For so soon as a man believes, he is presently justified. For every believer has… Continue reading →
Sola Fide
Trent Is Nature, Heidelberg Is Grace
We all naturally hold to the article of justification expressed in the Council of Trent, Continue reading
A Devotional: The Heart of the Reformation: A 90-Day Devotional In The Five Solas
Since I am doing a Heidelcast series on prayer and have been recommending devotional materials (see the resources below for more) I was delighted to get this volume in my inbox. It is a paperback volume of 157 pages. It first appeared . . . Continue reading →
Haldane: “Ungodly” In Romans 4:5 Means What It Says Just As “Works Not” Means What It Says
Ver. 5. —But to him that worketh not, but we leave it on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. But to him that worketh not.—This is entirely misunderstood by Dr. Macknight and Mr. Stuart, as if it . . . Continue reading →
On Justification In Romans And Hebrews
One does not often think of Hebrews when it comes to the doctrine of justification—we normally go right to Paul’s writings. Continue reading
Piper’s New Book Is Edwardsian
The major—and expected—exception is Jonathan Edwards, whose view of faith no doubt stands behind Piper’s approach to this issue. Edwards believed that love is at the heart of faith: “That even faith, or a steadfastly believing the truth, arises from a principle . . . Continue reading →
Faith Formed By Love Or Faith Alone? The Instrument Of Justification
In his discussion of works, Calvin anticipates the great error of many contemporary critics of the Reformation doctrine. They think that as long as they say that salvation is by grace alone they have said all they need to say theologically, but many medieval theologians said exactly that. They taught that grace alone worked to transform and sanctify the life and that all the works of the Christian are the fruit of grace. Such an improved life, however, is still an imperfect life and cannot stand in the judgment. Calvin summarizes the situation succinctly: “If righteousness is revealed in the gospel, surely no mutilated or half righteousness but a full and perfect righteousness is contained there. The law therefore has no place in it” (Institutes 3.11.19). What one needs to stand in the judgment, Calvin declares over and over again, is a perfect righteousness. No matter how much progress one makes in grace during this life, so that one’s life becomes holier, holier, and holier, it will never get to the point where it will be able to stand in the judgment. Continue reading →
Warfield On Faith Contra The Edwardsian Definition
Kim Riddlebarger, who did his doctoral research on Warfield, has a nice set of quotations from him on the nature, character, and definition of faith in the act of justification. Continue reading
A. A. Hodge: Contra Rome: The Protestants Say That Love Is The Fruit Of Faith
What are the different opinions as to the relation between faith and love? 1st. The Romanists, in order to maintain their doctrine that faith alone is not saving, distinguish between a formed, or perfect, and an unformed faith. They acknowledge that faith . . . Continue reading →
Vos: All Our Works Are Excluded From Justification
Not only the works that we do in our own strength, or that we do before regeneration, or that we do without the merits of Christ, but all works, of whatever sort, are excluded from justification. This is so repetitively certain Scripture . . . Continue reading →
“Edwards Injects Into Faith” In The Act Of Justification The Virtues Of The Christian Life
Edwards is very clear that faith does not justify a believer as a virtue or as forming any part of the righteousness which is the basis or ground of God’s judicial verdict. In this, he clearly stands with the Reformed tradition over . . . Continue reading →
Old and Bald: Responding to Salvation by Allegiance Alone by Matthew Bates
Salvation by Allegiance Alone: Rethinking Faith, Works, and the Gospel of Jesus the King, took me back 20 years to my seminary days.1 Back then the New Perspective on Paul was tearing up the scene in biblical studies and the Federal Vision . . . Continue reading →
Paul Contra Final Salvation Through Works (Romans 5:9–10)
For many evangelicals and for some ostensibly Reformed folk it has been fashionable for the last several years to teach that we are justified now by grace alone (sola gratia), through faith alone (sola fide), based on Christ’s righteousness imputed, but that . . . Continue reading →
What A Confessional Presbyterian Learned from Luther
“What is a nice OPC minister like you doing constantly quoting Martin Luther on Twitter?” is the familiar refrain after people take a gander at my feed. Normally, I admit when I am guilty as charged, but there is no great guilt . . . Continue reading →
If James 2:24 Is Teaching Justification Through Good Works, Get Cracking
Good works proceed from saving faith; faith that does not bear fruit is not saving faith (see James 2:19). James 2:24 is talking about works as fruit and evidence of saving faith, not meritorious works that save us. In fact, James reminds . . . Continue reading →
Godfrey: Edwards Rejected The Reformed Definition Of Faith In The Act Of Justification
In one area, however, the treatise is problematic, namely his understanding of the nature of justifying faith. Gerstner acknowledged that Edwards did express the doctrine of justifying faith somewhat differently from his Calvinistic forbears, “…there can be little doubt that Calvinistic theologians . . . Continue reading →
Faith, Love, and Piper: Distinguishing Reformed Categories
What’s love got to do with it? According to John Piper’s recent book What is Saving Faith?, affectional elements, including one’s love, satisfaction in and treasuring of God, are included in the definition of justifying faith itself—though, this may not come as a . . . Continue reading →
Perkins: The Doctrine Of A Two-Stage Justification Is A “Popish Device”
That popish device of a second justification is a satanical delusion for the Word of God does acknowledge no more but one justification at all, and that absolute and complete of itself. There is but one justice, but one satisfaction of God . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast For July 3, 2022: A Mailbag Episode
During Dr Clark’s summer trip to Nebraska the mailbag (and Heideltext inbox) filled up so what was supposed to be an episode on the Canons of Dort became a Q&A episode. Never fear. The episode for next week returns to the Canons. . . . Continue reading →
Regarding Piper’s Notion Of Justification And Love
But surely that is a progressive response of sanctification. It is not definitive, but justification is a once-for-all act of divine declaration “Righteous!” I am certainly more satisfied with Christ today than I was sixty years ago when I first believed, but . . . Continue reading →