12. Since then by the righteous judgment of God we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, how may we escape this punishment and be again received into favor? God wills that His justice be satisfied;1 therefore we must make full satisfaction to the . . . Continue reading →
Grace
The Freedom of the Divine Will (Q. 12, pt 2)
12. Since then by the righteous judgment of God we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, how may we escape this punishment and be again received into favor? God wills that His justice be satisfied;1 therefore we must make full satisfaction to the . . . Continue reading →
Horton, the Pope, and Mohler v Osteen on Sin
In USA Today (HT: Eric Landry)
Audio: Hywel Jones on Gen 3
One of the great blessings of a new school year or term is a new series of messages from Hywel Jones. This one is no exception. Remarkably WSC simply gives these messages away gratis. See the link column to left and below.
Audio: Hywel Jones on Gen 3:1
The mystery of sin.
Is the "Gospel in the Stars"? or the Distinction Between Nature and Grace
In 1882 the Lutheran minister Joseph A. Seiss (1823-1904) published the provocative volume, The Gospel in the Stars, Or, Prímeval Astronomy (Philadelphia: E. Claxton & company, 1882). Evidently it found an audience and it has been reprinted as recently as the early . . . Continue reading →
Forget the Gospel in the Stars…
Forget the gospel in the stars. Try the gospel in the seas… (HT: Kevin Efflandt)
Ursinus on True Thankfulness
Note: Zacharias Ursinus was the primary author of the Heidelberg Catechism. The comments below come from his lectures on the catechism that were authorized by the Elector Palatinate, Frederick III. Happy Thanksgiving. § Having now considered the misery of man, and his . . . Continue reading →
Weeds in the Astro Turf
We live in the desert. It’s not the sort of cactus-filled desert where Snoopy’s brother Spike lives (that’s east of us a few hours) but it’s desert nonetheless. That means that water is at a premium and people respond by using rocks . . . Continue reading →
More "Lutheranism" in Reformed Orthodoxy?
Melchior Leydecker and John Brown on distinguishing grace and works.
A Remarkable Story
Michael is a visitor to our congregation. He has a gift and zeal for boldness in witness. You may remember that, a while back, he was robbed. Well, he had another encounter with one of his robbers.
Excellent Audio Resources
The White Horse Inn has been walking through 1 Corinthians and their discussion of church discipline was very helpful. CD is the third mark of the church but it’s not what you might think. The second is Hywel Jones‘ ongoing series of . . . Continue reading →
The Web is Bandit Country
Says Carl at Ref21.
Audio: Exposition of the Nine Points (Pt 8): Defining Grace and Faith
Exposition of the Nine Points (pt 8)-Defining Grace and Faith We reject the errors of those: who teach that Spirit-wrought sanctity, human works, or cooperation with grace is any part either of the ground of our righteousness before God or any part . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast: Does God Give Faith to the Living or to the Dead?
Heidelcast: Does God Give Faith to the Living or the Dead? Dan writes to the HC to ask about the timing of regeneration (making alive by the Spirit) and faith but he raises the question of whether God gives faith to the . . . Continue reading →
What Does an Alcoholic/Addict Need?
The question came up recently about how Christians should think about the “12-Step” programs that treat alcoholism/addiction as a disease and that catechize alcoholics/addicts into deism. More than twenty years ago I began to try to address these issues in a paper. . . . Continue reading →
The Inquisition Isn’t Over, It Just Changed Clothes
RNS has a story about the Vatican’s policy of “pontifical secrecy.” Read the story. The approach Rome is taking toward the problem of sex abuse by priests reminds one of the policies followed in the inquisition. What was established for the preservation . . . Continue reading →
Not Much to Say But This: Sin and Its Consequences Are Truly Terrible
UPDATE 30 JUNE 2010 Daphne wrote just a few minutes ago to say that Steve is now with the Lord. Thanks for your prayers but please pray for his wife and two sons and the rest of us who will miss him . . . Continue reading →
"Tough Grace" Is Not Grace (and It’s Not Law Either)
In an unsigned editorial yesterday CT came out in favor of what it calls “tough grace.” The presenting issue or symptom is CT’s concern that Christian institutions are failing to be both “tough” and “gracious” simultaneously. The argument is that the fall . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Fesko on the Fruit of the Spirit, Isaiah, and Practical Arminianism
In this episode Office Hours talks with Dr John Fesko, Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at WSC and author of The Fruit of the Spirit Is about the nature of the Christian life and especially about whether sanctification (growth . . . Continue reading →