Doctrines of Grace

R.C. Sproul with a brief intro to the reformation

2007-03-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

Paul Washer - Shocking Message (full length)

2007-03-26T11:32:00.001-07:00

Jonathan Edwards - Michael Haykin

2007-03-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

A Reminder For Me 3-15-2007

2007-03-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

Preparing To Enter Glory (Part Two)
Advanced Care Directives Are Needful

Christian Brothers and Sisters An Advanced Care Directive is Needful! Have You Completed One?

In 1983 I was blessed to be a member of Pinellas Park Presbyterian Church in Pinellas Park Florida with an excellent young pastor the Rev. Joe Easterling. He taught a series in the adult Sunday School class “On Death and Dying” This was perhaps the best class I ever attended. I still have the notes from that class and have used them over the years as I have gone through deaths of family and friends. This class taught what why we die, how we are to approach death, Christ’s conquering death, the need of planning my funeral, etc.Therefore, it is quite natural for me to “pen” this blog in order to remind you to give advanced medical care directives[1] since sickness and death happens. Now, I cannot begin to tell you how important it is that you give your family and medical care professionals your directions for health care in case you lose the ability to communicate. You have the opportunity to give directions now if you just fill out and file a health care advanced directive form. If you don’t make those health care decisions known rest assured someone will make those decisions for you. If someone decides your care it may not be even be what desire. It may even cause excessive stress on your family and could turn into a legal matter. Remember Terri Schiavo?

My desire here is to prompt you to get this done!Now it is understandable that this can be an emotional thing to do. But to make those decisions now is the responsible thing to do. In completing the form brings peace of mind that you will be taken care of in a dignified manner. Fulfilling this responsibility is the best for you, your family and for your medical care professionals.

It is best for you since you know your health care goals, what is important to you and what is in line with your values. It is good for your family and medical care professionals since they are relieved of the extra burden placed upon them.The choices you make are completely yours. You do not need to consult anyone before filling out your advanced care plan. However in most cases, probably all, it is wise and helpful to consult with close family members or others as needed.

So, if you’re uncomfortable and think you need to consult with family, doctor or an attorney it is ok! After all the Bible says “… in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Pro 11:14). Call and set times to meet and discuss your values, needs and set you plan.

I set down many years ago and wrote out my basic desire concerning what I wanted in different medical situations. As simplistic as it is it did help me think through possible issues and circumstances and the role of the church and biblical principles in case of medical extremes. I found writing out what I really wanted helped me in filling out the formal directive form. And I attached it to my form since I have discussed it with both family and my pastor. You may find the following useful as well:

I, (Name)___________________ on (Date) ______________do declare my wants known to my family, church and health care providers who may medically treat any condition of which may be found. I declare my wants and desires in three areas, the first being that of a nature which is found in accident and injury. The second found in the nature of a terminal illness and thirdly the nature of old age and life just drawing to a close.Whereas I believe God is the giver and sustainer of life and reserves the right to take it and that the family has the biblical authority to make final decisions if I am not able make my own and that the church has spiritual oversight for care and counsel I, ask that any and all final decisions be made for me in the proper order by the family[2] and if need be seeking wisdom and counsel from the elders of a Reformed Conservative Presbyterian Church, preferably the one I would be currently attending[3].Believing that death is not the worst thing Christians must concern themselves with and believing that this present life has significance and is to be lived to its fullest and not abandoned because of suffering and death faced with realism and with readiness I desire these wants fulfilled as follows:

A. IN CASE OF ACCIDENT

In case of accident and injury there can be advanced medical technology used to support my life while I am recuperating. If however it is determined that I cannot survive without these extreme measures and I am in a comatose or vegetative state after prayers and anointing of oil[4] by the elders of the church and then without healing I desire that my family have me taken off the extreme devises. Please be advised that under no circumstances am I to be given pain medications that do more than is necessary to reduce pain because as much as possible I desire to see, know and communicate with family and friends.[5].

B. IN CASE OF TERMINAL ILLNESS

In case I am found to be diagnosed as terminally ill I desire to be given medications either by injections or orally. In the case of cancer I will want chemotherapy and radiation treatment and acceptance of any other medical advancement of these types. I want all to know that I want to be with family, friends and church family as much as possible. I desire no pain medications which do more than is necessary to reduce pain because as much as possible I desire to fellowship with, see, know and communicate with family and friends. If such a time comes where I need extreme measures to continue my life for “just a few more days”[6] I want this not to be done since it is clear the Lord is calling me home.

C. ELDERLY END OF LIFEIn coming to the end of life as elderly person I ask that these things be followed. If needed place me on extreme measures only to help in recuperation, but if there is no recuperation I am to be taken off the extreme measures and let God bring my life to a close. I also desire that family, friends and church family be able to be in my company at my last days and hours before death.

Footnotes:

[1] The forms can be obtained at you local doctors office, or nearby hospital. I also point you to the following website for information on advanced care directives and an excellent form http://cbhd.org/.[2] Proper order is immediate family member if possible and a second one as alternate.[3] (Name of Church and Elders) __________________[4] In all cases prayer for healing is expected.[5] In times like these I have seen closure in otherwise stressful relationships accomplished.[6] A “few more days” may translate into more pain and increased burden and cost on the family.

DID GOD DIE ON CALVARY?

2007-03-09T08:43:00.000-08:00

by Rev. Professor-Emeritus Dr. F.N. Lee

Did God die when Christ,Who is God, died on the cross? Does God Himself have blood, and
did He suffer pain when Christ shed His blood for the expiation of the sins of His elect?
After the decision of the Council of Chalcedon in 451 A.D., explains Berkhof in his book The
History of Christian Doctrines (Eerdmans, 1959 ed., pp. 111-13), there was "a lengthy and rather unseemly struggle between the different parties.... They were divided into several sects, of which the names alone, says Dr. Orr, ‘are enough to give one a cold shiver.’ There were the
Theopaschitists, who emphasized the fact that God suffered; the Phthartolatrists, who...were said to worship that which is corruptible; and the Aphthartodocetists, who represented...the view...that the human nature of Christ...was endowed with divine attributes and was therefore...incorruptible."

Wesley the Arminian later resurrected Theopaschitism. A few ill-chosen lines in his
otherwise great hymn And can it be?, reveal this heresy. Here are those lines. (1) "Amazing grace! And can it be - that Thou, myGod, shouldst die for me?"; (2) "’Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies"; and (3) "Emptied Himself of all but love."

The fact is, however, it was not God but Wesley who died! God did not die - because He
cannot die (First Timothy 1:17 & 6:14-16). To claim withWesley that "the Immortal dies" - is likeclaiming thatGodWho is Light could become darkness (contra First John 1:5b). And though Christ indeed ‘emptied Himself’ (Philippians 2:7), He certainly did not at Calvary - as Wesley claims He did - empty Himself of His immortality and His omnipotence etc. and of "all but love."
As with Arianism, heresy gets sung before it gets preached. Arminianism leads to Atheism.
For if God died when Christ died, not just "one-third" but rather all "three-thirds" of God then died - so that no God at all could have remained to resurrect Jesus. For Paul infallibly states that in Christ "dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead." Colossians 2:9.

Note, we did not say thatWesleywas an Atheist! Indeed, we believeWesleywas a dedicated
Christian - because predestinated to be saved in spite of his own atheizing tendencies such as his
rejection of divine election! But we do say thatWesley’s is an atheizing system. And we certainly
call for the rewriting of his influential hymn, by the deletion of the above-mentioned offensive words and their substitution by Calvinistic terminology - such as "that You, my Christ, should die for me"; and "It’s mystery all! The Saviour dies"; and "Emptied Himself, in His great love."
Back in the time of the Protestant Reformation, the Lutherans’ 1530 Augsburg Confessionwas
acceptable to Calvinists. But, after Lutheranism entrenched its militantly Anti-Calvinistic
Consubstantiationism over the next decades - the battlelines becamemarked. This led to theGnesio-Lutheran viewthat afterHis resurrection and especiallyHis ascension,Christ’s human nature became omnipresent - and hence present also in the elements at the Lord’s Table. This is the erroneous view "that each of Christ’s natures permeates the other, and thatHis humanity participates in the attributes of His divinity" (Neve’s Lutheran Symbolics, p. 132).

-
Now this Lutheran-Wesleyan aberrationmust sharplybe distinguished from theReformed view
that the properties of each of Christ's two natures are ascribable to His Person. Thus the
Westminster Confession 8:7, cf. the Larger Catechism (37-40 & 48-49 & 54-55).
"Ah," retort theAnti-Calvinists, "but does not Paul himself declare thatGod bought theChurch
with His Own blood (Acts 20:28)?" No, Paul does not! Actually, Paul says the HolyGhost would
have Pastors feed God's Church - which He [Christ] purchased with His Own blood." Does the
bodyless HolyGhost have blood? Or is Paul not here trinitarianly teaching the HolyGhost says the Son in His humanity with His blood purchased the Church of God the Father?

Calvin comments on this verse: "There is nothing more absurd than to suppose that God is
corporeal or mortal.... By speaking like this, he [Paul] is commending the unity of the Person of
Christ. For in view of the fact that there are separate natures in Christ, Scripture sometimes
mentions separately what belongs to each in particular. But when it sets God before us, made
manifest in the flesh - it does not separate His human nature from His deity.... In this verse, Paulattributes [human] blood toGod, because theman Jesus Christ,Who shedHis blood for us,was also God. This figure of speech was called the communicatio idiomatum by the Fathers, because the property of one nature is applied to the other" within one and the same Person - and not, as in extreme later Gnesio-Lutheranism, because one nature is alleged interchanged with the other.

In his Institutes II:12:3, Calvin elaborates: "Our Lord came forth veryman, adopted the person
of Adam, and assumed his name - so that He might in his stead obey the Father; so that He might present our flesh as the price of satisfaction to the just judgment of God.... As God only, He could not suffer; and asman only, could not overcome death. He united the human naturewith the divine, so that Hemight subject theweakness of the one [the human nature] to death, as an expiation of sin - and, by the power of the other [the divine nature],maintain a struggle against death, [and]might gain us the victory.... Clothed with our flesh, He warred to death against sin."

At II:14:2-6, Calvin further explains: "God certainly has no blood [and] suffers not.... For we must put far from us the heresy of Nestorius who, presuming to dissect rather than distinguish between the two natures, devised a double Christ.... On account of His mother, He is called the son of David; so, on account of His Father, He is the Son of God [cf. Romans 1:3-4].... It is no less congruous to refer to His divine nature His being called the Son of God - than to refer to His human nature His being called the son of man."

In Calvin's 1541-45 Catechism of the Church of Geneva (being a Form of Instruction for
children in the doctrine of Christ), the Catechist asks regarding Christ: "But seeing He is God - how couldHe be seized with any such dread, as ifHewere forsaken byGod?" Towhich the Catechumenis to reply: "We must hold that it was in respect to the feelings of His human nature that He was reduced to this necessity; and, so that thismight be,His divinity for a littlewhilewas concealed - that is, did not put forth its might."

In its Articles XIV & XV, the 1559 French Confession of Faith of Calvin (and his student
Chandieu) declares: "We believe that Jesus Christ, being the Wisdom of God and His eternal Son, has put on our flesh so as to be God and man in one Person; man, like unto us, capable of suffering in body and soul.... In one Person - that is, Jesus Christ - the two natures are actually and inseparably joined and united; and yet each remains in its proper character.... The human nature remained finite, having its form.... We do not despoil Him of His humanity!"

In Article 19 of the Belgic Confession, we profess together with its author the Calvinist Guido
de Brés that "these two natures are so closely united in one Person, that theywere not separated even byHis death.... The divine nature always remained united with the human, even when He lay in the grave.... We confess that He is very God and very man: very God, by His power to conquer [not to succumb to] death; and very man, so that He might die for us according to the infirmity of His flesh."

In the 1563 Calvinistic Heidelberg Catechism, Question 16 asks about Christ: "Whymust He
be a true and sinless man?" The answer is: "Because the justice of God requires that the same
human nature which has sinned, should make satisfaction for sin; but no [mere] man, being himself a sinner, could satisfy for others." Question 17 asks: "Whymust He be at the same time true God?" The answer is: "So that by the power of His Godhead, He might bear in His manhood the burden of God’s wrath, and so obtain for and restore to us righteousness and life."

Especially in chapter XI of Bullinger’s Second Helvetic Confession is this great Reformed
Truth stated. "We detest the heresy of Nestorius, which makes two Christs of one and dissolves the union of the Person.... We do not teach that the divine nature in Christ did suffer.... We do neither think nor teach that the body of Christ ceased to be a true body after His glorifying, or that it was deified and...put off its properties as touching body and soul.... Our Lord Jesus Christ did truly suffer and die for us in the flesh, as Peter says (First Peter 4:1).... He did not rise up another flesh, but retained a true body. Therefore, while His disciples thought that they did see the spirit of their Lord Christ, He showed them His hands and feet!... Luke 24:39."

Consider, however, the Anti-Calvinism in Article VIII of the 1576f Gnesio-Lutheran Formula
of Concord: "From the above-mentioned controversy...between the sincere [Lutheran] divines of the AugsburgConfession and the [insincere?]Calvinistswho had...unsettled certain other theologians..., the[y]...have affirmed that the divine and human natures are in such wise personally united in Christ that neither communicates to the other really.... The union, say they, makes only the names common..., yet so that God has nothing common with humanity and...humanity has nothing really...commonwithDivinity.... We[Gnesio-Lutherans] believe, teach and confess [like incipient Pantheists?!] thatGod isman andman isGod.... We believe, teach and confess that it is not amere man only that has suffered...but aman such thatHis human nature has with the Son ofGod a union.... Wherefore the Son of God has truly suffered for us.... Now, not only as God but also as man He knows all things, can do all things, is present to all creatures.... Most easily can He, being present, impart His true body and His blood in the Holy Supper.... We repudiate therefore and condemn all the erroneous [viz. Calvinistic] articles...that the humanity [of Christ] alone suffered for us...; that the Son of God is present to us on earth...only by His divinity...; that, according to the humanity, He is not at all capable of omnipotence and other properties of the divine nature."

Worse yet are the Gnesio-Lutheran Hunnius's 1592 Saxon Visitation Articles. These reject
"the false and erroneous doctrine of the Calvinists on the Person of Christ" which denies "that God is man, and man God" - and teaches "that it is...idolatry to place...faith...in Christ...according to His human nature."

No wonder the 1647 Westminster Confession rejects these Gnesio-Lutheran distinctives! II:1
insists that "God...is...without body...or passions" and is "immutable"- and therefore not mortalizable even at the death of Christ. Also VIII:2-7 states: "The Son of God...did...take upon Him man's nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof.... The Lord Jesus in His human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified.... The Lord Jesus...endured most grievous torments immediately in His soul andmost painful sufferings in His body [but not in His divinity]..., each nature doing that which is proper to itself; yet, by reason of the unity of the Person, that which is proper to one nature is sometimes in Scripture attributed to the [same] Person denominated by the other nature" - yet never attributed also to the other nature itself!

Finally, this is fleshed out yet more fully in the 1648 Westminster Larger Catechism. 37-40
state that "the Son of God became man by taking to Himself a true body.... It was requisite that the Mediator should be God, [so] that He might sustain and keep the human nature from sinking under the infinitewrath ofGod and the power of death.... It was requisite that theMediator should beman, that He might advance our [human] nature, perform obedience to the Law, suffer, and make intercession for us in our nature.... It was requisite that theMediatorWho was to reconcile God and man, should Himself be both God and man...in one Person, [so] that the proper works of each nature might be accepted of God for us and relied on by us as the works of the whole Person." 48-49 state that "Christ humbled Himself in His life by subjecting Himself to the Law which He perfectly fulfilled, and by conflicting with the...infirmities in His flesh, whether common to the nature ofman or particularly accompanying...His low[human] condition.... Christ humbledHimself in His death, in that...He laid down His [human] life an offering for sin - enduring [in His human nature] the painful, shameful and cursed death of the cross." And 54-55 state that "Christ is exalted..., in that as God-man He is advanced to the highest favour with God.... Christ maketh intercession by His appearing in our nature continually before the Father...in the merit of His obedience and sacrifice [when formerly] on earth."

So, then, against Gnesio-Lutheranism and Wesleyan Methodism, we must say with the
Reformed Confessions that God cannot and did not either suffer or die. For those Reformed
Confessions are based on the infallibleWord ofGodwhich in First Timothy 1:17&6:16 tells us that
God is "the King...immortal" and "He alone has immortality" alias unlosable life both from all
eternity past and unto all eternity future.

The above is no quibble. None of the world's billionMuslims will ever see the logic of either
Lutheranism or Arminianism. Calvinism alone can make the cross intelligible to them (or for that matter also to Torah-believing Judaists). In fact, the soonerWesley's theopaschitic hymn And can it be? gets replaced by the singing of Psalm 90 - the better for the health of Christ's Church!

GOD TRIUNE IN THE BEGINNING — AND FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

2007-03-09T08:08:00.001-08:00

by Rev. Prof. Dr. Francis Nigel Lee

Queensland Presbyterian Theological College,

Brisbane, Australia

In Genesis 1:1, "God" translates 'Elohiym (PLURAL) — meaning: three or more Gods. It is used with the singular verb bara' — meaning: "He did create" (and NOT with the plural verb baru' meaning "They did create").

What that three-in-one God created, is said to be TWO "Heavens" (the DUAL Shamayiym) & ONE "Earth" (the SINGULAR 'Arets). That totals a THREE-IN-ONE universe, alias a "tri-universe" created by "God Triune." This is what one would expect such a God to create — if and when He might unnecessarily condescend to create anything at all.

God Triune Himself has never changed. From eternity, God the Father and the Son and the Spirit has always been an un-begun and a never-ending Harmony — Jehovah 'Elohiym. Gen. 1:1f; 2:4f; Ex. 3:14f; 6:3; Isa. 6:3; 11:2; 63:7-10; Mal. 3:6; Mt. 28:19; Jn. 17:1-5; Heb. 9:14; Rev. 1:4-6; 4:2-8; 5:6f; 22:16-19f.

God Triune, at the beginning, created the tri-universe (two-heavens-and-one-earth). Gen. 1:1f. The first heaven is the air surrounding our earth, and an integral part thereof (Gen. 1:6). The second heaven is outer space, and the third heaven is the dwelling-place of God's good angels (II Cor. 12:2). All three, like the Three Persons within God Triune Himself, interpene-trate and overlap one another — which is quite what one would expect creatures of God Triune to do. Indeed, this is what Rev. Prof. Dr. Cornelius Van Til meant by "the one and the many." I Cor. 12:12-20.

This threeness-in-oneness or oneness-in-manyness can be seen throughout Genesis chapter one. Thus in this one creation account — within God Triune — there are clear inferences anent the Father, Word and Spirit (Gen. 1:1-3 & 1:26). There are two parallel series of three days each — on which God Triune respectively made light, and lights; the atmosphere/sea, and their inhabitants; and the dry land, and its inhabitants (Gen. 1:3- 31).

On day one — He made light, evening, and morning (Gen. 1:3-5). On day two — He made the firmament, the waters below, and the waters above (Gen. 1:6-8). On day three — He made the grass, the herbs, and the trees (Gen. 1:9-13). On day four — He made the sun, the moon, and the stars; and for days, seasons, and years (Gen. 1:14-19). On day five — He made water-monsters, sea-creatures, and things with wings (Gen. 1:20-23). On day six — He made reptiles, wild animals, and domestic animals; as well as men, as man and woman and child (Gen. 1:24-28). He then gave all of them three commands — to be fruitful, to multiply, and to fill the Earth (Gen.1:28); and then gave man herbs, fruit, and fish etc. (Gen. 1:29). Finally, on day seven — He ended and rested in and blessed all the work of His hands (Gen. 2:1-3).

Thus God Triune made also a triune mankind (husband/wife/child) as His own triune image. Gen. 1:26-28. Epiphanius and Witsius recognized that Adam knew God is Triune. Indeed, there is an intimate connection between the One-and-the-Many — in the Triune

The Bible

2007-03-05T13:33:00.000-08:00

This book contains: the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers.

Its doctrine is holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be saved, and practice it to be holy.

It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here heaven is open, and the gates of hell are disclosed.

Christ is the grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet.

Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, health to the soul, and a river of pleasure. It is given to you here in this life, will be opened at the judgment, and is established forever.

It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and condemn all who trifle with its contents.

John MacArthur

Calvinism: Dr. Gordon H. Clark lectures on Justification by Faith Alone

2007-03-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

Bible : The Battle For Truth

2007-03-04T22:52:00.000-08:00

A Brief on Creedal Need Within The Church of Christ

2007-03-03T03:41:00.000-08:00

In May of 2006 the blog Doctrines of Grace did a 5 part writing on Sola Scriptura. within that reformed writing it is stated that Sola Scriptura pertains to both Doctrine and Practice.
Since creeds are a part of the scripturesthey then must be used in the church therefore, the church must use them! And as we all know history bears out that all churches do use creeds. Now they are only as authortative as the Bible if they are in line with the teaching of the Bible in Doctrine and in Practice.

The Biblical Function of the Leaders Within the Church Confirm That The Church Is and Must Be A Creedal and Confessional Church!

"Sadly some faith groups, many "pastors" and Christians reject the biblical practice of creeds and confessions however the reality is that throughout Biblical history God's people needed and used creedal and confessional statements. The Bible is the only rule of faith and practice. Confessions and creeds are a biblical practice and supports our beloved Scripture alone doctrine and never usurps the authority of the Scripture. It is a biblical tool used for the summarization of the major doctrines of the Bible revealing how the Church understands the Bible in such things as the Knowledge of God, Man, Salvation, Sanctification in redemption, the Church and Her function, the return of our Lord, etc..

There is a real need of the creeds and confessions to be used in the Church and in the practice of its members for several reasons.

First, with them we can determine the principal doctrines guiding "faith and church groups".
Secondly, they help in giving us a written defense of the faith so that we can stand against the ever shifting religious fads in our day.
Thirdly, they direct us to the scriptures to further understand their teaching so that all of our opinions and actions can be directed and judged by them.
Fourthly, the leaders in the Church are bound to the truth of the scripture that has been expressly set down in the creeds and confessions. It keeps them united and protects them from subverting the doctrines of the faith. And finally, they serve in showing a unified Church since they show that She shares a set of beliefs in the effort to defend the faith.

The Gospel of John - Audio/Video

2007-02-24T19:10:00.000-08:00

The Holiness of Christ

2007-02-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

Islam’s Identity as a Denial of Christian Truth - James White

2007-02-22T10:48:00.000-08:00

Islam’s Identity as a Denial of Christian Truth on CDs

Dr. James White is the director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, www.aomin.org, a Christian apologetics organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a professor, having taught Greek, Systematic Theology, and various topics in the field of apologetics. He has authored or contributed to more than twenty books, including The King James Only Controversy, The Forgotten Trinity, The Potter's Freedom, and The God Who Justifies. He is an accomplished debater, having engaged in more than fifty moderated, public debates with leading proponents of Roman Catholicism, Islam, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormonism. He is an elder of the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church, has been married to Kelli for more than twenty-two years, and has two children, Joshua and Summer.

email with your order: info@TheGraceLifePulpit.com

CDs are mailed out free and postage paid.

Free Online Sermons (Audio) - James White

2007-02-20T12:31:00.000-08:00

Biographical Sketch

Dr. James R. White (born 1962) is the director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, a Christian apologetics organization based in Phoenix , Arizona . He is a professor, having taught Greek, Systematic Theology, and various topics in the field of apologetics. He is also a critical consultant for the Lockman Foundation's New American Standard Bible. He has authored or contributed to more than twenty books, including The King James Only Controversy, The Forgotten Trinity, The Potter's Freedom, and The God Who Justifies.

Continued Here

Apologetics Audio

2007-02-19T17:57:00.000-08:00

Large collection of Audio Apologetics

Charles Spurgeon Quotation

2007-02-17T22:02:00.000-08:00

As the apostle says to Timothy, so also he says to every-one, ‘Give yourself to reading.’ ... He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains proves that he has no brains of his own... You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers, and expositions of the Bible... the best way for you to spend your leisure is to be either reading or praying. Charles H. Spurgeon

Mailing away for wonderful tracts, booklets, paperbacks.

2007-02-17T12:33:00.000-08:00

This site offers reformed tracts, booklets, and paperback books. Email them with your order at: chapel@mountzion.org

You can email them with a request for a catalog. The catalog can also be viewed online at: Chapel Library Catalog

Everthing is mailed out free and postage paid.

Watch Out for Those Who Lead You Away from the Truth - John Piper

2007-02-16T23:33:00.000-08:00

Is Genesis Relevant Today? - Ken Ham

2007-02-09T16:42:00.000-08:00

Reformation Bible

2007-02-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

Calvinism and 2 Peter 3:9

2007-02-07T22:55:00.000-08:00

35 Reasons Not To Sin

2007-02-05T21:15:00.000-08:00

35 Reasons Not To Sin

Because a little sin leads to more sin.

Because my sin invites the discipline of God.

Because the time spent in sin is forever wasted.

Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.

Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.

Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.

Because I am doing what I do not have to do.

Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.

Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.

Because my sin saddens the godly.

Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.

Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.

Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.

Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.

Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.

Because sin is a very brief pleasure for an eternal loss.

Because my sin may influence others to sin.

Because my sin may keep others from knowing Christ.

Because sin makes light of the cross, upon which Christ died for the very purpose of taking away my sin.

Because it is impossible to sin and follow the Spirit at the same time.

Because God chooses not to respect the prayers of those who cherish their sin.

Because sin steals my reputation and robs me of my testimony.

Because others once more earnest than I have been destroyed by just such sins.

Because the inhabitants of heaven and hell would all testify to the foolishness of this sin.

Because sin and guilt may harm both mind and body.

Because sins mixed with service make the things of God tasteless.

Because suffering for sin has no joy or reward, though suffering for righteousness has both.

Because my sin is adultery with the world.

Because, though forgiven, I will review this very sin at the Judgment Seat where loss and gain of eternal rewards are applied.

Because I can never really know ahead of time just how severe the discipline for my sin might be.

Because my sin may be an indication of a lost condition.

Because to sin is not to love Christ.

Because my unwillingness to reject this sin now grants it an authority over me greater than I wish to believe.

Because sin glorifies God only in His judgment of it and His turning of it to good use, never because it is worth anything on it's own.

Because I promised God he would be Lord of my life.

Relinquish Your Rights - Reject the Sin - Renew the Mind - Rely on God

Copyright © 1992 Jim ElliffChristian Communicators Worldwide, Inc.201 Main, Parkville, MO 64152 USAwww.CCWonline.orgPermission granted for not-for-sale reproduction in exact form including copyrightOther uses require written permission. Write for additional materials.

The Lordship Controversy and The Carnal Christian

2007-02-02T00:28:00.000-08:00

We continue our studies in the Lordship controversy by examining another major theological difference between the Lordship and non-lordship teachings. In this study we will consider the differences of the two views concerning the "Carnal Christian" theory. This is one of the most perverted teachings in our generation. It is not only dangerous and self-deceiving but in many cases it is damning.

As a result of this erroneous teaching many who regularly occupy our church pews on Sunday morning and fill our church rolls are strangers to true conversion. They are strangers to heart religion because they have never experienced the power of a changed life. They are not new creatures and for them old things have not passed away (2 Cor. 5:17).

This "Carnal Christian" teaching was invented to accommodate all the supposed converts of modern evangelism. The non-lordship teachers had to have some explanation for the thousands and thousands of those who are products of an evangelism that leaves out Bible repentance from their evangelistic message. I am referring to those who make "decisions," walk aisles and make professions of being Christians, but their lives have never been changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they do not love what Christians love and hate what Christians hate. They act, think and live like non-Christians, but their teachers must have some explanation for their unchanged lives. Thus the unbiblical category "Carnal Christian" was invented by the non-lordship teachers.

The non-lordship teaching is a two-experience theory of the Christian life. Stage one is conversion, which they teach is making a decision to receive Christ as your personal Savior (this will keep you out of hell). Stage two is another decision, which is to make Christ Lord. What the non-lordship teachers seem to ignore is that no human makes Christ Lord. He is Lord regardless what sinners say, think or do. He is Lord by God Almighty's decree: "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). This verse settles the question of who makes Christ Lord.

Between these two experiences the supposed convert may live like an unbeliever. The testimony goes something like this: "When I was 7 or 8 years old (or older perhaps), I received Christ as my personal Savior, but I did not make Him Lord until much later in life." This kind of testimony reflects an erroneous interpretation of one's experience. To avoid this serious error we must hold tenaciously to a fundamental principle, that is, we must always interpret our experiences by the Scripture and never interpret the Scripture by our experience.

This teaching of two kinds of Christians by the non-lordship advocates is just a new dress for the old error of the second blessing teaching. Any teaching that sends Christians on a quest for a kind of holiness that is obtained by some single, religious, crisis experience rather than by daily submission to the will of God is both erroneous and dangerous. The holiness that all Christians desire will not be complete in this world--O, that it could be!

In contrast, Lordship teachers teach that there are as many kinds of Christians as there are Christians, but they deny that there are two categories--spiritual and carnal. The Lordship teachers teach that all Christians are carnal in some area of their life at some time and that all Christians are spiritual or else they are not Christians at all (Rom. 8:5-15).

Continued Here

Humility - Jonathan Edwards

2007-02-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

Humility may be defined to be a habit of mind and heart corresponding to our comparative unworthiness and vileness before God, or a sense of our own comparative meanness in His sight, with the disposition to a behaviour answerable thereto. And a truly humble man is sensible of the small extent of his own knowledge, and the great extent of his ignorance, and of the small extent of his understanding as compared with the understanding of God. He is sensible of his weakness, how little his strength is, and how little he is able to do. He is sensible of his natural distance from God, of his dependence on Him, of the insufficiency of his own power and wisdom; and that it is by God's power that he is upheld and provided for; and that he needs God's wisdom to lead and guide him, and his might to enable him to do what he ought to do for Him.

Humility tends to prevent an aspiring and ambitious behaviour amongst men. The man that is under the influence of an humble spirit is content with such a situation amongst men as God is pleased to allot to him, and is not greedy of honour, and does not affect to appear uppermost and exalted above his neighbours. Humility tends also to prevent an arrogant and assuming behaviour. On the contrary, humility disposes a person to a condescending behaviour to the meekest and lowest and to treat inferiors with courtesy and affability, as being sensible of his own weakness and despicableness before God.

If we then consider ourselves as the followers of the meek and lowly and crucified Jesus, we shall walk humbly before God and man all the days of our life on earth.

Let all be exhorted earnestly to seek much of an humble spirit, and to endeavour to be humble in all their behaviour toward God and men. Seek for a deep and abiding sense of your comparative meanness before God and man. Know God. Confess your nothingness and ill desert before Him. Distrust yourself. Rely only on God. Renounce all glory except from Him. Yield yourself heartily to His will and service. Avoid an aspiring, ambitious, ostentatious, assuming, arrogant, scornful, stubborn, wilful levelling, self-justifying behaviour; and strive for more and more of the humble spirit that Christ manifested while He was on earth. Humility is a most essential and distinguishing trait in all true piety.

Earnestly seek then, and diligently and prayerfully cherish an humble spirit, and God shall walk with you here below; and when a few more days shall have passed, He will receive you to the honours bestowed on His people at Christ's right hand.

The Benefits of True Knowledge

2007-01-29T22:30:00.000-08:00

Aaron Burr, Jr. was less than two years old when his father, the President of Princeton, died suddenly and unexpectedly in September, 1758. A few months later Aaron’s grandfather, Jonathan Edwards, who had been elected President of Princeton to succeed his son-in-law, died from complications due to a small pox inoculation. A few months after that Aaron’s grandmother, Sarah Edwards died, and finally his mother, Esther Edwards Burr died. Thus in less than one year little Aaron Burr, Jr. lost both his parents and grandparents. By his teen years, during his studies at Princeton, Burr consciously and willfully rejected the faith of his parents and grandparents. Later he became Vice President of the United States, serving with President Thomas Jefferson.

Most historians call Burr a political scoundrel, the first in a long, sordid line of machine politicians. When people from his state of New York wished for him to run for Governor, his long time nemesis, Alexander Hamilton, spoke privately of Burr’s dishonesty and unfitness for office. When such information surfaced publicly Burr felt his character was besmirched and as was customary in that day, challenged Hamilton to a duel. Hamilton reluctantly agreed and when he chose not to fire his gun at his opponent, Burr had no such hesitation, killing him on the spot. Burr fled first to Maryland then to his good friend Colonel Butler on a plantation at what is now St. Simons Island, GA. Later, Burr was charged with sedition but acquitted. He is buried at the feet of his parents and grandparents in the cemetery at Princeton, this being one of his last requests, saying that he was unworthy to be buried beside them.

Young Aaron Burr, Jr. certainly faced very difficult tests of faith, and we may wonder how well we would hold up under similar ones. May I suggest, however, that tests of faith, hardship, and trial are normative in the Christian life? The question is, how well will you weather them? Paul, in Ephesians 1:17, after saying he makes mention of the Ephesian believers in his prayers, gives us the purpose for his prayer, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give them a Spirit (many commentators believe this is the Holy Spirit, see John 15:26 the Spirit of truth, Romans 8:15 the Spirit of adoption) of wisdom (applied knowledge) and of revelation (apocalypse, an unveiling or making known) in the knowledge (super-charged, abundant, experiential) of God. Paul knows how vital it is for these believers to grow constantly in the grace and knowledge of Christ.

If you live in New England or the Midwest then you know winter is coming. You must prepare for it. If you live on the Gulf Coast and you hear that a hurricane is coming, then you prepare. Likewise Paul, knowing the normative nature of the testings of faith, wants us to prepare for them, and this requires an abiding (Psalm 42:5), deepening (Psalm 139:1ff), growing (Psalm 73:28), and living (Habakkuk 3:17ff) knowledge of God. A superficial one (Psalm 73:10-14) or a stale one (Demas in Colossians 4:14, II Timothy 4:10) simply will not do.

Contrast John Winthrop with Aaron Burr, Jr.. Winthrop left for the New World in 1630 at the age of 42 and became the Governor of Massachusetts Bay. He came with a little over 300 people and within the first six months, 200 of them had died. His first two wives died from complications in child birth. Of his four daughters, three died in infancy and the fourth died in her twenties. His oldest son Henry drowned shortly after arriving in Boston. His younger son Forth, a promising candidate for the Puritan pastoral ministry, died shortly after John left for the New World. And his steward, due either to ineptness or dishonesty, nearly brought Winthrop to financial ruin. Yet in all these trials, these tests of faith, John and Margaret Winthrop never doubted God. He remained their one, true constant and abiding hope.

The greater your knowledge of God then the greater will be your peace. Jesus tells us at the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24ff) that to listen and obey Him means to build our house on a rock, but not to listen means we build our house on sand. The storms of life are sure to come, and a house built on a weak foundation will be swept away. What are your testings of faith? Are you prepared to face the storms which are sure to come? On what are you building your hopes? To build on sand is to be man-centered, to view life fundamentally to be about your own comforts, desires, happiness, and prosperity. When you build in this way, without putting a growing, experiential knowledge of God as your foundation, then when the storms of life come you will be given to disappointment with God, disillusionment with your place in His plan, and despair over your future. But if you build with a growing, living, abiding, and deepening experiential knowledge of God then you will begin to see all of life’s circumstances as being under His sovereign control, that His primary aim in everything, including your salvation, sanctification, and glorification is His own glory. For a mere human to make such a claim is audacious and arrogant, but not so with the God of creation. He is in heaven and does as He pleases. He has established His throne in the heavens and His sovereignty rules over all.

May God give you a growing, living, deepening, and abiding experiential knowledge of Him. How can you get there? You can purpose to become a theologian of the heart by reading a good book or two on systematic theology. A good place to start is the Westminster Confession of Faith. But you should always look to Jesus. In Luke 7 we read of Jesus raising from the dead the son of a grieving mother. Such is the power of the Triune God. This power indwells every believer. You are to look in faith for His sustaining and sanctifying grace just as you did for your initial salvation. May God so work in us that the coming storms of life reveal a depth and viability of true knowledge of Him.

Al Baker is Pastor of Christ Community Presbyterian Church in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Phil Johnson and Don Green

2007-01-26T12:31:00.000-08:00

Phil Johnson and Don Green are offering CDs and CD Series. These CDs are fantastic. They aren't charging either. I have ordered several CD sets and individual CDs. There is a wealth of insight from them both.

Email them at: info@TheGraceLifePulpit.com

The list of CDs and Series are located here. Press on either sermons given by Phil or Don. On the right of the page are the Series CDs. Email them with the titles of the CDs or CD set numbers. Send them your name, address, and phone number.

Phil is the Executive Director of Grace to You. He has been closely associated with John MacArthur since 1981 and edits most of John’s major books. But he may be best known for several popular Web sites he maintains, including The Spurgeon Archive and The Hall of Church History.

Don was a litigation attorney in Chicago from 1986-1995 before leaving his law practice to attend The Master’s Seminary. He completed his M.Div. and Th.M. degrees with highest honors.

You can view complete Bios at their site.

Creation Museum

2007-01-25T11:03:00.000-08:00

The 50,000 sq. ft. Creation Museum located within the greater Cincinnati area will proclaim the Bible as supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice in every area it touches on. Set to open in June 2007, this “walk through history” museum will counter evolutionary natural history museums that turn countless minds against Christ and Scripture.

You can listen to audios and view videos on this site and take a virtual tour of the museum.

Creation Museum

In Whose Hands?

2007-01-24T03:54:00.000-08:00

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6.
A baseball in Johan Santana's hands is worth $4.75 million.
It depends on whose hands it's in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands.
A tennis racket in Venus Williams' hands is championship winning.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy
A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it's in.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of
fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands.
It depends whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse.
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will
produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it's in.

As you see now it depends whose hands it's in.
So put your concerns, your worries, your fears,
your hopes, your dreams, your families
and your relationships in God's hands because.! ..
it depends whose hands it's in.

WORKS GOOD WORKS ARE AN EXPRESSION OF FAITH - J. I. Packer

2007-01-22T16:42:00.000-08:00

You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. JAMES 2:24

In the New Testament, faith (believing trust, or trustful belief, based on testimony received as from God) is crucially important, for it is the means or instrumental cause of salvation. It is by faith that Christians are justified before God (Rom. 3:26; 4:1-5; Gal. 2:16), live their lives (literally “walk,” 2 Cor. 5:7), and sustain their hope (Heb. 10:35-12:3).

Faith cannot be defined in subjective terms, as a confident and optimistic mind-set, or in passive terms, as acquiescent orthodoxy or confidence in God without commitment to God. Faith is an object-oriented response, shaped by that which is trusted, namely God himself, God’s promises, and Jesus Christ, all as set forth in the Scriptures. And faith is a whole-souled response, involving mind, heart, will, and affections. Older Reformed theology analyzed faith as notita (“knowledge,” i.e., acquaintance with the content of the gospel), plus assensus (“agreement,” i.e., recognition that the gospel is true), plus fiducia (“trust and reliance,” i.e., personal dependence on the grace of Father, Son, and Spirit for salvation, with thankful cessation of all attempts to save oneself by establishing one’s own righteousness: Rom. 4:5; 10:3). Without fiducia there is no faith, but without notita and assensus there can be no fiducia (Rom. 10:14).

God’s gift of faith is a fruit of applicatory illumination by the Holy Spirit, and it ordinarily has in it some measure of conscious assurance through the witnessing of the Spirit (Rom. 8:15-17). Calvin defined faith as “a firm and sure knowledge of the divine favor towards us, founded on the truth of a free promise in Christ, and revealed to our minds and sealed on our hearts by the Holy Spirit.”

Justification by works (things we have done) is the heresy of legalism. Justification, as Luther insisted, is by faith only (“faith apart from observing the law,” Rom. 3:28), because it is in Christ and by Christ only, and depends on what he is as distinct from what we are. But if “good works” (activities of serving God and others) do not follow from our profession of faith, we are as yet believing only from the head, not from the heart: in other words, justifying faith (fiducia) is not yet ours. The truth is that, though we are justified by faith alone, the faith that justifies is never alone. It produces moral fruit; it expresses itself “through love” (Gal. 5:6); it transforms one’s way of living; it begets virtue. This is not only because holiness is commanded, but also because the regenerate heart, of which fiducia is the expression, desires holiness and can find full contentment only in seeking it.

When James says that faith without works is dead (i.e., a corpse), he is using the word faith in the limited sense of notita plus assensus , which is how those he addresses were using it. When he says that one is justified by what one does, not by faith alone, he means by “justified” “proved genuine; vindicated from the suspicion of being a hypocrite and a fraud.” James is making the point that barren orthodoxy saves no one (James 2:14-26). Paul would have agreed, and James’s whole letter shows him agreeing with Paul that faith must change one’s life. Paul denounces the idea of salvation by dead works; James rejects salvation by dead faith.

Though the believer’s works do not merit salvation and always have something imperfect about them (Rom. 7:13-20; Gal. 5:17), in their character as expressions of the love and fidelity that faith calls forth they are the basis on which God promises rewards in heaven (Phil. 3:12-14; 2 Tim. 4:7-8). For God thus to reward us according to our works is, as Augustine noted, his gracious crowning of his own gracious gifts.

10 Reasons Why Not To Ask Jesus Into You Heart

2007-01-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

10 Reasons Why Not To Ask Jesus Into Your Heart

By Todd Friel

1. It is not in the Bible.There is not a single verse that even hints we should say a prayer inviting Jesus into our hearts. Some use Rev. 3:20. To tell us that Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts begging to come in.“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” There are two reasons that interpretation is wrong.The context tells us that the door Jesus is knocking on is the door of the church, not the human heart. Jesus is not knocking to enter someone’s heart but to have fellowship with His church. Eveom Ascol f the context didn’t tell us this, we would be forcing a meaning into the text (eisegesis). How do we know it is our heart he is knocking at? Why not our car door? How do we know he isn’t knocking on our foot? To suggest that he is knocking on the door of our heart is superimposing a meaning on the text that simply does not exist.The Bible does not instruct us to ask Jesus into our heart. This alone should resolve the issue, nevertheless, here are nine more reasons.

2. Asking Jesus into your heart is a saying that makes no sense.What does it mean to ask Jesus into your heart? If I say the right incantation will He somehow enter my heart? Is it literal? Does He reside in the upper or lower ventricle? Is this a metaphysical experience? Is it figurative? If it is, what exactly does it mean? While I am certain that most adults cannot articulate its meaning, I am certain that no child can explain it. Pastor Dennis Rokser remindsus that little children think literally and can easily be confused (or frightened) at the prospect of asking Jesus into their heart.

3. In order to be saved, a man must repent (Acts 2:38).Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of repentance.

4. In order to be saved, a man must trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31).Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of faith.

5. The person who wrongly believes they are saved will have a false sense of security.Millions of people who sincerely, but wrongly, asked Jesus into their hearts think they are saved but struggle to feel secure. They live in doubt and fear because they do not have the Holy Spirit giving them assurance of salvation.

6. The person who asks Jesus into his heart will likely end up inoculated, bitter and backslidden.Because he did not get saved by reciting a formulaic prayer, he will grow disillusioned with Jesus, the Bible, church and fellow believers. His latter end will be worse than the first.

7. It presents God as a beggar just hoping you will let Him into your busy life.This presentation of God robs Him of His sovereignty.

8. The cause of Christ is ridiculed.Visit an atheist web-site and read the pagans who scoff, “How dare those Christians tell us how to live when they get divorced more than we do? Who are they to say homosexuals shouldn’t adopt kids when tens of thousands of orphans don’t get adopted by Christians?” Born again believers adopt kids and don’t get divorced. People who ask Jesus into their hearts do. Jesus gets mocked when false converts give Him a bad name.

9. The cause of evangelism is hindered.While it is certainly easier to get church members by telling them to ask Jesus into their hearts, try pleading with someone to make today the day of their salvation. Get ready for a painful response. “Why should I become a Christian when I have seen so called Christians act worse than a pagan?” People who ask Jesus into their hearts give pagans an excuse for not repenting.

10. Here is the scary one.People who ask Jesus into their hearts are not saved and they will perish on the Day of Judgment. How tragic that millions of people think they are right with God when they are not. How many people who will cry out, “Lord, Lord” on judgment day will be “Christians” who asked Jesus into their hearts?

And all God’s people said “Amen”

From

A Radical Change - Charles Spurgeon

2007-01-18T13:46:00.000-08:00

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" -- 2 Corinthians 5:17.

My line of discourse will be as follows: according to our text and many other Scriptures, a great change is needed in any man who would be saved…and this change is recognizable by distinct signs.

In Order to Salvation a Radical Change Is Necessary. This change is a thorough and sweeping one and operates upon the nature, heart, and life of the convert. Human nature is the same to all time, and it will be idle to try to turn the edge of Scriptural quotations by saying that they refer to the Jews or to the heathen, for at that rate we shall have no Bible left us at all. The Bible is meant for mankind, and our text refers to any man, of any country, and any age: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

We prove this point by reminding you, first, that everywhere in Scripture men are divided into two classes, with a very sharp line of distinction between them. Read in the Gospels, and you shall find continual mention of sheep lost and sheep found, guests refusing the invitation and guests feasting at the table, the wise virgins and the foolish, the sheep and the goats. In the epistles we read of those who are "dead in trespasses and sin" (Eph 2:1), and of others to whom it is said, "And you hath he quickened" (Eph 2:1); so that some are alive to God and others are in their natural state of spiritual death. We find men spoken of as being either in darkness or in light, and the phrase is used of being brought "out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1Pe 2:9). Some are spoken of as having been formerly aliens and strangers and having been made fellow-citizens and brethren. We read of "children of God" in opposition to "children of wrath." We read of believers who are not condemned, and of those who are condemned already because they have not believed. We read of those who have "gone astray," and of those who have "returned to the shepherd and bishop of their souls" (1Pe 2:25). We read of those who are "in the flesh and cannot please God" (Rom 8:8), and of those who are chosen and called and justified, whom the whole universe is challenged to condemn. The Apostle speaks of "us which are saved" (1Co 1:18), as if there were some saved while upon others "the wrath of God abideth" (Joh 3:36). "Enemies" are continually placed in contrast with those who are "reconciled to God by the death of his Son" (Rom 5:10). There are those that are "far off from God by wicked works" (Eph 2:12; Col 1:21), and those who are "made nigh by the blood of Christ" (Eph 2:13). I could continue till I wearied you. The distinction between the two classes runs through the whole of the Scriptures, and never do we find a hint that there are some who are naturally good and do not need to be removed from the one class into the other, or that there are persons between the two who can afford to remain as they are. No, there must be a divine work, making us new creatures and causing all things to become new with us; or we shall die in our sins.

Continued Here

A True Profession - Al Baker

2007-01-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

Perpetua, a young, well to do woman, lived in Carthage in 200 A.D. Carthage, modern day Tunis in north Africa, had a vibrant Christian community living amongst a pagan people, and Perpetua had come to believe in Jesus as the Christ. She was attending a Catechism class to prepare her for public profession and baptism, when she and five others were arrested by the Roman authorities.

Septimius Severus, the Roman emperor at the time, was cracking down on Christians who refused to worship him as god. He feared that Christianity undermined allegiance to the government and he would have none of it.

While awaiting trial Perpetua's father, a prominent member of Carthage society and a pagan, came to her jail cell, begging her to recant her new faith. She turned to a vase in the cell and asked her father, "Can this vase be called by any other name? I am what I am, a Christian. I will not recant."

Later, after Perpetua had been moved to a more comfortable cell so that she could nurse her baby, her father returned and laid a heavy guilt trip on her, saying, "You will die for your faith. Why would you bring such heartache to your father and mother? Don't you care about your husband and your infant? Will you bring reproach on me and shame me by dying as a criminal?" Perpetua was moved by her father's arguments but still refused to recant.

Later at her trial her father burst into the hearing with Perpetua's baby and begged her again to recant her faith in Christ. Perpetua again refused. The judge, not wanting to execute a young woman who was nursing her baby, offered a compromise. Would she merely offer a sacrifice to the gods? Again she refused, and at that point the judge sentenced her to death, along with the other new believers. They were led to the local coliseum with hundreds watching, and a wild heifer was unleashed on the Christians. It threw Perpetua into the air and trampled her. Next a leopard came at her and the others. Their deaths were taking too long so finally the authorities ran each of them through with a spear.

In our post everything world (people no longer believe in absolute truth, Christianity, the political process, heroes to inspire them, a better life) perhaps now, more than ever, true profession is essential. Paul puts forth in verse 15 of Ephesians 1 two undeniable characteristics of a Christian. Ask yourself, do you have these characteristics in your life?

1] The first is faith in the Lord Jesus. The faith about which Paul is speaking is not mere knowledge or lip service. It is not even an experience with God. It is not even belief in God for many say they believe in God. But true faith grasps, rejoices in, glories in the gospel essentials- that we are sinners justly deserving God's wrath and displeasure, believing that Jesus is the only mediator between God and man, the only Savior of the world. Such belief does not leave open the possibility of salvation in any other religion. Can you imagine Perpetua agreeing that other ways to God existed? True faith is not merely a saving, one time faith, but a growing one of obedience. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Lutheran pastor who stood against Adolf Hitler and who was executed said, "Only those who believe are obedient, and only the obedient believe."

2] The second characteristic of true profession is love for all the saints. See John 13:35, 15:12, I John 4:19, 20. This love is not mere feelings or lip service. It is not a refusal to challenge, correct, rebuke, question, or warn a brother or sister in sin. It is action. It is a willingness to risk loss- loss of time, money, emotional energy. It is a willingness to be disappointed in those whom you try to help. It is a willingness to challenge, rebuke, and question a believer. Think of the difference between a doting and loving father. The first wants to be best buddy with his children and will likely not challenge them, especially when they reach their teen years. That's not love. We glory in the truth of our justification by faith, but this forensic standing with God does not remove our responsibility to walk in obedience and holiness. The pessimistic, post modern, post everything people of our day want, need to see authenticity, community, reciprocity (love one another, forgive one another, be kind to one another), humility, and generosity. We have the ability, those of us who have true profession, to live this way.

So where are you? Are you truly in Christ? If not, then repent and truly believe now, casting yourself on Jesus who alone can save you. See how rebellious you are, how much you deserve God's righteous anger and judgment, and then run to Jesus for refuge, plunging yourself in His blood which alone can save. And if you are a believer, would you draw daily upon the unsearchable riches of Christ? Would you truly believe? Would you truly obey? Would you allow the indwelling Christ to produce in you authenticity and community? Our words mean little to nothing if actions of obedience do not follow. Perhaps now, more than ever, our post everything world needs to see true profession.

Al Baker is Pastor of Christ Community Presbyterian Church in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Lordship Salvation: A Comparison of Three Views

2007-01-14T17:30:00.000-08:00

A Comparison of Three Views
John MacArthur

New Forum

2007-01-11T17:56:00.000-08:00

Seeking4Truth has just started a new forum. Hope you will sign up and give it a try.

How does psychology work with Biblical counseling?

2007-01-04T18:52:00.000-08:00

Question: "How does psychology work with Biblical counseling?"

Answer: Psychology as a whole does not fit into Biblical counseling. This is not to say that some research that has been done within the realm of psychology is not useful - some can be. However, it should be viewed carefully, for even research and what psychologists and psychiatrists would call hard data can be skewed to make it say what they want it to say.

Psychology is humanistic in nature. Humanism excludes God. Humanism at its core says that man is the center, and there is nothing beyond him. Psychology is man's way of trying to understand and repair the spiritual side of man without being spiritual. Psychology removes God and spiritual things from the picture.

One result from the teachings and philosophy of the well known psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud, has been what is known as a Freudian ethic. From this ethic, the term "mental illness" arose. Once a person's problems are deemed to be an illness, they are no longer responsible. Psychiatry has let mankind off the hook - he is no longer responsible. This is why some people commit murder and enter an insanity plea - so they are not held responsible.

Another major contributor to humanism and psychiatry is Carl Rogers, the father of Rogerian counseling. Roger's basic presupposition was that mankind is basically good and the answer to a person's problems lies within himself. The psychiatrist who has adopted this form of counseling is little more than a good listener. He merely reflects back to the patient what the patient has been saying.

The Bible paints a very different picture of man than Rogers or Freud or any other form of psychiatry or humanism. The Bible declares that mankind had a different beginning than any other created thing. Man was made in the image of God and God breathed into man (and only man) the breath of life, and man became a living soul (Genesis 1:26; 2:7).

Man was created in innocence, but he was disobedient to God - he sinned against God - and this sin changed the first man, Adam, and all who came after him. Adam, and all who came after him are sinners, with the result being physical and spiritual death (Genesis 2:17; 5:5; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1). The answer to man's spiritual problems is to be born again - to be made alive spiritually (John 3:3, 6-7; 1 Peter 1:23). Man is born again by trusting in Jesus. To trust in Jesus means to understand that He is God's only Son, and God the Son (John 3:16; John 1:1-3). It means to understand and believe that Jesus paid for your sins when He died on the cross, and that God demonstrated that He accepted Christ as a sacrifice for you by raising Jesus from the dead (Romans 4:24-25).

God has already provided for our deepest needs - our spiritual needs. Why then would He not have also provided for our emotional and psychological needs? He has. 2 Peter 1:2-3 says, "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence."

Note in this verse that God has provided "everything" we need for "life and godliness." God's Word is sufficient for our needs if we are obedient.
Recommended Resource: Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams.

Creeds or Chaos

2007-01-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

There is an essay by a well-known British author of this century entitled, "Creed or Chaos."While not agreeing with much of the content of the essay, the title very nicely describes the urgency of having and using the historic creeds of the church. We are convinced that the only alternative to creeds is ecclesiastical chaos. History has proved that, especially in this century. In refusing to have creeds or in moving away from her creeds the church has exposed herself to the chaos that the floods and winds of doctrinal change, spiritual ignorance, and worldliness bring.

Some have begun to realize this and to return to the creeds, and for this we are profoundly thankful. Others, however, continue to neglect and despise the creeds, and it is to them especially that this article is addressed in the hope they will reconsider and see both the Biblical basis and the need for creeds in the church.

It is that Biblical basis that we hope to establish first of all. Then we wish also to address some of the objections that are raised against creeds. Finally, having established and defended the necessity of creeds, we wish to point out some of the specific uses of creeds in the church, for unless the creeds are known and used, having them is of no value.

Continued Here

Radio Apologia Radio

2007-01-04T10:53:00.000-08:00

Audio Downloads including Jay E. Adams

Pulpit Magazine

2007-01-01T11:37:00.000-08:00

Well…it’s New Year’s Day. And we all know what that means. It’s time to take an inventory of how we lived in 2006 and think through some much needed changes for 2007. In other words, it’s time to make a list of New Year’s resolutions.Many of our lists will be necessarily long; many will involve a bit of wishful thinking; and most, if not all, will include some recycled resolutions that weren’t kept last year. But whatever the specifics, everyone agrees on a few key facts: the ball has dropped, last year is history, and the future is brimming with possibility. Continue Reading »

Comparison of the AoG Statement of Fundamental Truths with the LDS Articles of Faith

2006-12-26T20:31:00.000-08:00

Suprising how both Articles of Faith are so similar.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2006-12-25T20:58:00.000-08:00

Covenantalism

2006-12-22T11:56:00.000-08:00

Dispensationalism

2006-12-18T20:24:00.000-08:00

Premillennialism

2006-12-17T16:16:00.000-08:00

John Calvin on the Law

2006-12-13T23:50:00.000-08:00

John Calvin, The Institutes (2.9.4), 1536 By the term Law, Paul frequently understands that rule of holy living in which God exacts what is his due, giving no hope of life unless we obey in every respect; and, on the other hand, denouncing a curse for the slightest failure. This Paul does when showing that we are freely accepted of God, and accounted righteous by being pardoned, because that obedience of the Law to which the reward is promised is nowhere to be found. Hence he appropriately represents the righteousness of the Law and the Gospel as opposed to each other. But the Gospel has not succeeded the whole Law in such a sense as to introduce a different method of salvation. It rather confirms the Law, and proves that every thing which it promised is fulfilled. What was shadow, it has made substance...

Post-Millennialism

2006-12-12T22:50:00.000-08:00

Amillennialism

2006-12-12T22:11:00.000-08:00

Click To Play

Session Three - Pastor Brandon F Smith gives his overview and critique of the Amillenial view of 'end times.'

If you missed the White/Caner Web Debate on Calvinism ... Don't Miss This!

2006-12-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

Video

The Shepherd ... and the Door

2006-12-09T11:28:00.000-08:00

Click To Play

Pastor Brandon Smith talks about the claims of Christ

WCF 29: The Lord's Supper: A Meal of Community and Unity in Fellowship and Evangelism or ( The Lord’s Supper Sacrament Number Two)

2006-11-14T15:23:00.000-08:00

WCF 29: The Lords Supper: A Meal of Community and Unity in Fellowship and Evangelism or ( The Lord’s Supper Sacrament Number Two)

Chapter 29: Of the Lord’s Supper

29:1 Our Lord Jesus, in the night wherein He was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of His body and blood, called the Lord’s Supper, to be observed in His Church, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of Himself in His death; the sealing all benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto Him; and, to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Him, and with each other, as members of His mystical body (1Co_10:16, 1Co_10:17, 1Co_10:21; 1Co_11:23-26; 1Co_12:13).

29:2 In this sacrament, Christ is not offered up to His Father; nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission of sins of the quick or the dead (Heb_9:22, Heb_9:25, Heb_9:26, Heb_9:28); but only a commemoration of that one offering up of Himself, by Himself, upon the cross, once for all: and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same (Mat_26:26, Mat_26:27; 1Co_11:24-26): so that the Popish sacrifice of the mass (as they call it) is most abominably injurious to Christ’s one, only sacrifice, the alone propitiation for all the sins of His elect (Heb_7:23, Heb_7:24, Heb_7:27; Heb_10:11, Heb_10:12, Heb_10:14, Heb_10:18).

29:3 The Lord Jesus hath, in this ordinance, appointed His ministers to declare His word of institution to the people; to pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart from a common to a holy use; and to take and break the bread, to take the cup, and (they communicating also themselves) to give both to the communicants (Mat_26:26-28, and Mar_14:22-24, and Luk_22:19, Luk_22:20, with 1Co_11:23-27); but to none who are not then present in the congregation (Act_20:7; 1Co_11:20).

29:4 Private masses, or receiving this sacrament by a priest or any other alone (1Co_10:6); as likewise, the denial of the cup to the people (Mar_4:23; 1Co_11:25-29), worshipping the elements, the lifting them up or carrying them about for adoration, and the reserving them for any pretended religious use; are all contrary to the nature of this sacrament, and to the institution of Christ (Mat_15:9).

29:5 The outward elements in this sacrament, duly set apart to the uses ordained be Christ, have such relation to Him crucified, as that, truly, yet sacramentally only, they are sometimes called by the name of the things they represent, to wit, the body and blood of Christ (Mat_26:26-28) albeit in substance and nature they still remain truly and only bread and wine, as they were before (Mat_26:29; 1Co_11:26-28).

29:6 That doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine, into the substance of Christ’s body and blood (commonly called transubstantiation) by consecration of a priest, or by any other way, is repugnant, not to Scripture alone, but even to common sense and reason; overthroweth the nature of the sacrament, and hath been, and is the cause of manifold superstitions; yea, of gross idolatries (Luk_24:6, Luk_24:39; Act_3:21 with 1Co_11:24-26).

29:7 Worthy receivers outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this sacrament (1Co_11:28), do then also, inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually, receive and feed upon, Christ crucified, and all benefits of His death: the body and blood of Christ being then, not corporally or carnally, in, with, or under the bread and wine; yet, as really, but spiritually, present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses (1Co_10:16).

29:8 Although ignorant and wicked men receive the outward elements in this sacrament: yet they receive not the thing signified thereby, but by their unworthy coming thereunto are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord to their own damnation. Wherefore, all ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with Him, so are they unworthy of the Lord’s table; and cannot, without great sin against Christ while they remain such, partake of these holy mysteries (1Co_11:27-29; 2Co_6:14-16), or be admitted thereunto (Mat_7:6; 1Co_5:6, 1Co_5:7, 1Co_5:13; 2Th_3:6, 2Th_3:14, 2Th_3:15).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. The Lord Instituted The Sacrament OF The Lord’s Supper (WCF 29.1)

B. This Sacrament Is To Administered Until The Return Of The Lord (WCF 29.1)

C. The Lord’s Supper Was Given For (WCF 29.1):

1. The Perpetual Rememberance Of His Sacriface
2. For The Sealing Of The Benefits To All Beleivers
3. For Spiritual Nourishment And Growth
4. To Engage Believers In Their Pious Duties
For A Bond And Pledge Of The Believers Communion With Christ And One Another As Members Of His Body

D. The Supper Is A Commemoration Of The One Sacrifice Of Christ (WCF 29.2)

E. The Roman Doctrine Of The Mass Is An Attack Against The One Sufficient Sacrifice Of Christ (WCF 29.2)

F. The Ordained Ministers Of Christ Are To Administer This Sacrament (WCF 29.3)

G. The Elements To Be Used Are Wine And Bread (WCF 29.3)

H. Both Clergy And Laity Are To Partake Of Both Elements (WCF 29.3)

I. The Elements Are Not To Worshipped (WCF 29.4)

J. The Understanding Of The Representational Sacrament Nature Of Christ Crucified Is Taught In This Chapter (WCF 29.5)

K. The Errors Of The Doctrines Of Transubstantiation And Consubstantiation (WCF 29.6-7)

L. The Unconverted Partaking Of The Sacrament Receives The Sign And Incur Guilt By Their Action (WCF 29.8)

M. Those Are To Be Admitted Only That Give A Credible Profession Of Faith (WCF 29.8)

WCF 28: The Scriptures Are Clear the True Church Performs Baptisms or (Baptism: Sacrament Number One)

2006-11-14T14:41:00.000-08:00

WCF 28: The Scriptures Are Clear the True Church Performs Baptisms or (Baptism: Sacrament Number One)

Chapter 28: Of Baptism

28:1 Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ (Mat_28:19), not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church (1Co_12:13); but also, to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace (Rom_4:11 with Col_2:11, Col_2:12), of his ingrafting into Christ (Rom_6:5; Gal_3:27), of regeneration (Tit_3:5), of remission of sins (Mar_1:4), and of his giving up unto God through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life (Rom_6:3, Rom_6:4). Which sacrament is, by Christ’s own appointment, to be continued in His Church until the end of the world (Mat_28:19, Mat_28:20).

28:2 The outward element to be used in this sacrament is water, wherewith the party is to be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by a minister of the Gospel, lawfully called thereunto (Mat_3:11; Mat_28:19, Mat_28:20; Joh_1:33).

28:3 Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary: but Baptism is rightly administered by pouring or sprinkling water upon the person (Mar_7:4; Act_2:41; Act_16:33; Heb_9:10, Heb_9:19-22).

28:4 Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ (Mar_16:15, Mar_16:16; Act_8:37, Act_8:38), but also the infants of one or both believing parents, are to be baptized (Gen_17:7, Gen_17:9 with Gal_3:9, Gal_3:14, and Col_2:11, Col_2:12, and Act_2:38, Act_2:39, and Rom_4:11, Rom_4:12; Mat_28:19; Mar_10:13-16; Luk_18:15; 1Co_7:14).

28:5 Although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance (Luk_7:30 with Exo_4:24-26), yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it, as that no person can be regenerated or saved without it (Act_10:2, Act_10:4, Act_10:22, Act_10:31, Act_10:45, Act_10:47; Rom_4:11); or, that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated (Act_8:13, Act_8:23).

28:6 The efficacy of Baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered (Joh_3:5, Joh_3:8); yet notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited and conferred, by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongeth unto, according to the counsel of God’s own will, in His appointed time (Act_2:38, Act_2:41; Gal_3:27; Eph_5:25, Eph_5:26; Tit_3:5).

28:7 The sacrament of Baptism is but once to be administered unto any person (Tit_3:5).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. Baptism Is A Sacrament (WCF 28.1)

B. What Baptism Means (WCF 28.1)

C. The Proper Means Of Administering Baptism (WCF 28.2-3)

D. Baptism In To Be Continue In The Church Of God (WCF 28.2-4)

E. Immersion Is Not Essential To Baptism (WCF 28.3)

F. No Particular Mode Is Commanded In Scripture (WCF 28.3)

G. The Proper Subjects Of Baptism Are Believing Parents And Their Children (WCF 28.4)

H. It Is An Error To Neglect The Sacrament Of Baptism (WCF 28.5)

I. Salvation Is Not Absolutely Inseparable From Baptism (WCF 28.6)

J. Salvation Is Not Guaranteed By Baptism (WCF 28.6)

K. The Efficacy Of Baptism Is Not Tied To The Time Of The Administration Of The Baptism Performed (WCF 28.6)

L. Baptism Is To Be Administered But Once According To The Bible (WCF 28.7)

WCF 27 – Our God Works In Our Lives Through His Ordained Ways : The Sacraments Is One Of The Ways

2006-11-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

WCF 27 – Our God Works In Our Lives Through His Ordained Ways : The Sacraments Is One Of The Ways

Chapter 27: Of the Sacraments

27:1 Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace (Gen_17:7, Gen_17:10; Rom_4:11), immediately instituted by God (Mat_28:19; 1Co_11:23), to represent Christ and His benefits; and to confirm our interest in Him (Gal_3:27; 1Co_10:16; 1Co_11:25, 1Co_11:26); as also, to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the Church, and the rest of the world (Gen_34:14; Exo_12:48; Rom_15:8); and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to His Word (Rom_6:3, Rom_6:4; 1Co_10:16, 1Co_10:21).

27:2 There is, in every sacrament, as spiritual relation, or sacramental union, between the sign and the thing signified: whence it comes to pass, that the names and the effects of the one are attributed to the other (Gen_17:10; Mat_26:27, Mat_26:28; Tit_3:5).

27:3 The grace which is exhibited in or by the sacraments rightly used, is not conferred by any power in them: neither doth the efficacy of a sacrament depend upon the piety or intention of him that doth administer it (Rom_2:28, Rom_2:29; 1Pe_3:21): but upon the work of the Spirit (Mat_3:11; 1Co_12:13), and the word of institution, which contains, together with a precept authorizing the use thereof, a promise of benefit to worthy receivers (Mat_26:27, Mat_26:28; Mat_28:19, Mat_28:20).

27:4 There be only two sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the Gospel; that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord: neither of which may be dispensed by any but by a minister of the Word lawfully ordained (Mat_28:19; 1Co_4:1; 1Co_11:20, 1Co_11:23; Heb_5:4).

27:5 The sacraments of the Old Testament, in regard of the spiritual things thereby signified and exhibited, were, for substance, the same with those of the New (1Co_10:1-4).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. What The Sacraments Are (Wcf 27.1)

B. Who Instated Them And How He Instituted Them (Wcf 27:1)

C. The Reason The Sacraments Were Instituted (Wcf 27.1)

D. We Are Taught What Errors To Refute – Especially Those Within The RCC Sacerdotal System (WCF 27. 2-5)

1. “The Sacraments Give Grace Through A Power Which They Possess To Sanctify The Souls Of Men As The Instruments Of God”*

2. “The One Administering A Sacrament Must Have The Intention Of Doing What The Church Does In Giving The Sacrament.”*

3. There Are Seven Sacraments:*

a. Baptism
b. Confirmation
c. Holy Eucharist
d. Penance
e. Extreme unction
f. Holy Orders
g. Matrimony

* From the RCC 1941 edition of the Baltimore Catechism

To God Be The Glory!

2006-11-06T03:42:00.000-08:00

To God be the Glory!

It is always it is sad when Christians sin and fall. it is alsosad and hurts when this happens on a national level sch as has happened to Ted Haggard. However Ted is repentant and is doing works of repentance while being properly submissive to those in authority. This id what God has established and Ted indicates that he is following God's processes of Church discipline. In this Ted will be in a place of being sanctified, Christ will be honored and the people around him will certainly heal. May God continue to be glorified in this time of active progressive sanctification!

WCF 26 - Our Wonderful Communion

2006-10-27T23:20:00.000-07:00

WCF 26- Our Wonderful Communion

Chapter 26:
Of the Communion of Saints

26:1 All saints that are united to Jesus Christ their Head by His Spirit and by faith, have fellowship with Him in His graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory (Joh_1:16; Rom_6:5, Rom_6:6; Eph_2:5, Eph_2:6; Eph_3:16-19; Phi_3:10; 2Ti_2:12; 1Jo_1:3): and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other’s gifts and graces (1Co_3:21-23; 1Co_12:7; Eph_4:15, Eph_4:16; Col_2:19), and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man (Rom_1:11, Rom_1:12, Rom_1:14; Gal_6:10; 1Th_5:11, 1Th_5:14; 1Jo_3:16-18).

26:2 Saints by profession are bound to maintain a holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God; and in performing such other spiritual services as tend to their mutual edification (Isa_2:3; Act_2:42, Act_2:46; 1Co_11:20; Heb_10:24, Heb_10:25); as also in relieving each other in outward things, according to their several abilities, and necessities. Which communion, as God offereth opportunity, is to be extended unto all those who, in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus (Act_2:44, Act_2:45; Act_11:29, Act_11:30; 2 Cor 8:1-9:15; 1Jo_3:17).

26:3 This communion, which the saints have with Christ, doth not make them, in any wise, partakers of the substance of His Godhead; or to be equal with Christ, in any respect: either of which to affirm is impious and blasphemous (Psa_45:7 with Heb_1:8, Heb_1:9; Isa_42:8; 1Co_8:6; Col_1:18, Col_1:19; 1Ti_6:15, 1Ti_6:16). Nor doth their communion one with another, as saints, take away, or infringe the title or propriety which each man hath in his goods and possessions (Exo_20:15; Act_5:4; Eph_4:28).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. Believers Have A Vital Union Wirh Christ In His Work Of Mediation (WCF 26.1)

B. WE Also Have Communion With One Another In The Gifts And Graces (WCF 26.1)

C. This Communion Entails Certain Mutual Duties And Obligations Among Believers (WCF 26.2)

D. We Do Not Become Divine Or Equal With Christ In This Communion (WCF 26.3)

E. The Right Of Private Property Is Upheld And Not Destroyed In Any Manner In This Communion (WCF 26.3)

WCF 25 – One Church Visible. Invisible

2006-10-26T23:10:00.000-07:00

WCF 25 – One Church Visible. Invisible

Chapter 25:
Of the Church

25:1 The catholic or universal Church which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all (Eph_1:10, Eph_1:22, Eph_1:23; Eph_5:23, Eph_5:27, Eph_5:32; Col_1:18).

25:2 The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the Gospel (not confined to one nation as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion (Psa_2:8; Rom_15:9-12; 1Co_1:2; 1Co_12:12, 1Co_12:13; Rev_7:9); and of their children (Gen_3:15; Gen_17:7; Eze_16:20, Eze_16:21; Act_2:39; Rom_11:16; 1Co_7:14): and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ (Isa_9:7; Mat_13:47), the house and family of God (Eph_2:19; Eph_3:15), out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation (Act_2:47).

25:3 Unto this catholic visible Church Christ hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world: and doth by His own presence and Spirit, according to His promise, make them effectual thereunto (Isa_59:21; Mat_28:19, Mat_28:20; 1Co_12:23; Eph_4:11-13).

25:4 This catholic Church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less visible (Rom_11:3, Rom_11:4; Rev_12:6, Rev_12:14). And particular Churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the Gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them (1Co_5:6, 1Co_5:7; Rev 2:1-3:22).

25:5 The purest Churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error (Mat_13:24-30, Mat_13:47; 1Co_13:12; Rev 2 and Rev 3): and some have so degenerated, as to become no Churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan (Rom_11:18-22; Rev_18:2). Nevertheless, there shall be always a Church on earth, to worship God according to His will (Psa_72:17; Psa_102:28; Mat_16:18; Mat_28:19, Mat_28:20).

25:6 There is no other head of the Church, but the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph_1:22; Col_1:18); nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God (Mat_23:8-10; 2Th_2:3, 2Th_2:4, 2Th_2:8, 2Th_2:9; Rev_13:6).

Summary Statements We Are Taught:

A. The Nature Of The Church From The Divine Point Of View (Wcf 25.1)

B. The Church From The Human Point Of View (WCF 25.2)

C. The Visibility Of The Church Varies (WCF 25.4)

D. Each Particular Church Is To Be Judged By (WCF 25.3):

1. Doctrine

2. Worship

3. Discipline

E. There Is Not A Church That Is Entirely Pure (WCF 25.5)

F. Some Churches Become Apostate (WCF 25.5)

G. There Will Always Be A Church On Earth (WCF 25.5)

H. The Papacy Is Antichristian (WCF 25.6)

Chapter 24: Marriage and Divorce - An Ordinance to be Held By Church a nd State

2006-10-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

Chapter 24: Of Marriage and Divorce

24:1 Marriage is to be between one man and one woman: neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband; at the same time (Gen_2:24; Pro_2:17; Mat_19:5, Mat_19:6).

24:2 Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife (Gen_2:18), for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the Church with an holy seed (Mal_2:15); and for preventing of uncleanness (1Co_7:2, 1Co_7:9).

24:3 It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their consent (Gen_24:57, Gen_24:58; 1Co_7:36-38; 1Ti_4:3; Heb_13:4). Yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord (1Co_7:39): and therefore such as profess the true reformed religion should not marry with infidels, papists, or other idolaters: neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with such as are notoriously wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresies (Gen_34:14; Exo_34:16; Deu_7:3, Deu_7:4; 1Ki_11:4; Neh_13:25-27; Mal_2:11, Mal_2:12; 2Co_6:14).

24:4 Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden by the Word (Lev 18:1-30; Amo_2:7; 1Co_5:1); nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man or consent of parties, so as those persons may live together as man and wife (Lev_18:24-28; Mar_6:18). The man may not marry any of his wife’s kindred nearer in blood than he may of his own; nor the woman of her husband’s kindred nearer in blood than of her own (Lev_20:19-21).

24:5 Adultery or fornication committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that contract (Mat_1:18-20). In the case of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to sue out a divorce (Mat_5:31, Mat_5:32): and, after the divorce, to marry another, as if the offending party were dead (Mat_19:9; Rom_7:2, Rom_7:3).

24:6 Although the corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments unduly to put asunder those whom God hath joined together in marriage: yet nothing but adultery, or such willful desertion as can no way be remedied by the Church or civil magistrate, is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage (Mat_19:6, Mat_19:8, Mat_19:9; 1Co_7:15): wherein, a public and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed; and the persons concerned in it not left to their own wills and discretion, in their own case (Deu_24:1-4).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. God has ordained monogamous marriage (WCF 24.1)

B. Marriage serves various purposes (WCF 24.2):

1. for mutual help of husband and wife
2. for the increase of mankind
3. for the increase of the Church with an holy seed
4. for preventing of uncleanness

C. Celibacy is not to be regarded as holier than marriage (24.3)

D. Christians should not marry unbelievers nor people that hold to dangerous error in doctrine (WCF 24.3)

E. there are certain restrictions regarding whom Christians may marry due to existing relationships (WCF 24.4)

F. there are two possible grounds for proper divorce (WCF 24.5)

1. Adultery and fornication
2. Desertion of a Christian by a non-Christian

G. It is the Duty of Both Church and State to uphold this divine ordinance (WCF 24.6)

WCF 23- Gods Ministers for Service and Protection

2006-10-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

WCF 23- Gods Ministers for Service and Protection

Chapter 23:
Of the Civil Magistrate

23:1 God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates, to be, under Him, over the people, for His own glory, and the public good: and, to this end, hath armed them with the power of the sword, for the defence and encouragement of them that are good, and for the punishment of evil doers (Rom_13:1-4; 1Pe_2:13, 1Pe_2:14).

23:2 It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate, when called thereunto (Pro_8:15, Pro_8:16; Rom_13:1, Rom_13:2, Rom_13:4); in the managing whereof, as they ought especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth (2Sa_23:3; Psa_2:10-12; Psa_82:3, Psa_82:4; 1Ti_2:2; 1Pe_2:13); so for that end, they may lawfully now, under the New Testament, wage war, upon just and necessary occasion (Mat_8:9, Mat_8:10; Luk_3:14; Act_10:1, Act_10:2; Rom_13:4; Rev_17:14, Rev_17:16).

23:3 The civil magistrate may not assume to himself the administration of the Word and sacraments, or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven (2Ch_26:18 with Mat_18:17 and Mat_16:19; Rom_10:15; 1Co_4:1, 1Co_4:2; 1Co_12:28, 1Co_12:29; Eph_4:11, Eph_4:12; Heb_5:4): yet he hath authority, and it is his duty, to take order, that unity and peace be preserved in the Church, that the truth of God be kept pure and entire; that all blasphemies and heresies be suppressed; all corruptions and abuses in worship and discipline prevented or reformed; and all the ordinances of God duly settled, administered, and observed (Lev_24:16; Deu_13:5, Deu_13:6, Deu_13:12; 2Ki_18:4; 23:1-26; 1Ch_13:1-9; 2Ch_15:12, 2Ch_15:13; 2Ch_34:33; Ezr_7:23-28; Psa_122:9; Isa_49:23). For the better effecting whereof, he hath power to call synods, to be present at them, and to provide that whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the mind of God (2Ch_19:8-11; 29:1-30:27; Mat_2:4, Mat_2:5).

23:4 It is the duty of people to pray for the magistrates (1Ti_2:1, 1Ti_2:2), to honour their persons (1Pe_2:17), to pay them tribute and other dues (Rom_13:6, Rom_13:7), to obey their lawful commands, and to be subject to their authority, for conscience’ sake (Rom_13:5; Tit_1:3). Infidelity, or difference in religion, doth not make void the magistrates’ just and legal authority, nor free the people from their due obedience to them (1Pe_2:13, 1Pe_2:14, 1Pe_2:16): from which ecclesiastical persons are not exempted (1Ki_2:35; Act_25:9-11; Rom_13:1; 2Pe_2:1, 2Pe_2:10, 2Pe_2:11; Jud_1:8-11), much less hath the Pope any power or jurisdiction over them in their dominions, or over any of their people; and, least of all, to deprive them of their dominions, or lives, if he shall judge them to be heretics, or upon any other pretence whatsoever (2Th_2:4; Rev_13:15-17).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. G0d Has Ordained The Civil Government On The Earth (WCF 23.1)

B. The Purpose Of Civil Government Is For God’s Glory And Our Good (WCF 23.1)

C. God Has Given The Civil Magistrates The Power Of Execution (WCF 23.2)

D. Christians May Hold The Office And Execute The Power Of The Office Upon Just And Necessary Occasions (WCF 23.2)

E. Civil Magistrates May Not Administer The Sacraments Nor Other Aspects Of The Keys Of The Kingdom (WCF 23.3)

F. We Are To Honor The Office And Those That Serve While Praying And Being Subject To Them (WCF 23.4)

G. The Civil Magistrate Has The Job To See That Peace And Unity Be Preserved Both In Society And In The Church (WCF 23.3)

H. The Pope Of Rome Does Not Have A Right To Civil Power (WCF 23.4)

WCF 22 - Understanding and Ensuring Commitments

2006-10-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

WCF 22 - Understanding and Ensuring Commitments

Chapter 22:
Of Lawful Oaths and Vows

22:1 A lawful oath is part of religious worship (Deu_10:20), wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth, or promiseth; and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what he sweareth (Exo_20:7; Lev_19:12; 2Ch_6:22, 2Ch_6:23; 2Co_1:23).

22:2 The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear; and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence (Deu_6:13). Therefore, to swear vainly or rashly, by that glorious and dreadful Name; or, to swear at all by any other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred (Exo_20:7; Jer_5:7; Mat_5:34, Mat_5:37; Jam_5:12). Yet, as in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the Word of God, under the New Testament as well as under the Old (Isa_66:16; 2Co_1:23; Heb_6:16); so a lawful oath, being imposed by lawful authority, in such matters ought to be taken (1Ki_8:31; Ezr_10:25; Neh_13:25).

22:3 Whosoever taketh an oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act; and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth (Exo_20:7; Jer_4:2). Neither may any man bind himself by oath to anything but what is good and just, and what he believeth so to be, and what he is able and resolved to perform (Gen_24:2, Gen_24:3, Gen_24:5, Gen_24:6, Gen_24:8, Gen_24:9). Yet it is a sin to refuse an oath touching anything that is good and just, being imposed by lawful authority (Exo_22:7-11; Num_5:19, Num_5:21; Neh_5:12).

22:4 An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation, or mental reservation (Psa_24:4; Jer_4:2). It cannot oblige to sin: but in anything not sinful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to a man’s own hurt (1Sa_25:22, 1Sa_25:32-34; Psa_15:4). Nor is it to be violated, although made to heretics, or infidels (Jos_9:18, Jos_9:19, with 2Sa_21:1; Eze_17:16, Eze_17:18, Eze_17:19).

22:5 A vow is of the like nature with a promissory oath, and ought to be made with the like religious care, and to be performed with the like faithfulness (Psa_61:8; Psa_66:13, Psa_66:14; Ecc_5:4-6; Isa_19:21).

22:6 It is not to be made to any creature, but to God alone (Psa_76:11; Jer_44:25, Jer_44:26): and, that it may be accepted, it is to be made voluntarily, out of faith, and conscience of duty, in way of thankfulness for mercy received, or for the obtaining of what we want; whereby we more strictly bind ourselves to necessary duties: or to other things, so far and so long as they may fitly conduce thereunto (Gen_28:20-22; Deu_23:21, Deu_23:23; 1Sa_1:11; Psa_50:14; Psa_66:13, Psa_66:14; Psa_132:2-5).

22:7 No man may vow to do any thing forbidden in the Word of God, or what would hinder any duty therein commanded, or which is not in his power, and for the performance whereof he hath no promise of ability from God (Num_30:5, Num_30:8, Num_30:12, Num_30:13; Mar_6:26; Act_23:12, Act_23:14). In which respect Popish monastical vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher perfection, that they are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian may entangle himself (Mat_19:11, Mat_19:12; 1Co_7:2, 1Co_7:9, 1Co_7:23; Eph_4:28; 1Pe_4:2).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. The Nature Of A Lawful Oath (WCF 22.1)

B. The Only Name In Which We Are Only To Swear (WCF 22.2)

C. The Manner And Duty Of Taking Oaths And Vows Upon Proper Occasions (WCF 22.3)

D. The Sense In Which The Oath Is To Be Interpreted (WCF 22.3)

E. The Extent To Which And The Ground Upon It Has A Binding Obligation (WCF 22.4)

F. A Vow Is Similar To An Oath (WCF 22.5)

G. A Vow Is Made To God Alone (WCF 22.6)

H. A Vow Must Be Made (WCF 22.6)

1. Voluntarily

2. Out Of Faith

3. Out Of Conscience Of Duty

4. By Way Of Thankfulness For Mercy Received

5. For The Obtaining Of What We Want

I. Vows Are To Be Made Only For That Which Is A Cording To The Word Of God (WCF 22.7)
J. Certain Roman Catholic Vows Are Contrary To The Scriptures (WCF 22.7)

WCF 21 – For God As Well As For God’s Created Beings

2006-10-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

WCF 21 – For God As Well As For God’s Created Beings

Chapter 21:
Of Religious Worship,
and the Sabbath Day

21:1 The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and doth good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might (Jos_24:14; Psa_18:3; Psa_31:23; Psa_62:8; Psa_119:68; Jer_10:7; Mar_12:33; Act_17:24; Rom_1:20; Rom_10:12). But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited to His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture (Exo_20:4-6; Deu_4:15-20; Deu_12:32; Mat_4:9, Mat_4:10; Mat_15:9; Act_17:25; Col_2:23).

21:2 Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and to Him alone (Mat_4:10 with Joh_5:23 and 2Co_13:14; not to angels, saints, or any other creature (Rom_1:25; Col_2:18; Rev_19:10): and, since the fall, not without a Mediator; nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone (Joh_14:6; Eph_2:18; Col_3:17; 1Ti_2:5).

21:3 Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship (Phi_4:6), is by God required of all men(Psa_65:2): and that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son (Joh_14:13, Joh_14:14; 1Pe_2:5), by the help of His Spirit (Rom_8:26), according to His will (1Jo_5:14), with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance (Gen_18:27; Psa_47:7; Ecc_5:1, Ecc_5:2; Mat_6:12, Mat_6:14, Mat_6:15; Mar_11:24; Eph_6:18; Col_4:2; Heb_12:28; Jam_1:6, Jam_1:7; Jam_5:16); and, if vocal, in a known tongue (1Co_14:14).

21:4 Prayer is to be made for things lawful (1Jo_5:14), and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter (Rth_4:12; 2Sa_7:29; Joh_17:20; 1Ti_2:1, 1Ti_2:2): but not for the dead (2Sa_12:21-23 with Luk_16:25, Luk_16:26; Rev_14:13), nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death (1Jo_5:16).

21:5 The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear (Act_15:21; Rev 1;3); the sound preaching (2Ti_4:2) and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith, and reverence (Isa_66:2; Mat_13:19; Act_10:33; Heb_4:2; Jam_1:22); singing of psalms with grace in the heart (Eph_5:19; Col_3:16; Jam_5:13); as also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ; are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God (Mat_28:19; Act_2:42; 1Co_11:23-29): besides religious oaths (Deu_6:13 with Neh_10:29), vows Isa_19:21 with Eccl 5;4, 5), solemn fastings (Est_4:16; Joe_2:12; Mat_9:15; 1Co_7:5), and thanksgivings, upon several occasions (Est_9:22; Psalm 107:1-43), which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in a holy and religious manner (Heb_12:28).

21:6 Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is, now under the Gospel either tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed (Joh_4:21): but God is to be worshipped everywhere (Mal_1:11; 1Ti_2:8), in spirit and truth (Joh_4:23, Joh_4:24); as in private families (Deu_6:6, Deu_6:7; 2Sa_6:18, 2Sa_6:20; Job_1:5; Jer_10:25; Act_10:2; 1Pe_3:7) daily (Mat_6:11), and in secret each one by himself (Mat_6:6; Eph_6:18); so, more solemnly, in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or willfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God, by His Word or providence, calleth thereunto (Isa_56:7; Pro_1:20, Pro_1:21, Pro_1:24; Pro_8:34; Luk_4:16; Act_2:42; Act_13:42; Heb_10:25).

21:7 As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men, in all ages, He hath particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto Him (Exo_20:8, Exo_20:10, Exo_20:11; Isa_56:2, Isa_56:4, Isa_56:6, Isa_56:7): which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week (Gen_2:2, Gen_2:3; Act_20:7; 1Co_16:1, 1Co_16:2), which, in Scripture, is called the Lord’s Day (Rev_1:10), and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath (Exo_20:8, Exo_20:10, with Mat_5:17, Mat_5:18).

21:8 This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest, all the day, from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments, and recreations (Exo_20:8; Exo_16:23, Exo_16:25, Exo_16:26, Exo_16:29, Exo_16:30; Exo_31:15-17; Neh_13:15-22; Isa_58:13), but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy (Isa_58:13; Mat_12:1-13).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. Natural Revenbation Is Sufficient To Inform Men That They Are Obligated To Worship God (WCF 21.1)

B. Natual Revelation Does Not Tell Me How To Worship (WCF 21.1)

C. The Acceptable Way Of Worshipping God Is Instituted By God Himself And Is Limited By His Revealed Will In The Word. (WCF 21.1)

D. God Cannot Be Worshipped By The Imaginations Or Devises Of Men (WCF 21.1)

E. The Way To Worship God Is Prescribed In Scripture (WCF 21.1)

F. God Is The Proper Object Of True Worship (WCF 2.2)

G. God Can Only Be Worshipped Through The Mediation Of Christ (WCF 21.2)

H. Prayer And Thanksgiving Are Prescribed As Part Of True Worship (WCF 21.3)

I. Prayer And Thanksgiving Are To Be Made Through The Mediator Jesus Christ (WCF 21.3)

J. Worship Is Accomplished Through The Help Of The Holy Spirit And The Rule Of Holy Scripture (WCF 21.3)

K. Worship Is To Be Made In A Common Language (WCF 21.4)

L. Other Divinely Prescribed Components (Elements) Of Worship Are:

Ordinary (WCF 21.5)

1. Preaching Of The Word

2. Singing Of Psalms And Songs

3. Administration Of The Sacraments

Occasional (WCF 21.5)

1. Oaths

2. Vows

3. Thanksgiving Times

4. Fasting

M. True Worship Is Not Attached To Any Special Place (WCF 21.6)

N. Truth Is The Essence Of True Worship (WCF 21.6)

O. Worship Is Not To Be Neglected Nor Forsaken And Is To Be Carried Out (WCF 21.6):

1. Publicly

2. Personally

3. Familial

P. God Has Bound All Men To Observe The Sabbath (WCF 21.7)

Q. The Weekly Sabbath Was The Seventh Day From Creation To The Resurrection Of Christ (WCF 21.7)

R. The Weekly Sabbath Is Not The First Day Of The Week Since The Resurrection Of Christ (WCF 21.7)

S. The Sabbath Is To Be Kept Holy By (WCF 21.8):

1. A Preparation For It

2. By Resting From Worldly Employment And Recreations

3. By Private And Public Exercising Of Worship

4. By Performing Works Of True Religion, Mercy And Necessity

My Testimony and a "Frame Response"

2006-10-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

My Testimony and a "Frame Response"

My Open Testimony

I post my testimony here in the open in order for people to see the validity of my salvation or “to criticize" my salvation since some seems to think something was just not correct in God’s saving me in this manner. I do not seek to explain what God did on the day in 1977 that I was regenerated. The message I heard was that Jesus was light and I could be brought out of darkness. That night I repented of sin, and believed. I asked for forgiveness. I also in my prayer (no one helping me pray) said, "God whomever you are I believe you. Whatever you have done I believe it. Change my life or else I die".

The next day I went looking for someone to teach me - which I now know is called being discipled. I never denied the resurrection, or the Bible to be the word of God nor anything else. I was quite ignorant about Christianity. I did not know anything at that time so I had to learn.

That night I believed that God is and that he would help (reward me) and that is what He has done. I was blind but then I saw. Amazing Grace was granted to me that evening. As a child of God the Father I began to be taught as His son. Praise His Holy name. Now again that is all I know.

A Person, the Holy Spirit, worked with me as a person in my circumstance where I was at that time. I never did nor do I now deny the centrality of the resurrection nor the cross nor the precious bloods redeeming power. I had to learn about it. It took months of physical and spiritual training to remove the drug abuse issues and the false teaching I had received and believed in public education. Deprogramming me was not easy. I did not take things, nor do I usually take what someone says at face value. I read and look at things from all angles. As my wife says, "Steve you move slow and with focus reading way too much". In all of this God was with me and teaching me even through my being ignorant and steeped in false evolutionistic teaching.

I did not disagree with God nor what people said about what the Bible was teaching. I just did not know where total truth was so I had to look at all sides. My Father was kind and gentle and eventually I learned that all the Bible says is true spiritually and historically for it is written by God Himself, being God breathed.

This is my testimony and I am thankful for the salvation given me.For those that want to tell me God could not work in me this way I say, “Respectively, if you were not there you simply just do not know what God did in this situation.”

Respectfully, Your brother in Christ

Steve

…………………………………..

Now some have questioned whether I was saved during this time. I say, hold and proclaim that I was. Some have said I was probably regenerated but salvation probably did not come to me until I understood the resurrection. Perhaps, I certainly do not think so since massive progressive sanctification was taking place and massive massacring sin was about to kill me. I was even persecuted during this time since I wanted to tell everyone that God had so changed my life. But, perhaps some may be closer to how God worked with me that I am. If so, so be it and God bless them!

I however do believe Dr. Frame has explained this possibility of my salvation better than I could have ever put it together myself. I am just to close to all that happened! Here is some of Dr. Frames comments regarding salvation without fully understanding the resurrection.

From Dr. Frame,

Q. Is it possible to be saved without knowing about the Resurrection of Christ?

A. “Sure. There were lots of Jewish believers in the first century who needed to be informed of the Resurrection by the apostolic proclamation. (Think of the people who "knew only the baptism of John.") I've no reason to believe that they were all unregenerate before they knew that Jesus was risen. So today, there may be people in whose hearts God is working, who haven't been taught the full truth about Christ. They may even profess that Christ is Lord, without knowing that the Resurrection is specifically physical. But when told in a godly way, they will eventually accept the truth."

A fuller comment on this subject by Dr. Frame:

“……..if I were publishing a comment on this issue, I would want to make more qualifications.
The point is that regeneration and salvation did not begin with the coming of Jesus. There were regenerate believers before the incarnation—Abraham, David, Simeon, Elizabeth, Anna, et al. Now although the Resurrection of Jesus is implicit in OT prophecy, it is not explicit. Did Abraham know in advance that Jesus of Nazareth would be killed and raised again? Certainly he believed in a God who was able to raise the dead, and his experience in Gen. 22 certainly confirmed that. But I don’t think Abraham had explicit faith that Jesus would be raised from the dead.

Now after the Resurrection, it was not the case that all old covenant believers suddenly became fully self-conscious new covenant believers. It took some time for the message of the Resurrection to get around. If an old covenant believer (say, in India) died before he heard of Jesus’ resurrection, was he thereby condemned to Hell? I doubt it.

How do I reconcile this with Rom. 10:9? Paul is writing to believers, assuring them that they are saved because they have confessed that Jesus is Lord and believed that God has raised him from the dead. He is not commenting on the kinds of people I mentioned above. Certainly you cannot derive from this statement that, say, Abraham, is not saved because he did not confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God had (would) raise him from the dead.

I also believe (with the Westminster Confession 10.3) that infant children can be regenerated and saved apart from any explicit confession. Rom. 10:9 is not talking about them. Nor is it talking about those the Confession calls “other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.”

So explicit confession is not a general rule for everyone. But Paul certainly is saying that if you do make an explicit confession of Christ and the Resurrection you will be saved.

Blessings,

WCF 20 – Liberty, The Fruit of Forgiveness and Caring

2006-10-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

WCF 20 – Liberty, The Fruit of Forgiveness and Caring

Chapter 20:
Of Christian Liberty,
and Liberty of Conscience

20:1 The liberty which Christ hath purchased for believers under the Gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin; the condemning wrath of God, the curse of the moral law (Gal_3:13; 1Th_1:10; Tit_2:14); and, in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin (Act_26:18; Rom_6:14; Gal_1:4; Col_1:13), from the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation (Psa_119:71; Rom_8:1, Rom_8:28; 1Co_15:54-57); as also, in their free access to God (Rom_5:1, Rom_5:2), and their yielding obedience unto Him, not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love and willing mind (Rom_8:14, Rom_8:15; 1Jo_4:18). All which were common also to believers under the law (Gal_3:9, Gal_3:14). But under the new testament, the liberty of Christians is further enlarged, in their freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish Church was subjected (Act_15:10, Act_15:11; Gal_4:1-3, Gal_4:6, Gal_4:7; Gal_5:1); and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace (Heb_4:14, Heb_4:16; Heb_10:19-22), and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily partake of (Joh_7:38, Joh_7:39; 2Co_3:13, 2Co_3:17, 2Co_3:18).

20:2 God alone is Lord of the conscience (Rom_14:4; Jam_4:12), and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are in any thing contrary to His Word; or beside it, if matters of faith or worship (Mat_15:9; Mat_23:8-10; Act_4:19; Act_5:29; 1Co_7:23). So that, to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commands, out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience (Psa_5:1; Gal_1:10; Gal_2:4, Gal_2:5; Gal_5:1; Col_2:20-23): and the requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also (Isa_8:20; Jer_8:9; Hos_5:11; Joh_4:22; Act_17:11; Rom_10:17; Rom_14:23; Rev_13:12, Rev_13:16, Rev_13:17).

20:3 They who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, do practise any sin, or cherish any lust, do thereby destroy the end of Christian liberty, which is, that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the Lord, without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life Luk_1:74, Luk_1:75; Joh_8:34; Gal_5:13; 1Pe_2:16; 2Pe_2:19).

20:4 And because the power which God hath ordained, and the liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and preserve one another; they who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, shall oppose any lawful power, or the lawful exercise of it, whether it be civil or ecclesiastical, resist the ordinance of God (Mat_12:25; Rom_13:1-8; Heb_13:17; 1Pe_2:13, 1Pe_2:14, 1Pe_2:16). And, for their publishing of such opinions, or maintaining of such practices, as are contrary to the light of nature, or to the known principles of Christianity, whether concerning faith, worship, or conversation; or, to the power of godliness; or, such erroneous opinions or practices, as either in their own nature, or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them, are destructive to the external peace and order which Christ hath established in the Church, they may lawfully be called to account, and proceeded against by the censures of the Church (Rom_1:32 with 1Co_5:1, 1Co_5:5, 1Co_5:11, 1Co_5:13; 2Jo_1:5:10, 11; and 2Th_3:14, and 1Ti_6:3-5, and Tit_1:10, Tit_1:11, Tit_1:13, and Tit_3:10, with Mat_18:15-17; 1Ti_1:19, 1Ti_1:20; Rev_2:2, Rev_2:14, Rev_2:15, Rev_2:20; Rev_3:9), and by the power of the civil magistrate (Deu_13:6-12; Rom_13:3, Rom_13:4, with 2Jo_1:10, 2Jo_1:11; 2Ki_23:5, 2Ki_23:6, 2Ki_23:9, 2Ki_23:20, 2Ki_23:21; 2Ch_34:33; 2Ch_15:12, 2Ch_15:13, 2Ch_15:16; Ezr_7:23-28; Neh_13:15, Neh_13:17, Neh_13:21, Neh_13:22, Neh_13:25, Neh_13:30; Isa_49:23; Dan_3:29; Zec_13:2, Zec_13:3; 1Ti_2:2; Rev_17:12, Rev_17:16, Rev_17:17).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. Christ Has Purchased Liberty For The Believer (WCF 20.1)

B. The Liberty Consists Of (WCF 20.1):

a. Freedom From Guilt

b. Freedom From God’s Wrath And Curse

c. Freedom From A Love Of The World

d. Freedom From Bondage To Satan

e. Freedom From The Dominion Of Sin

f. Freedom From The Evil Of Afflictions

g. Freedom From The Sting Of Death

h. Freedom From Eternal Punishment

i. Etc.

C. The Liberty The Old Testament And The New Testament Is Different In Only That Of Kind And Not One Of Degree (WCF 20.1)

D. God Is The Person That Has Legitimate Authority Over The Conscience (WCF 20.2)

E. God’s Word Alone Is To Rule The Conscience (WCF 20.2)

F. The “Doctrines And Commandments Of Men” Which Are Contrary To Or Additionalo To The Bible Have No Authority To Bind The Conscience (WCF 20.3)

G. To Permit The Conscience To Be Bound By Such Is To Sin. (WCF 20.3)

H. Liberty Os Conscience Must Be Distinguished From Antinomianism Or “Freedom To Sin” (WCF 20.3)

I. God Has Ordained Authority In The Church And State Which Are To Be Obeyed As Part Of Our Duty To God (WCF 20.4)

J. The Leaders In The Church Are To Enforce Such Authority In Its Own Sphere (WCF 20.4)

WCF 19 – “Sweeter Than Honey and the Honey Comb”

2006-10-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

Chapter 19:
Of the Law of God

19:1 God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which He bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it: and endued him with power and ability to keep it (Gen_1:26, Gen_1:27 with Gen_2:17; Job_28:28; Ecc_7:29; Rom_2:14, Rom_2:15; Rom_5:5, Rom_5:12, Rom_5:19; Gal_3:10, Gal_3:12).

19:2 This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness, and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables (Exo_34:1; Deu_5:32; Deu_10:4; Rom_13:8, Rom_13:9; Jam_1:25; Jam_2:8, Jam_2:10-12): the four first commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six our duty to man (Mat_22:37-40).

19:3 Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits (Gal_4:1-3; Col_2:17; Heb 9:1-10:1); and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties (1Co_5:7; 2Co_6:17; Jud_1:23. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the new testament (Dan_9:27; Eph_2:15, Eph_2:16; Col_2:14, Col_2:16, Col_2:17).

19:4 To them also, as a body politic, He gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State of that people; not obliging any other now, further than the general equity thereof may require (Gen_49:10, with 1Pe_2:13, 1Pe_2:14; Ex 21:1-22:29; Mat_5:17, with Mat_5:38, Mat_5:39; 1Co_9:8-10).

19:5 The moral law doth for ever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof (Rom_13:8-10; Eph_6:2; 1Jo_2:3, 1Jo_2:4, 1Jo_2:7, 1Jo_2:8); and that, not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator, who gave it (Jam_2:10, Jam_2:11); neither doth Christ, in the Gospel, any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation (Mat_5:17-19; Rom_3:31; Jam_2:8).

19:6 Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned (Act_13:39; Rom_6:14; Rom_8:1; Gal_2:16; Gal_3:13; Gal_4:4, Gal_4:5); yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life informing them of the will of God, and their duty, it directs, and binds them to walk accordingly (Psa_119:4-6; Rom_7:12, Rom_7:22, Rom_7:25; 1Co_7:19; Gal_5:14, Gal_5:16, Gal_5:18-23); discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts, and lives (Rom_3:20; Rom_7:7); so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin (Rom_7:9, Rom_7:14, Rom_7:24; Jam_1:23-25); together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of His obedience (Rom_7:24, Rom_7:25; Rom_8:3, Rom_8:4; Gal_3:24). It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin (Psa_119:101, Psa_119:104, Psa_119:128; Jam_2:11): and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law (Psa_89:30-34; Ezr_9:13, Ezr_9:14). The promises of it, in like manner, show them God’s approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof (Lev_26:1, Lev_26:10, Lev_26:14 with 2Co_6:16; Psa_19:11; Psa_37:11 with Mat_5:5; Eph_6:2, Eph_6:3); although not as due to them by the law, as a covenant of works (Luk_17:10; Gal_2:16). So as, a man’s doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth to the one, and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law; and not under grace (Rom_6:12, Rom_6:14; Heb_12:28, Heb_12:29; 1Pe_3:8-12 with Psa_34:12-16).

19:7 Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but do sweetly comply with it (Gal_3:21); the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully, which the will of God, revealed in the law, requireth to be done (Eze_36:27; Heb_8:10 with Jer_31:33).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. The Law of GoD Is The Standard That Was Imposed Upon Adam As The Standard Of Perfect Obedience At Creation (WCF 19.1)

B. The Demands Of The Law Of God Were Absolute (WCF 19.2)

C. The Demands Of This Law Have Never Ceased (WCF 19.2)

D. The Demands Are For All Men Everywhere And Were Written On Two Tables Of Stone At Sinai (WCF 19.2)

E. God Gave The Nation Israel A Ceremonial Law Consisting Of Types And Symbols (WCF 19.3)

F. The Ceremonial Law Is Distinct From The Moral Law (WCF 19.3)

G. The Ceremonial Law Is Now Abrograted (WCF 19.4)

H. The Moral Law Remains In Effect And Is Understood In The Old Testament To Be So (WCF 19.5)

I. True Believers Are Not “Under Law” As A Covenant Of Salvation (WCF 19.6)

J. Christians Are “Under Law” As (WCF 19.6):

a. A Rule Of Practice

b. A Means Of Knowing Our Sin And The Need Of Christ

C. A Revelation Of The Lord’s Perfection

K. The Law Of God Is Operative Upon The Unregenerate (WCF 19.6)

A. To Restrain

B. To Warn

C. To Reveal God To Them

L. These Uses Of The Law Do Not Go Contrary To The Gospel Of Grace (WCF 19.7)

9 - 30- 06 Monthly News Letter

2006-10-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

9/30/06 News Letter

Our Purpose:

The purpose of this blogsite is for basic Christian practical and biblical theological practical Christian living. We believe the Bible is sufficient and has practical answers on living a progressively sanctified life. Even in this we fine many times Christians find themselves confused or not clear in understanding how to think or respond biblically in many difficult real life situations. Since, therefore, we believe the Bible is sufficient in all matters pertaing to doctrine, life and godliness itis our desire to bring to the Christian community a look at the Scriptures to dispel the confusion as well as be able to help all that need God’s answers to life situations and difficulties.

AS always we invite you to visit and read the articles as you face issues and problems in life in order to learn and to recall what to do regarding different circumstances that happen. Feel free to revisit the articles that give biblical and godly directives. The site has 453 plus articles for the Christian community to read and learn in a pleasant and instructive format. Almost all of this is focused upon practical Christian living with biblical directives. May God bless you as you read and learn from His word.

The Month Of September:

I do hope all have hada wonderful month of September. I have enjoyed it very much. The cooler weather brings a refreshing time for me to think about life, love, and faith.

I have been thinking about my life and just how short it truly is. Am I living it to the glory of God and is so then what does that mean? Do I love others as I should? How am I communicating with each of my loved ones? I have come to the conclusion that life is not about me but it is about all of God’s wonderful world! How we live, how we love and how we practice our faith in God’s world is what life is truly all about. This has been refreshing to me as I hope it will be too you. It is so refreshing and renewing to me that I am taping hours of conversation about life to my grandson. Perhaps in a couple months I will share some of those communications with you!

As regular readers of this blogsite I am sure you have noticed that this month we have been focusing on the basics of the faith in a systematic manner. Some may see this as as a "departure" from our other focus of practical Christian living. While we still feel this is practical Christianity many writers focus only upon systematic theology or upon their private thinking and thereby they create a failure to bring theology to bear upon ones life practically. This blogsite however is committed to Scripture Alone and we understand the scriptures purpose in both doctrine and practice. We beleive that all practical theology is an outworking of biblically based systematic and narriative theology. Now in looking at the whole summary of the main themes of Scripture in systematic theology we are using the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) since it is an ecumenical church document laying down a summary of the Christian faith. We at Doctrines Of Grace believe it is important that we know what the faith is in order to be able to defend it as well as live to and for the Glory of God. It is important that we get its primary teaching under our belt so that we can stand in the day of evil and live lives to the glory of our King. Therefore we will continue this in the month of October in order that you have a reference place to come to and learn of the overall teaching and instruction of the Bible in a systematic manner.

Thus far we have covered these systematic theological topics:

WCF 1 - The Sufficient Scriptures

WCF 2 – The True and Living Triune God

WCF 3 – Our Predetermining God

WCF 4 – God’s Glorious Creation; Man’s Great World

WCF 5 – Our God And Creator Works to Provide For His Creation To His Own Glory

WCF 6- The Fall, Its Effects, Punishment and A Glorious Amazing Work of Grace

WCF 7– Mercy Understood

WCF 8- Presenting Our Glorious Savior (Prophet, Priest, King)

WCF 9 – Living Naturally!

WCF 10 - God’s Call: A Commitment To The Elect

WCF 11- Not Guilty

WCF 12 – Children Of The Living God!

WCF 13 - Saved, Sealed and Sanctified!

WCF 14 – Faith, A Mighty Work of Grace in The Believer or (Part One Of The Components Of Conversion)

WCF 15 - Repentance, A Mighty Work of Evangelical Grace in The Believer or (Part Two Of The Components Of Conversion)

WCF 16 – Yuck! We Have To Look At Good Works? YES or (To This We Have Been Saved To)

WCF 17 – Securely Preserved Based Upon the Grace of God

WCF 18 – Assured By God

Suggested Blog Reading Outline

While appreciating the medium of blogs we feel it would be better if we could move our blogs into more systematic and orderly headings. While not being able to do that here is good outline of the blogs and their headings so that you may be able to read by topic or ina systematic manner. We will update this at the end of each month. Finally with over 440 different blog entries and subjects (and growing) of study in Practical Christian Living theology we present the following suggested outline in reading this blog site so that it does not become confusing to you. Here is a suggested outline:

I. God’s Gift of Grace Applied

1. Grace, Grace, God’s Grace

2. The Covenant of Grace - Hodge

3. The New Birth and Conversion: The True Biblical Salvation

4. God’s Orderly Work of Salvation

5.Foreknowledged Defined

6. Christ The Lord

7. The Providence of God Brings Comfort To Believers

8. Perseverance of the Saints

9. Calvinism

10. Jesus Had The Power To Sin But Did Not Have The Character To Sin

11. A Follow-up Explaination off “Jesus Had The Power To Sin But Did Not Have The
Character To Sin”

12. A Critical Look At the Emerging Church Movement w/ Catechism Editing A Critical Look At the Emerging Church Movement by: Phil Johnson (Catechism Editing By Steve Horne)

13. Infants In The Celestial City!

14. Salvation

15. Christian Tracts

16. Why Did the Son of God Come?

17. Why All Things Work For Good

18. Justification- Salvation By Grace Through Faith

19. Decisional Regeneration

20. Salvation- God Rescues His People

21. All Of Grace

22. Perseverance Of The Saints

23. A Critical Look At the Emerging Church Movement by Phil Johnson 2006 -----Catechism
EditingBy Steve Horne http://christianthotsataglance.blogspot.com/

24. Dualism is Heresey

25. Five Points of Calvinism

II. The Doctrine of Sola Scriptura

1. Sola Scriptura in Doctrine and Practice (Part 1)

2. Sola Scriptura And Orthopraxy (Part 2)

3. Sola Scriptura and Orthopraxy: Establishes "Philosophy of Ministry" (Part 3)

4. Sola Scriptura and Orthopraxy: In Doctrine, Church Polity, Worship, and More (Part 4)

5. Sola Scriptura and Orthopraxy: In Our Worship and Christian Living (Part 5)

III. The Church, Communion and Day Of Worship, Etc.

1. Identifying the Church

2. The Importance Of Church Membership

3. The Holy Spirit and the Church

4. Leadership and Unity in the Kingdom of God

5. Bible Instruction Must Be Under The Authority of the Church

6. The Keys, Who Has Them?

7. The Baptism Of Our Sinless Saviour

8. Baptismal Exhortation

9. Infant Baptism Does the Bible Teach It

10. The Sins of Rebaptism and Of Leaving One's Baby Unbaptized

11. Confusion, Not God's Way So IT Can BE Cleared Up – Baptismal Confusion

12. True Communion

13. Glorifying God

14. The Lord’s Wonderful Day

15. Thinking Deacon

16. What Type Of Church Did The Apostles Attend

17. Are We Catholics?

18. What Think Ye Of Mary

19. God’s Word Filtered!

20. Visible and Invisible Church

21. Oil in the Vessel

22. The true Church

23. The “true Church” Syndrome

24. How Did John Bunyan View Baptism?

25. Where Did Baptists Originate?

26. Gifts! …. From God? (Part 1)

27. Gifts! …. From God? (Part 2)

28. Baptismal Regeneration

29. Did You Know? Are You Shocked?

30. The Keys Who Has Them?

31. The Lord’s Supper ….. Why Not Weekly?

IV. Christian Witnessing

1. Called To Confess Christ In Word And As A Living Letter

2. Listening for Gospel Opportunities

3. Let's Evangelize

4. Creationism.

5. Merry Christiman

6. Why Do We Witnes To Muslims?

7. What is Pelagianism?

8. If Any

9. Why Did The Son Of God Come?

10. The Myth of Freewill

11. Abomination – Often Used And Misunderstood

12. God’s Mighty Promises

13. Aggressive Christianity? God’s Plan For You? …. You Betcha!

14. Renewing Your Mind .. With R.C. Sproul

15. The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion – Written for a Wonderful Purpose

V. God’s Guidance and the Tools of Faith

1. Guided … by God?

2. Tools of the Faith

3. Canon - God’s Word Filtered!

4. Favorite Hymns

5. More Favorite Hymns

6. The Bible God’s Word To Us

7. Progressive Sanctification – Growing in Grace, Cooperation With God

8. Can We Use Eastern Language In Our Prayer And Devotional Life

9. We Must Be Holy

10. Much Study Is Wearisome

VI Practical Christian Living to Glorify God

A. About Biblical Counseling

1. What is Nouthetic Counseling – Jay Adams

2. Christ And Your Problems

3. Counseling and Special Revelation

4. The Sovereignity of God in Counseling

5. Is There Any Difference In Biblical Counseling?

6. Christian Counseling Change vs. Change

7. Godliness through Discipline – Jay Adams

8. Guided! … By God?

9. From Uselessness To Usefulness

10. One Anothering

11. Not Controling But Loving and Serving

12. Guidance When You are Just Not Sure What To Do

13. Biblical View of Self Esteem

14. What Do You Do When Anger Gets The Upper Hand?

15. God Has A Plan

16. God is Always in Control

17. Counseling Encourages Talebearing

18. The Power of Relationships

19. You Can Help One Another

20. TULIPGIRL. Com for the Ladies

B. Work

1. Biblical Principals of Work and the Biblical Work Ethic (A Seven Part Series)

2. What Christians May Do

3. Everybody Works for God

4. From Uselessness To Usefulness

5. Discontentment

6. Occupational Search – A Biblical View

C. Forgivness

1. Our Basic Duty – Forgive the Repentant

2. A Look At Commitment

3. The Need To Forgive

4. What is Forgivness?

5. From Unpardonable to Pardonable

6. From Uselessness To Usefulness

7. Being Angry for the Purpose Of Problem Resolution

8. One Anothering

9. The Purpose of Forgiveness

10. Aggressive Christianity? God’s Plan For You? …. You Betcha!

D. Worry, Guilt And Depression

1. Worry: A Serious Life Issue Which Must Be Broken

2. How Is Your Conscience?

3. What To Do With Guilt

4. Godliness Through Discipline

5. Calvin and Anxiety

6. From Unpardonable to Pardonable

7. What If I Find Hypocricy in Me?

8. What Do You Do When You Become Depressed?

9. God Has A Plan

10. Anger (# 1)

11. Anger (# 2)

12. Impatience and Idolatry

13. Keeping the Heart

14. Learning The Basics On Identifying, Handling, Overcoming And Eliminating Depression

E. What To Do With Evil

1. Overcoming Evil – Jay Adams

2. The Evil of Backbiting and Evil Speaking

3. Gossips

4. Aggressive Christianity? God’s Plan For You? …. You Betcha!

F. Sex Issues

1. Thoughts on Biblical Sexuality and in Overcoming Sexual Difficulty

2. The Power of Relationships ( The Bible on personal Influences)

3. The Purpose of Forgiveness

4. Resolcing Suxual Difficulties in the 21st Century

5. The Power OF Relationships

6. Can You Answer These Questions? (For Husbands)

G. Addictions

1. AA Doctrines Compared with the Scriptures

2. Thoughts on Biblical Sexuality and in Overcoming Sexual Difficulty

3. The Power OF Relationships

H. Death and Dying & Health

1. Proper Thinking At the Time of A Death and / Or At A Funeral

2. A Saint Looks At Death

3. Being Thankful For Pain

4. To Oil or Not To Oil

5. Infants In The Celestial City? .. Yo Betcha!

I. Communication

1. Handling Doctrinal Disagreement

2. The Evil of Backbiting and Evil Speaking

3. Is IT Right To Judge

4. The Purpose of Forgiveness

5. Can You Answer These Questions? (For Husbands)

VII. My Most Precious Faith (10 Parts) Written for my Children and Place Here To Encourage You As You Disciple Your Children in the Most Holy Faith

1. My Most Prescious Faith -

2. My Most Precious Faith –

3. My Most Precious Faith – Belief of A Christian

4. My Most Precious Faith – Concerning the Sacraments

5. My Most Precious Faith – Living in Grace and Gratitude

6. My Most Precious Faith – Our Duty to God

7. My Most Precious Faith – Our Duty to Men

8. My Most Precious Faith – Prayer Our Duty and

9. My Most Precious Faith – The Lord’s Coming Again

10. My Most Precious Faith - Conclusion………

IX. Miscellaneous.

1. A Request Humble Honored

2. Judy Rogers Music – Giving The Best To Your Children

3. Proverbs Themes:

a. Patience

b. Discipline

c. Self Image

d. Wisdome

e. Accountability

f. Honesty

g. Instant Living and Its Down Fall

h. Friendshipi. Family (Father, Mother, Children)

i. The Simplek The Tongue

j. Laziness

k. Abomination

4. Spurgeon

a. Are You Sure You Like Spurgeon?

5. Two Dozen Facts about Spurgeon

Twelve Proofs Spurgeon Believed in Uncoditional Election

Life

The Christian

Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats

The Riches of Spurgeon

A Sin For Which There Is No Excuse

National Association of Nouthetic Counselors

2006-09-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to articles on the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors site. There are 92 articles on this site covering a variety of helpful topics.

Pentecostal History

2006-09-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

This is a reference page to Pentecostal History. This is the most thorough and concise I have seen online.

Are Calvinists Passionate About Evangelism?

2006-09-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

Are Calvinists Passionate About Evangelism?
John T. Sneed

Background

Some time ago I was made the subject of an article because of a statement I made. I had said, on a Baptist bulletin board, that Calvinists were passionate about evangelism. Shortly afterward, I was taken to task for that statement. Dr. David Flick, former Director of Missions for the Grady Baptist Association in Oklahoma , wrote an article entitled “Are Calvinists “Passionate” About Evangelism?”[1] In his article he asserts that Calvinists are not passionate about evangelism. He bases this conclusion on a count of the number of articles devoted to the topic of evangelism in the Founder’s Journal.[2] He counted the number of articles devoted to evangelism and missions and compared that to the total number of articles on any topic included in the magazine. Flick concludes, “There is very little passion in the heart of a Calvinist for promoting and encouraging evangelism.”[3]

A Better Measure

I disagree with Dr. Flick’s conclusions and his methodology. While one might argue that the number of times someone talks about something is an indicator of their passion, I argue that it is not always true. This is especially true in a quarterly magazine. Editorial concerns will dictate what topics are covered and how often. Truer indicators of a person’s passion for something can be seen in what they say and what they do. Are Calvinists passionate about evangelism? What do Calvinists say and what do Calvinists do? These will give us a more real picture of their passion. While there is little doubt Calvinists are passionate for reformed doctrine, we are not talking here about reformed doctrine. The area of our focus is what Calvinists say and do about evangelism. I believe that what Calvinists say, and especially what they do about evangelism is a much better measure of their passion than the yardstick used by Dr. Flick.

What Do Calvinists Say About Evangelism?

One Calvinist that was mightily used of God in bringing sinners home was the evangelist George Whitefield. Hear his words as quoted by Ernest Reisinger, “I offer you salvation this day; the door of mercy is not yet shut, there does yet remain a sacrifice for sin, for all that will accept of the Lord Jesus Christ. He will embrace you in the arms of his love. O turn to him …”[4]Whitefield traveled far and wide, preaching to crowds that numbered in the thousands in both America and in England . Reisinger himself says that “[Calvinism] is the foundation and hope of missionary endeavor.”[5]

John Calvin, the reformer of Geneva , trained and sent over a hundred pastors and church planters into France .[6] Jonathan Edwards believed that a passion for souls was chief passion of a gospel minister. If it is true that what we believe in our hearts is what we act out in life, then the passion for missions and evangelism can be seen written in the lives of such Calvinists as Hudson Taylor, William Carey, Andrew Fuller, and Dr. Livingstone, Henri Martyn, David Brainerd, Adoniram Judson, and others. These men and their families sealed their belief in missions and evangelism with their lives, sometimes at the cost of their lives.

Modern Calvinists are cut from that same evangelical mold. Commenting on John 10:16, John Piper remarks, “And therefore [Jesus] must bring all these wandering sheep into his fold! And they will be brought in through the word preached by his messengers.”[7] Piper is one of the most visible Calvinists of our day. Another modern Calvinist, John MacArthur says, “Reformed theology has historically been the branch of evangelicalism most strongly committed to the sovereignty of God. At the same time, the mainstream of Reformed theologians has always affirmed the love of God for all sinners.”[8] Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary states, “Furthermore, we must confess that Christ is the only savior, for there is salvation in no other Name.”[9] Many other examples could be called into witness. Since Dr. Flick has called me on the carpet personally, let it be on record that in one spot I have said “We Calvinists need to be the most passionate evangelists and gospel preachers in the Christian Church.” “Let us take our stand boldly with our predecessors and proclaim the gospel message far and wide. Let us be promiscuous like Spurgeon and call for decisions like Edwards. Let it compel us on like Carroll and let it leads us to the glory of God like Piper. Oh friends, preach and preach boldly. Preach and call for decisions. Let us be evangelical Calvinists. Believing God is in control, let’s go forth!”[10] I have said in my church “Let us commit individually and as a church, to do everything we can possible to see the gospel carried to every corner of the globe, starting in our own homes and not ending until the last frontiersman in the last corner of the globe is praising the Name of Jesus.”[11] While it is not within the scope of this article to survey the writings and speeches of every single Calvinist, I believe I have shown that Calvinists, as a group, speak evangelistically and as people committed to missions.

What Do Calvinists Do?

In our world today, we are often challenged “You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?” Words are all good and fine, but they are only noises unless they are backed up with action. So what do Calvinists do about missions and evangelism? I have already mentioned the Calvinists from the past our put their money, talents, lives and the lives of their families on the line to carry the gospel to new places. Many of these same people buried loved ones on the mission field. Sometimes they gave their own lives for the cause of missions.

Dr. Flick drew his conclusions about Calvinists by a review of the articles in the Founder’s Journal. The Founder’s Ministries is a network of Southern Baptist Calvinists who meet at conferences to learn about the content and application of Calvinistic theology. I note that the 1999 National Founder’s Conference was devoted to the topic of evangelism and missions. Speakers brought message after message on that topic. I personally attended that conference. A perusal of the Founder’s Website (www.founders.org) shows that regional conferences being held this year will deal with the topic of missions, and this year’s youth event is centered on evangelism.

The winter 1997 issue of the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology is devoted to the topic “Obeying the Great Commission.” Southern Seminary has begun, within the last few years, a Center for Church Planting.[12] These actions are from a school that is often derided for its Calvinistic bent.

I mentioned earlier that I cannot survey every Calvinist ministry or writing, yet any overview will lead one to a variety of articles and resources by Calvinistic authors on evangelism. The Evangelism Explosion material was written by nationally known Calvinist D. James Kennedy.[13] Joni Erikson-Tada has touched the lives of millions of children through her radio show Joni and Friends. Through her work for the disabled, she has touched thousands of other lives. Joni is fully Calvinistic in her theology.

I will speak for a time about what I know best, myself. I have been the Director of Evangelism in two different Baptist associations. I have been the Team Leader for Church Planting in one association. I have led two churches to join the SBC Global Priority Church network. I have worked on several mission trips designed to teach evangelism, both in the U.S. and in Canada .

Much more could be written. I could cite hundreds of pages of material with stories from Calvinists and Calvinistic churches of the work they are doing in missions, church planting, and evangelism. Even a cursory look over the Internet would have provided such examples.

Conclusions

Dr. Flick disagreed with my comment that Calvinists are passionate about evangelism. Then he proceeded to count the number of articles from the Founder’s Journal that dealt with evangelism and pronounced his conclusion to be correct. I think I have shown him to be incorrect. I offer it as a given that within every group there are those who hover on the extreme. Calvinism is like that. No doubt there can be found those Calvinists who ignore evangelism and missions or who go looking only for the elect before they will give a gospel presentation. But they are the exception, not the rule. They are the extreme, not the mainstream.

By the things they say and by the things they do, Calvinists have shown themselves to be a people passionate about evangelism. Calvinism as a system is often accused of having a dampening or even a killing effect on evangelism. But this is not so. Many of the missionary movements that are so well known today were birthed in Calvinistic theology and brought into existence with Calvinistic lives. By word and deed, Calvinists show themselves to be passionate about evangelism and missions.

Let me offer a final word before I close. I would not normally want to be drawn into an argument like this. Although I find Calvinism to be a beautiful system of theology that exalts God and shows man his proper place, I am more a champion of Biblical Christianity than of Calvinism per se. However, I am also a champion of truth, and when a falsehood is attached to me, whether on purpose or not, I am compelled to respond. It is for this reason I was motivated to write this article. Whether one holds to Calvinism or not, one must in honesty, acknowledge its contributions to Evangelical life.

Bibliography

Boice and Sasser, ed. (1996). Here We Stand. Baker: Grand Rapids .

Cairns , E. (1954). Christianity Through the Centuries. Academie: Grand Rapids .

Flick, D. (2003). Are Calvinists “Passionate” About Evangelism? Retrieved from http;//www.baptistlife.com/flick/fjpassionate.htm.

Kennedy, D. (1970). Evangelism Explosion. Tyndale: Wheaton .

MacArthur, J. (1996). The God Who Loves. Word: Nashville .

Piper, J. (1993). Let the Nations Be Glad! Baker: Grand Rapids .

Reisinger. E. (2005). What Should We Think of Evangelism and Calvinism? Retrieved from http://www.founders.org/FJ19/article5.html.

Sneed, J. (2002). I Will Send You. Unpublished manuscript.

Sneed, J. (2003). The Exercise of Saving Faith. Retrieved from http://www.baptistlife.com/flick/savingfaith.htm.

........................

[1] Flick, 1.

[2] The Founder’s Journal is the quarterly magazine of the Founder’s Ministries, a network of Southern Baptists interested in reformed theology, also called the doctrines of grace.

[3] Flick, 3.

[4] Reisinger, 1.

[5] Reisinger, 9.

[6] Cairns , 316.

[7] Piper, Nations, 198.

[8] MacArthur, 17.

[9] Mohler in “Here We Stand”, Boice and Sasser, ed., 75.

[10] Sneed, Exercise, 13.

[11] Sneed, “I Will Send You”, 6.

[12] Information is taken from the Southern Seminary website www.sbts.edu.

[13] Kennedy, 229.

WCF 18 – Assured By God

2006-09-25T16:52:00.000-07:00

WCF 18 – Assured By God

Chapter 18:
Of Assurance of Grace
and Salvation

18:1 Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes, and carnal presumptions of being in the favour of God, and estate of salvation (Deu_29:9; Job_8:13, Job_8:14; Mic_3:11; Joh_8:41); which hope of theirs shall perish (Mat_7:22, Mat_7:23): yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavouring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may, in this life, be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace (1Jo_2:3; 1Jo_3:14, 1Jo_3:18, 1Jo_3:19, 1Jo_3:21, 1Jo_3:24; 1Jo_5:13), and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed (Rom_5:2, Rom_5:5).

18:2 This certainly is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope (Heb_6:11, Heb_6:19); but an infallible assurance of faith, founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation (Heb_6:17, Heb_6:18), the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made (2Co_1:12; 2Pe_1:4, 2Pe_1:5, 2Pe_1:10, 2Pe_1:11; 1Jo_2:3; 1Jo_3:14), the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God (Rom_8:15, Rom_8:16): which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption (2Co_1:21, 2Co_1:22; Eph_1:13, Eph_1:14; Eph_4:30).

18:3 This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be a partaker of it (Psa_77:1-12; 88:1-18; Isa_1:10; Mar_9:24; 1Jo_5:13): yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto (1Co_2:12; Eph_3:17-19; Heb_6:11, Heb_6:12; 1Jo_4:13). And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure (2Pe_1:10); that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance (Psa_4:6, Psa_4:7; Psa_119:32; Eph_1:3, Eph_1:4; Rom_5:1, Rom_5:2, Rom_5:5; Rom_14:17; Rom_15:13): so far is it from inclining men to looseness (Psa_130:4; Joh_3:2, Joh_3:3; Rom_6:1, Rom_6:2; Rom_8:1, Rom_8:12;1Co_7:1; Tit_2:11, Tit_2:12, Tit_2:14; 1Jo_1:6, 1Jo_1:7; 1Jo_2:1, 1Jo_2:2).

18:4 True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it, by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation, by God’s withdrawing the light of His countenance, and suffering even such as fear Him to walk in darkness and to have no light (Psa_31:22; Psa_77:1-10; 88:1-18; Son_5:2, Son_5:3, Son_5:6; Isa_1:10; Mat_26:69-72; Eph_4:30, Eph_4:31): yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart, and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may, in due time, be revived (Job_13:15; Psa_51:8, Psa_51:12; Psa_73:15; Isa_1:10; Luk_22:32; 1Jo_3:9); and by the which, in the mean time, they are supported from utter despair (Psa_22:1; 88:1-18; Isa_54:7-10; Mic_7:7-9).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. Unregenerate Men May At Times Fall Into A False Assurance (WCF 8.1)

B. Believers Have A True Assurance In Which Theuy Are Confirmed And Not Confused (WCF 18.1)

C. The Infallible Insurance To The Believer Rests In (WCF 18.2):

1) The Infallible Word

2) The Graces Of God Worked In The Heart Of God;S People

3)The Testimony Of The Holy Spirit

D. A Man May Be A True Believer Yet Lack Infalliable Assurance (WCF 18.3)

E. The Believe Need To Attain The Assurances (WCF 18.3,4

F. Whether Or Not The Believer Has Assurance Does Not Change The Security He Has In Christ And The Grace Of God In Salvation (WCF 18.4)

WCF 17 – Securely Preserved Based Upon the Grace of God

2006-09-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

WCF 17 – Securely Preserved Based Upon the Grace of God

Chapter 17:
Of the Perseverance
of the Saints

17:1 They, whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally, nor finally, fall away from the state of grace: but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved (Joh_10:28, Joh_10:29; Phi_1:6; 1Pe_1:5, 1Pe_1:9; 2Pe_1:10; 1Jo_3:9).

17:2 This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father (Jer_31:3; 2Ti_2:18, 2Ti_2:19); upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ (Luk_22:32; Joh_17:11, Joh_17:24; Rom_8:33-39; Heb_7:25; Heb_9:12-15; Heb_10:10, Heb_10:14; Heb_13:20, Heb_13:21); the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them (Joh_14:16, Joh_14:17; 1Jo_2:27; 1Jo_3:9); and the nature of the covenant of grace (Jer_32:40): from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof (Joh_10:28; 2Th_3:3; 1Jo_2:19).

17:3 Nevertheless, they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins (Mat_26:70, Mat_26:72, Mat_26:74); and, for a time, continue therein (Psa_51:14 and title): whereby they incur God’s displeasure (2Sa_11:27; Isa_64:5, Isa_64:7, Isa_64:9), and grieve His Holy Spirit (Eph_4:30), come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts (Psa_51:8, Psa_51:10, Psa_51:12; Son_5:2-4, Son_5:6; Rev_2:4), have their hearts hardened (Isa_36:17; Mar_6:52; Mar_16:14), and their consciences wounded (Psa_32:3, Psa_32:4; Psa_51:8), hurt and scandalize others (2Sa_12:14), and bring temporal judgments upon themselves (Psa_89:31, Psa_89:32; 1Co_11:32).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. True Believers Cannot Fall From Grace (WCF 17.1)

B. True Believers Persevere (WCF 17.1)

C. The Certainty Of The Perseverance Of The Believer Originates And Is Carried Out By The Work Of God In Their Lives Who Enables Them To Persevere (WCF 17.2)

D. True Believers May Fall Into Grevious Sin For A Time Due To A Multiplicity Of Reasons (WCF 17.3)

WCF 16 – Yuck! We Have To Look At Good Works? YES or (To This We Have Been Saved To)

2006-09-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

WCF 16 – Yuck! We Have To Look At Good Works? YES or (To This We Have Been Saved To)

Chapter 16:
Of Good Works

16:1 Good works are only such as God hath commanded in His holy Word (Mic_6:8; Rom_12:2; Heb_13:21), and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intention (1Sa_15:21-23; Isa_29:13; Mat_15:9; Joh_16:2; Rom_10:2; 1Pe_1:18).

16:2 These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith (Jam_2:18, Jam_2:22): and by them believers manifest their thankfulness (Psa_116:12, Psa_116:13; 1Pe_2:9), strengthen their assurance (2Pe_1:5-10; 1Jo_2:3, 1Jo_2:5), edify their brethren (Mat_5:16; 2Co_9:2), adorn the profession of the Gospel (1Ti_6:1; Tit_2:5, Tit_2:9-12), stop the mouths of the adversaries (1Pe_2:15), and glorify God (Joh_15:8; Phi_1:11; 1Pe_2:12), whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto (Eph 2;10), that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life (Rom_6:22).

16:3 Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ (Eze_36:26, Eze_36:27; Joh_15:4-6). And that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit, to work in them to will and to do of His good pleasure (2Co_3:5; Phi_2:13; Phi_4:13): yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty, unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them (Isa_64:7; Act_26:6, Act_26:7; Phi_2:12; 2Ti_1:6; Heb_6:11, Heb_6:12; 2Pe_1:3, 2Pe_1:5, 2Pe_1:10, 2Pe_1:11; Jud_1:20, Jud_1:21).

16:4 They, who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to supererogate, and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do (Neh_13:22; Job_9:2, Job_9:3; Luk_17:10; Gal_5:17).

16:5 We cannot, by our best works, merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come; and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom, by them, we can neither profit, nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins (Job_22:2, Job_22:3; Job_35:7, Job_35:8; Psa_16:2; Rom_3:20; Rom_4:2, Rom_4:4, Rom_4:6; Rom_8:18; Eph_2:8, Eph_2:9; Tit_3:5-7), but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants (Luk_17:10); and because, as they are good, they proceed from His Spirit (Gal_5:22, Gal_5:23); and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled, and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God’s judgment (Psa_130:3; Psa_143:2; Isa_64:6; Rom_7:15, Rom_7:18; Gal_5:17).

16:6 Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him(Gen_4:4 with Heb_11:4; Exo_28:38; Eph_1:6; 1Pe_2:5), not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreproveable in God’s sight (Job_9:20; Psa_143:2); but that He, looking upon them in His Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections (Mat_25:21, Mat_25:23; 2Co_8:12; Heb_6:10; Heb_13:20, Heb_13:21).

16:7 Works done by unregenerate men, although, for the matter of them, they may be things which God commands, and of good use both to themselves and others (1Ki_21:27, 1Ki_21:29; 2Ki_10:30, 2Ki_10:31; Phi_1:15, Phi_1:16, Phi_1:18): yet, because they proceed not from an heart purified by faith (Gen_4:3-5 with Heb_11:4, Heb_11:6); nor are done in a right manner according to the Word (Isa_1:12; 1Co_13:3); nor to a right end, the glory of God (Mat_6:2, Mat_6:5, Mat_6:16); they are therefore sinful, and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God (Hos_1:4; Amo_5:21, Amo_5:22; Hag_2:14; Rom_9:16; Tit_1:15; Tit_3:5). And yet, their neglect of them is more sinful, and displeasing unto God (Job_21:14, Job_21:15; Psa_14:4; Psa_36:3; Mat_23:23; Mat_25:41-45).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. What Good works are (WCF 16.1)

B. The Source of Good Works (WCF 16.1)

C. Good works are good by warrant of divine commandment only (WCF 16.2)

D. Good works can spring from the inward root work of faith and true repentance in the believer (WCF 16.2)

E. Good works and their effects are (WCF 16.2):

1) the affection of the believers expression of gratitude for salvation

2) Confirming faith

3) edifying of others

4) showing faith to others

5) refuting God’s adversaries

6) Glorifying God

7) that good works are necessary

F. The believers ability to do good works comes from the power of the holy Spirit (WCF 16.3)

G. The Holy Spirit exerts constant influence in every believer WCF 16.3)

H. The believer never should deny the need to exercise diligent duty (WCF 16.3)

I. We can never do more than God requires (WCF 16.4)

J. WE never perform our duty perfectly in this life (WCF 16.5)

K. Our best works are without merit and are far from perfection (WCF 16.5)

L. Our good works are accepted and redwarded only for Christ’s sake (WCF 16.6)

M. Unbeleiver may do relevant or (Formal) good works (WCF 16.7)

N. These so called “Good works” are evil and wicked works as seen from God’s perspective (WCF 16.7)

O. The neglect of these “good works” by unbelievers are more wicked still (WCF 16.7)

WCF 15 - Repentance, A Mighty Work of Evangelical Grace in The Believer or (Part Two Of The Components Of Conversion)

2006-09-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

WCF 15 - Repentance, A Mighty Work of Evangelical Grace in The Believer or (Part Two Of The Components Of Conversion)

Chapter 15:
Of Repentance

15:1 Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace (Zec_12:10; Act_11:18), the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the Gospel, as well as that of faith in Christ (Mar_1:15; Luk_24:47; Act_20:21).

15:2 By it, a sinner, out of the sight and sense not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God; and upon the apprehension of His mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves for, and hates his sins, as to turn from them all unto God (Psa_51:4; Psa_119:128; Isa_30:22; Jer_31:18, Jer_31:19; Eze_18:30, Eze_18:31; Eze_36:31; Joe_2:12, Joe_2:13; Amo_5:15; 2Co_7:11), purposing and endeavouring to walk with Him in all the ways of His commandments(2Ki_23:25; Psa_119:6, Psa_119:59, Psa_119:106; Luk_1:6).

15:3 Although repentance be not to be rested in, as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof (Eze_16:61-63; Eze_36:31, Eze_36:32), which is the act of God’s free grace in Christ (Hos_14:2, Hos_14:4; Rom_3:24; Eph_1:7); yet it is of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it (Luk_13:3, Luk_13:5; Act_17:30, Act_17:31).

15:4 As there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation(Mat_12:36; Rom_5:12; Rom_6:23), so there is no sin so great, that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent (Isa_1:16, Isa_1:18; Isa_55:7; Rom_8:1).

15:5 Men ought not to content themselves with a general repentance, but it is every man’s duty to endeavour to repent of his particular sins, particularly (Psa_19:13; Luk_19:8; 1Ti_1:13, 1Ti_1:15).

15:6 As every man is bound to make a private confession of his sins to God, praying for the pardon thereof (Psa_32:5, Psa_32:6; Psa_51:4, Psa_51:5, Psa_51:7, Psa_51:9, Psa_51:14); upon which, and the forsaking of them, he shall find mercy (Pro_28:13; 1Jo_1:9): so, he that scandalizeth his brother, or the Church of Christ, ought to be willing, by a private or public confession, and sorrow for his sin, to declare his repentance to those that are offended(Jos_7:19; Psa 51:1-19; Luk_17:3, Luk_17:4; Jam_5:16), who are thereupon to be reconciled to him, and in love to receive him (2Co_2:8).

Summary statements we are taught:

A. Repentance Is To Be Preached By Every Minister (Wcf 15.1)

B.Repentance Brings A Hate For Sin And A Turning To God To Walk In His Ways (WCF 15.2)

C. Repentance Is Not The Cause Of Salvation (WCF 15.3)

D. None Can Be Saved Without Repentance (WCF 15.3)

E. Secured In Christ Are Those That Repent (WCF 15.4)

F. We Need To Do More Than A “General Repentance, But Specifically Repent (WCF 15.5)

G. We Are To Declare Our Repentance When We Have Offended Our Brothers, Sisters, The Church, Etc. (WCF 15.6)