The Harvard students put out a whole list of questions on a brochure underneath the main title. One of those questions was “Why should anyone believe anything at all?” I looked at that and said, that is exactly the way I am . . . Continue reading →
Sire On The Death Of Books On Campus
When I was invited to do a lecture on campus, they used to ask me what kind of books I wanted on the book table. But in recent years, I’ve had to practically twist arms to get people to believe that those . . . Continue reading →
All Nature, As it Is Nature, Is Good Because God Created It
Christians Are Not Gnostics
Creation is a work of God, by which he has brought forth all creatures of nothing (Gen 1.2) A creature is whatsoever has been made by God of nothing. Now all the creatures of God were created very good. Therefore all nature, . . . Continue reading →
The Sacraments Of The Covenant Of Works
I. God made a double covenant with man, the one of works and the other of grace; the former before, the latter after the fall. II. The covenant of works was confirmed by a double sacrament, to wit, the Tree of Life, . . . Continue reading →
Theology Of The Cross Versus Theology Of Glory
Luther's Heidelberg Disputation
19. That person does not deserve to be called a theologian who looks upon the invisible things of God as though they were clearly perceptible in those things which have actually happened (Rom. 1:20; cf. 1 Cor 1:21-25), 20. He deserves to . . . Continue reading →
The Substance And Administration Of The Covenant Of Grace
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 →
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 →