Category: Reformed Theology
More Than a “Calvinist”; More Than “Calvinism”
A theoretical knowledge of Scripture truth without it being applied to the human life is as useless as royal garments on rotting flesh. If knowledge produces little love for Christ, little compassion for those who are His, then better be dumb with a mere two talents while being faithful to it. The only theology worth believing, worth studying worth giving one's life toward is that which thrusts us to a life of perpetual doxology. To be ...
More Than a “Calvinist”; More Than “Calvinism”
A theoretical knowledge of Scripture truth without it being applied to the human life is as useless as royal garments on rotting flesh. If knowledge produces little love for Christ, little compassion for those who are His, then better be dumb with a mere two talents while being faithful to it. The only theology worth believing, worth studying worth giving one's life toward is that which thrusts us to a life of perpetual doxology. To be ...
What is Calvinism?
It is very odd how difficult it seems for some persons to understand just what Calvinism is. And yet the matter itself presents no difficulty whatever. It is capable of being put into a single sentence; and that, on level to every religious man's comprehension. For Calvinism is just religion in its purity. We have only, therefore, to conceive of religion in its purity, and that is Calvinism. In what attitude of mind and heart does ...
What is Calvinism?
It is very odd how difficult it seems for some persons to understand just what Calvinism is. And yet the matter itself presents no difficulty whatever. It is capable of being put into a single sentence; and that, on level to every religious man's comprehension. For Calvinism is just religion in its purity. We have only, therefore, to conceive of religion in its purity, and that is Calvinism. In what attitude of mind and heart does ...
What is “Reformed”? An Overview of the Five Solas and Calvinism.
Basically "Reformed" comes straight from the time of Martin Luther and the reformation, formally beginning in the controversy on justification and the authority of the church. Remember that the two issues dealt with back then was (1) How man is to be made right before God, and (2) What is the authority of the church that binds the conscience of the Christian. To make the long story short, Luther and the reformers labored to "re-form" the church ...
What is “Reformed”? An Overview of the Five Solas and Calvinism.
Basically "Reformed" comes straight from the time of Martin Luther and the reformation, formally beginning in the controversy on justification and the authority of the church. Remember that the two issues dealt with back then was (1) How man is to be made right before God, and (2) What is the authority of the church that binds the conscience of the Christian. To make the long story short, Luther and the reformers labored to "re-form" the church ...
Soli Deo Gloria: Our Only Ambition
I wonder, how many Christians today can confess these words of Scripture: For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36) Of course it's not difficult a task to profess a precept, an idea, or a belief. But I wonder a deeper sense in regards to this issue. How many of us, who profess the name of Christ, can truly confess that In ...
Soli Deo Gloria: Our Only Ambition
I wonder, how many Christians today can confess these words of Scripture: For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36) Of course it's not difficult a task to profess a precept, an idea, or a belief. But I wonder a deeper sense in regards to this issue. How many of us, who profess the name of Christ, can truly confess that In ...
Sola Fide: Our Only Means
One of the main complaints against Justification by faith alone by those who wish to affiliate themselves with Judeo-Christian religion is that if it is by faith alone then we of all men can live like hellions while still ending up in heaven. I have little to say about such men, but that they are simply blinded and deaf. In the first place it is not even up for debate whether or not we are justified ...
Sola Fide: Our Only Means
One of the main complaints against Justification by faith alone by those who wish to affiliate themselves with Judeo-Christian religion is that if it is by faith alone then we of all men can live like hellions while still ending up in heaven. I have little to say about such men, but that they are simply blinded and deaf. In the first place it is not even up for debate whether or not we are justified ...
Sola Gratia: Our Only Method
In the desire to preserve human identity, pride and individualism, there's an inveterate pull in the heart of man to do whatever he can to preserve his autonomy, to preserve even the smallest degree of self-will, power and might to validate himself. But this is totally unChristian. Unfortunately this mindset is one that governs even the vast majority of the evangelical world. To say that it is God alone who saves may be affirmed by many, ...
Sola Gratia: Our Only Method
In the desire to preserve human identity, pride and individualism, there's an inveterate pull in the heart of man to do whatever he can to preserve his autonomy, to preserve even the smallest degree of self-will, power and might to validate himself. But this is totally unChristian. Unfortunately this mindset is one that governs even the vast majority of the evangelical world. To say that it is God alone who saves may be affirmed by many, ...
Solus Christus: Our Only Mediator
In this day and age of across-the-border relativism from morality to truth evangelical Christianity is hard pressed on all fronts to compromise its stand on its confession of core truths of the faith. Unknown to many of our brethren in different denominations, especially in the turn of the past century, this compromise is little objected and little retaliated against, but more often than not is embraced with open arms (Save for a precious few which ...
Solus Christus: Our Only Mediator
In this day and age of across-the-border relativism from morality to truth evangelical Christianity is hard pressed on all fronts to compromise its stand on its confession of core truths of the faith. Unknown to many of our brethren in different denominations, especially in the turn of the past century, this compromise is little objected and little retaliated against, but more often than not is embraced with open arms (Save for a precious few which ...
Sola Scriptura: Our Only Foundation
James Montgomery Boice, in his last book before he passed on to glory, "Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace", wrote: Inerrancy is not the most critical issue facing the church today. The most serious issue, I believe, is the Bible's sufficiency. ((James Montgomery Boice, Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace? (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), p72)) How many of the churches today testify to the truth of Dr. Boice's observation almost a decade ago? Far ...
Sola Scriptura: Our Only Foundation
James Montgomery Boice, in his last book before he passed on to glory, "Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace", wrote: Inerrancy is not the most critical issue facing the church today. The most serious issue, I believe, is the Bible's sufficiency. ((James Montgomery Boice, Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace? (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), p72)) How many of the churches today testify to the truth of Dr. Boice's observation almost a decade ago? Far ...
The Crisis of Evangelical Christianity
What does it mean to be an "evangelical"? What does it mean to be part of an "evangelical church" or community? Is it just a word of preference or a mere Christian social subset? How sad it is to observe, especially in this post-modern era, that the rank and standard of evangelicalism has all but lost it's weight and meaning in the minds of those who are without and even in those who are within. I ...
The Crisis of Evangelical Christianity
What does it mean to be an "evangelical"? What does it mean to be part of an "evangelical church" or community? Is it just a word of preference or a mere Christian social subset? How sad it is to observe, especially in this post-modern era, that the rank and standard of evangelicalism has all but lost it's weight and meaning in the minds of those who are without and even in those who are within. I ...