[This essay was first written c. 1988. It has been revised several times since] Introduction: Jesus’ Hard Words Why should we study what the Bible says about how we came to faith in Jesus? Isn’t it enough to simply believe and let . . . Continue reading →
Search results for “Strangers And Aliens”
Resources On The Limbus Patrum
The doctrine of the limbus patrum is the doctrine in which the saints of the Old Covenant are said to remain, after death, outside of heaven, until Christ’s coming.1 In Latin limbus is a borderland. The limbus of the fathers is a borderland . . . Continue reading →
No Barbarian Or Scythian
On February 21 of this year, near the end of the annual American observance of Black History Month, a congregation in the Presbyterian Church in America, held a special dinner. The church website said, “This is a dinner with our special speaker, . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 22: The Psalm Of Calvary (Part 3)
Along the way in our little devotional Saturday Psalm series, we have said that Psalm 22 can rightly be called “the Psalm of Calvary,” given how the Lord Jesus adopts the words of King David for himself, crying out as he hung . . . Continue reading →
Just In Time For The Annual Temptation To Skip The Christian Sabbath: Updated Resource Page
The pressure to slouch toward Las Vegas is strong this year. Super Bowl parties abound. Who wants to be the odd ball who declines the invitation? Christians are strangers and aliens (1 Pet 2:11; Heb 11:10). Continue reading
Reformation Day 2023: Now More Than Ever
As I write there is a major land war ongoing between Russia and Ukraine, Israel has suffered a horrific terrorist attack by Hamas and is facing a two-front war with Hamas to the South and Hezbollah to the North as she seeks . . . Continue reading →
The Gospel According To John (MacArthur)—Part 14
No chapter in this volume, so far, relies on MacArthur’s debt to Dispensationalism more than chapter 11, where he addresses the parable of the soils in Matthew 13. The Problem Of Dispensationalism He begins by recalling our Lord’s words, which he addressed . . . Continue reading →
Heidelmedia Archive
Table of Contents HEIDELCAST Audio Interviews Cross Talk Conference Talks Lectures Sermons and Chapel Talks Video The Abraham Paradigm (video series) OFFICE HOURS Audio Interviews AGR | Reformed Christians Are Weird (Chris Gordon, Chad Vegas, Scott Clark) | Feb 18, 2025 AGR . . . Continue reading →
Pilgrims Not Transformers
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household. (Eph 2:19; NASB95) All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them . . . Continue reading →
An Interview On Adoption
What do you cherish most about the doctrine of adoption?
There are three things that should be mentioned. First, it is the God by whom we have been adopted that makes adoption significant. Continue reading →
On The Role Of Women In The Church
Between Patriarchalism And Egalitarianism
The issue of women’s ordination, and more generally women’s involvement in the church, is a modern issue which continues to generate numerous books, articles, and even supporting societies. The worst thing we in Reformed communions can do is ignore the issue simply . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 195: What Must A Christian Believe? (12) On Christ’s Descent Into Hell
In our survey of the rule of faith, i.e., the Apostles’ Creed, we have reached the fourth article: “suffered under Pontius, Pilate, crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell.” In this episode we focus on the last clause, “he descended into . . . Continue reading →
Your Ethnic Identity Is Important But It Is Not Ultimate
Christians are not Gnostics. Against the Gnostics, Christians have, since the first quarter of the second century, affirmed the essential, inherent goodness of creation. Against the Gnostics and Marcionites we also affirmed the unity of the covenant of grace. Both of those truths help us to address the problem of ethnic tensions in Christ’s church. Continue reading
Is Your Church Preparing You For Trials?
There was once a time that we lived “normal” lives. We Americans could have been excused for thinking that life was all about creature comforts. Many of our churches even reflected and encouraged this in their teaching and worship. Living your “best . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 167: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (13): Submitting To Nero
Those who study such things tell us that, across the globe, no religious group is more persecuted than Christians. Those who profess the Christian faith have been all but driven out of Iraq. Christians in China suffer in untold ways. Christian in . . . Continue reading →
As It Was In The Days Of Noah (26): 2 Peter 1:3–11 (part 1)
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. Continue reading →
An Interview On Adoption with Dan Cruver
Below is an interview I did with Dan Cruver in 2008. § BY DAN CRUVER Published Jul 14, 2008 1. What do you cherish most about the doctrine of adoption? There are three things that should be mentioned. First it is the . . . Continue reading →
On Memorial Day: All Christians Are Historians
In the United States, Memorial Day is day for remembering those who died in the service of the US military. It began as Decoration Day in 1868, on which day 5,000 people decorated the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington . . . Continue reading →
Resources On A Covenantal Approach To The Christian Life
Chris writes to the HB to ask about moving from the conversionist paradigm for the Christian life to the covenantal vision for the Christian life, how does a “covenantal” approach to the Christian life appear? This is an important question. Since the . . . Continue reading →
Three Things Dispensational Apologists Should Stop Saying
Introduction There are varieties of Dispensationalism, e.g., classic (Darby, Scofield), modified (Chafer, Ryrie), and progressive (Bock, Blaising). To be sure there are varieties of covenant theology, e.g., classic e.g., that taught in the classical period that taught the covenant of redemption (pactum . . . Continue reading →