The Federal Vision and the Magical Efficacy of Sacraments
Federal Vision holds that every baptized person receives benefits of Christ in the act of the sacrament itself; that baptism makes a decisive change in the inner man.
It is a fatal flaw of the proponents of the Federal Vision that they hold to a view that replaces the work of the Holy Spirit with the magical working of the sacraments, a relic of paganism. It is beside the point that they define efficacy in such a vague way,… that it can be... Continue Reading
Confessions Of A Former Charismatic
From a former charismatic now hearing from God under the ordinary preaching of Scripture.
This is what I found: there were many conversations among the church leaders, or with “discerning members,” who were concerned that there was a diminishing of the prophetic on Sunday or in prayer gatherings. The absence of such words was a sign of sickness. Rather than being glad at the faithful ministry of the Word... Continue Reading
He Holds Out His Hands
Within the ancient sermons and ceremonies of the Old Covenant, the Good News of Jesus Christ had always been proclaimed.
There is Good News; God has also blessed you with his Gospel. You are hearing it right now. Despite the fact that you have spurned his counsel, rebelled against him, and have earned his eternal wrath, he has not stopped loving you. He promised his Son. He sent his Son. And now through the Word... Continue Reading
Serving The Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:1–5)
Pastoral abuse of the flock has always been an issue.
Though they ought not to entertain accusations against a pastor of an elder lightly (1 Tim 5:19) officers must be ready to accept the possibility that abuse is occurring. Over the years I have received reports from laity and pastors of abuse and too often other officers have been reluctant to address the problem. Pastors... Continue Reading
Is the Christian Faith Rational?
I’ve had the question asked of me, “Is it true that you are a Christian rationalist?”
“When I say that Christianity is rational, I do not mean that the truth of Christianity in all of its majesty can be deduced from a few logical principles by a speculative philosopher. There is much information about the nature of God that we can find only because God himself chooses to reveal it to... Continue Reading
Henry VIII, the Reformation, and the First Authorized Bible
Spend much time in Protestant circles and you will eventually hear of the Authorized Bible
“Henry VIII is one of the oddest characters in the story of the Reformation. A man of conservative instincts when Luther’s reformation began, he nevertheless overthrew papal influence in England and built a church of his own.” Spend much time in Protestant circles and you will eventually hear of the Authorized Bible or the King James Bible.... Continue Reading
The Trinity: An Overview, Order in the Persons
God has revealed himself as three distinct persons or substantia
There are differences among the persons. For example, there is a difference of order. Giles writes, “The word order used relationally always implies the question, what order?” The question is how are the three persons to be ordered? Well, we need to keep a few things in mind. An overview of the Trinity ought... Continue Reading
Ten Truths For Thomas
Put your trust in this mighty God, who has sent His Son to save, and bring you through this life, in the hands of the God the Everlasting, who never tires or wearies, to the holy world beyond
So here are ten truths for Thomas to drive out unbelief – are you facing financial ruin, are you unable to pay the mortgage, has you child gone off the rails, is your church wrecked by dispute, have you lost you wife or parent, are you about to be laid off, are you worried about... Continue Reading
Cautions About Signs of Grace
Do not look for spiritual qualifications before trusting Christ for your justification.
First, be careful how you define the marks of grace. On the one hand, do not require such signs of yourself as no Christian has in this life. A true Christian keeps God’s commandments (1 John 3:24), but no Christian ever comes to the point where he may say he has no sin (1 John... Continue Reading
The Trinity: Impassibility, What is Denied
To understand divine impassibility, we have to study the divine nature
“We may be fickle and passionate, but God is faithful and perfect. The more we understand the divine nature and the human nature, the more we can understand and rejoice in the difference between God’s love and our love, and the more we can seek to pattern our love after God’s love.” The doctrine... Continue Reading