears of most Christians arise from hence because they have not a clear understanding of the difference between the covenant of grace and the covenant of works. There is nothing in the world would so satisfy the consciences of . . . Continue reading →