At Justin Taylor’s blog. This is timely as it was one of the topics we discussed in our adult catechism class this morning at OURC.
Gospel
D. A. Carson On Distinctions And Moralism
Failure to distinguish between the gospel and all the effects of the gospel tends, on the long haul, to replace the good news as to what God has done with a moralism that is finally without the power and the glory of Christ crucified, . . . Continue reading →
The Heart of the Gospel (and Sola Scriptura Too)
The most recent WHI is (another) not-to-miss episode. Shane has conducted more NRB interviews. Some of them are what we’ve come to expect but some are surprising. You should hear them. Along the way the fellows made three terrific points. 1. The . . . Continue reading →
The Solution to a Great Lot of Problems
Antinomianism and legalism will always be with us. They have plagued the church since the apostolic age (read Galatians and 1 Corinthians). In the seventeenth century, however, appeared a marvelous remedy for both: The Marrow of Modern Divinity. The adjective “modern” is . . . Continue reading →
Christ Our Crutch? Yes and No
Mike Horton says it depends on what one means by “crutch.” It if means “so I can be a better me” then no, he’s no crutch. If it means something else, however, then yes! Reuben has the quotation from a recent interview.
Who Says the Gospel is No Motive to Holiness?
One of the more disturbing things I’ve heard during the recent decade of controversy concerning the various attempts to revise the Reformed doctrine of justification is the claim made by some well-regarded, quite influential, Reformed folks that “guilt, grace, gratitude” structure of . . . Continue reading →
Kim Riddlebarger on the Keys of the Kingdom
Great stuff from Kim in TableTalk
Warfield or Shepherd?
“Just in proportion as we are striving to supplement or to supplant His perfect work, just in that proportion is our hope of salvation resting on works, and not on faith. Ethicism and solafideanism — these are the eternal contraries, mutually exclusive. . . . Continue reading →
What is the Power of the Christian Life?
For Christians who believe God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures and who confess the Reformed faith there can be no question whether we ought to live the Christian life. The question is, however, how do we live the Christian life? From where do . . . Continue reading →
All the Programs In the World Won't Help If We Don't Have the Gospel
Lutheran or Reformed?
1. The law promises no good thing to miserable sinners; it promises good only to those who observe it. 2. The law has no force in itself for removing sins; it has force only for punishing. 3. The law cannot be fulfilled . . . Continue reading →
Isaiah 54-55 and the Well-Meant Offer of the Gospel
Hywel Jones is a dear friend but more importantly he is a dear preacher of the Gospel. In chapel on Tuesdays he’s been preaching through Isaiah 55 focusing on the well-meant, sincere, offer of the gospel. Here’s a recent message. Here are . . . Continue reading →
Deconstructing Puritanism
In “Beware the Puritan Paralysis” Trevin Wax cautions us about a tendency to introspection. He makes a very important point: Too many times, we dress up our introspection with flowery terms like “accountability” and “mortification” and “gospel-centered change.” Even if all these . . . Continue reading →
Les Mis, Law, and Gospel
Mike Horton at the WHI talks with David Zahl from Mockingbird about the book turned play turned film Les Miserables and how the law and the gospel are reflected in it. It’s a terrific interview.
The Gospel in Paradise
Last time we saw that there’s nothing new in “biblical theology.” The Christian church has been doing a form of what we “biblical theology” for a very long time. This is because the gospel may be considered as a topic or as . . . Continue reading →
Of Zombies and Resurrections
Through the history of humanity the pagans have always counterfeited the truth, whether it was ancient creation stories that mimicked aspects of the biblical story, or Gnostics counterfeiting Christianity, or the Qur’an’s tedious one-upmanship. The latest counterfeit is the zombie craze. In . . . Continue reading →
Why Do Some Say That Doubt Is Of The Essence Of Faith?
Curt writes to ask, I have a question. In “A Brief History of Covenant Theology” You write: For most of the Medieval period, the Western (Latin) church and the major theologians agreed that God says what he says about us, because we . . . Continue reading →
The Grace Of Law?
An HB Classic
The question comes: I once heard someone say (or write) that the Law was also “graceful” because at least in this God’s case, He was letting His subjects know what was expected and wanted from them. I appreciate the intent of the . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On Paul’s Defense Of The Gospel To Peter
That the truth of the gospel. There was no danger that Paul would be deprived of his liberty even by yielding to them; but the example would have done harm to others, and therefore he prudently inquired what was expedient. This shows . . . Continue reading →
We Find It In The Gospel
One of the more frustrating things about getting older is that I seem to spend more time looking for things. It’s such a waste of time. It would be great if someone would just tell me where my keys are. Because we . . . Continue reading →