THE BLESSEDNESS OF SLEEP
A.W. Pink
A. W. Pink
A. W. Pink
“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He giveth His beloved sleep”. [Psalm 127:2]
How often is it now lost sight of that the Lord cares for the bodies of His saints as well as for their souls. This is more or less recognized and owned by believers in the matter of food and clothing, health and strength, but it is widely ignored by many concerning the point we are here treating of.
SLEEP is as imperative for our physical well-being as is food and drink, and the one is as much the GIFT of our heavenly Father as is the other.
We cannot put ourselves to sleep by any effort of will, as those who suffer with insomnia quickly discover. Nor does exercise and manual labour of itself ensure sleep: have you ever lain down almost exhausted and then found you were “too tired to sleep”?
sleep bed restSleep is a DIVINE GIFT, but the nightly recurrence of it blinds us to the fact.
When it so pleases Him, God withholds sleep, and then we have to say with the Psalmist, “Thou holdest mine eyes waking” (77:4). But that is the exception rather than the rule, and deeply thankful should we be that it is so. Day by day the Lord feeds us, and night by night He “giveth His beloved sleep.” Thus in this little detail—of Elijah’s sleeping under the juniper tree—which we are likely to pass over lightly, we should perceive the gracious hand of God ministering in tenderness to the needs of one who is dear unto Him.
Yes, “the Lord pitieth them that fear Him,” and why? “for He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14). He is mindful of our frailty, and tempers His winds accordingly; He is aware when our energies are spent, and graciously renews our strength. It was not God’s design that His servant should die of exhaustion in the wilderness after his long, long flight from Jezreel, so he mercifully refreshes his body with sleep. And thus compassionately does He deal with us.
Alas, how little are we affected by the Lord’s goodness and grace unto us. The unfailing recurrence of His mercies both temporally and spiritually inclines us to take them as a matter of course. So dull of understanding are we, so cold our hearts Godward, it is to be feared that most of the time we fail to realize WHOSE loving hand it is which is ministering to us. Is not this the very reason why we do not begin really to value our health until it is taken from us, and not until we spend night after night tossing upon a bed of pain do we perceive the worth of regular sleep with which we were formerly favored?
And such vile creatures are we that, when illness and insomnia come upon us, instead of improving the same by repenting of our former ingratitude, and humbly confessing the same to God, we murmur and complain at the hardness of our present lot and wonder what we have done to deserve such treatment. O let those of us who are still blessed with good health and regular sleep fail not daily to return thanks for such privileges and earnestly seek grace to use the strength from them to the glory of God.
[Quoted from A.W. Pink’s ‘Life of Elijah’] http://confessingbaptist.com/category/theology/page/10/
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CATEGORY: THEOLOGY
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 24, 2014
The Church of Christ, who upon Confession of Faith have bin Baptised: Hercules Collins & Baptist Ecclesiology [PDF] By Steve Weaver
Hercules Collins
Below is the PDF of the paper that Steve Weaver presented at the 66th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in San Diego, California on November 19, 2014.
You may purchase the audio for $3 here.
The Church of Christ, who upon Confession of Faith have bin Baptised: Hercules Collins and Baptist Ecclesiology
[19-Page PDF]:
Download (PDF, 440KB)
[source: Steve Weaver]
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 22, 2014
‘Reformed Baptist Trumpet’ e-journal [PDF] Vol.5 No.3 Jul.-Sep. 2014 out now
The latest edition of the Reformed Baptist Trumpet, the e-journal of the Reformed Baptist Fellowship of Virginia, is out!
Reformed Baptist Trumpet2
In this issue:
– Editorial: Keach Conference: 2014 Reflections and 2015 Prospects
– Article: “The Glory of the Mediator” by Jim Savastio
– Article: “The Knowledge of God” by W. Gary Crampton
– Book Review: John D. Currid’s Against the Gods by Jeffrey T. Riddle
– Paradosis: Keach Sermon excerpt: “The Blessedness of Christ’s Sheep”
22 Page PDF:
Download (PDF, Unknown)
–
Reformed Baptist TrumpetThe Reformed Baptist Trumpet is the quarterly e-journal of the Reformed Baptist Fellowship of Virginia (RBF-VA), a network of ministers, church officers, and congregations in Virginia committed to promoting renewal and reformation in congregations throughout the Commonwealth and beyond. The RBF-VA gladly affirms the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. The Reformed Baptist Trumpet editorial committee: Steve Clevenger, Pastor, Covenant Reformed Baptist Church, Warrenton, Virginia; Jeffrey T. Riddle, Pastor, Christ Reformed Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Virginia; W. Gary Crampton, Elder, Reformed Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia. The Editor is Jeffrey T. Riddle.
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 19, 2014
Geoff Thomas’ ‘The Prayer of Daniel’ & ‘Lessons from the Lord’s Prayer’ sermons [TEXT] from the 2014 UK Banner of Truth Borders Conf.
banner bordersconf2014
Geoff ThomasHere are both of Geoff Thomas‘ addresses given at the Banner of Truth Borders Conference in Carlisle, Cumbria on November 7 & 8, 2014. The conference theme was ‘Teach us to pray’.
The Prayer of Daniel:
…Daniel proceeded to pray one of the most complete and extraordinary prayers found in the Scriptures. It is recorded for us in Daniel chapter 9…
Why is this such a perfect prayer?
it begins and continues in a spirit of worship
there is no attempt to blame others for the misery they are in
Daniel is concerned for the honour of God’s Name
–
Lessons from the Lord’s Prayer:
You must become God’s children
How we talk with God
HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME.
MAY YOUR KINGDOM COME.
GIVE US EACH DAY OUR DAILY BREAD.
FORGIVE US OUR SINS.
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 17, 2014
“For David speaks concerning him….”: Christ in the Psalms [Riddle]
Christ-in-the-Psalms
Pastor Jeff Riddle offers some concise thoughts on finding Christ in the Psalms:
While preaching last evening at Bells Grove on a section from Peter’s Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:22-31) wherein Peter exposits Psalm 16 as a prophesy of Christ’s resurrection, I was struck by these words, “For David speaks concerning him….” (v. 25).
This statement is a reminder:
1. That the Old Testament speaks about Christ…
2. The Psalms, in particular, speak of Christ…
Rightly then, does Peter say, “For David speaks concerning him….” (Acts 2:25).
Read the full post here: stylos: “For David speaks concerning him….”: Christ in the Psalms.
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 14, 2014
The 1689 Baptist Confession & Its Influence on Early American Missions & Church Planting [PDF] by Steve Weaver
Steve Weaver
Steve Weaver
Steve Weaver:
Today I am in Indianapolis, Ind. where I am presenting a lecture at 1:30 pm today on “The 1689 Baptist Confession and Its Influence on Early American Missions and Church Planting” at the Baptist, Confessionalism and the Providence of God, 1689-2014 conference. Some have expressed interest in seeing the paper, so I have uploaded it here in PDF format.
There are plans to post audio and video of the conference in the near future. You can check www.1689conference.org for the latest details on media availability.
[22-Page PDF]:
Download (PDF, 392KB)
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 14, 2014
Are You Trying or Training for Godliness? [Jeffery Smith]
1 Tim 4 7-8 train godliness sanctification
Pastor Jeffery Smith
Pastor Jeffery Smith
Jeffery Smith:
There are many things that cannot be accomplished without training. You can try to do them but you won’t be able to do them if you’ve not been engaging in the discipline of training. For example, you may try to run a marathon but you won’t be able to, no matter how hard you try, if you haven’t been training for it. Spend six to twelve months training for it and you might be able to do it in a decent time. Running long distances requires the discipline of running on a fairly regular basis to build up your stamina. You may try to bench press 250 pounds but most men are not able to do that by simply walking into a gym one day and giving it a try. To get to the place where you can bench press 250 pounds normally requires the discipline of regular weight lifting to build up your strength. I may try to lose weight but, again, if I really want to lose weight and keep it off in the long term I must train to lose weight. I need to develop disciplines of exercise and proper eating.
Read “Are You Trying or Training for Godliness?”
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 11, 2014
On Not Revolting [Engel]
You rebel scum...
You rebel scum...
You rebel scum…
CJay Engel, the Reformed Libertarian, muses on Romans 13, submission to authority, political revolution, and the spread of the gospel:
Neither our command as Christians to submit to earthly authorities, nor the fact that God has ordained all actual authorities by his decretive will, leads to the conclusion that the evil deeds of those individuals in government power are somehow morally justifiable. For besides God’s decretive will, there exists his preceptive will, also known as his eternal moral law which binds all men. Not only does God ordain all evil, including totalitarian governments, but we are also called to “arrange ourselves under” (hypotassō -see here) the same; therefore obedience to government seems generally wise and prudent even when government acts wrongly (socialized medicine) unless we are explicitly ordered by the government to do something that contradicts God’s moral law. The point is that yes we are commanded to arrange under, and yes God has decreed all things, but the government agents are still morally responsible for their actions. On the day of judgement no bureaucrat or President will say to the Lord that the evil deeds done were done while in office, and are therefore exempt from the standard so ordained by God.
This serves to silence both the State’s ardent defenders who use Romans 13 to justify all sorts of evil activity and also the specific type of anti-State proponent who desires to physically take matters into his own hands and overthrow current government power by rebellion.
We might follow Ron Paul’s message that political influence must take place in the realm of ideas and debates and speaking the truth; not by forceful and violent revolution. This method is the same as the method required for spreading the gospel.
Source: On Not Revolting | Reformed Libertarian
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 10, 2014
Preaching From the Choir [Tom Chantry]
Tom Chantry
Tom Chantry
Tom Chantry:
When the Psalms are sung, the minister never leaves without hearing a sermon. Psalms are amazing compositions; we would expect nothing else from inspired Scripture. They dig down to the root of truth and press in on the heart of the believer. They apply truth to our condition by urging us to trust and praise the Lord. Each Psalm is a sermon in verse, expounding and applying the truth of God.
Those of us who minister, particularly in small churches, very often go to the assembly several times on a Lord’s Day and preach the word every time. We could go months at a time without hearing the preaching of the Word. But because my church opens each week with a Psalm, I hear a sermon, ‘preached’ by the choir (which in solid, Reformed fashion is made up of all the congregants singing together). I cannot say how often I am moved beyond expression by the message of the Psalm. I do not feel the lack of a ministry dedicated to my own spiritual needs, my people supply that by singing the Psalm in my direction.
Read “Preaching From the Choir”
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 7, 2014
‘The Parable of the Wheat & Tares Opened’ by Benjamin Keach [Free eBook Friday]
Wheat Tares
Benjamin Keach
Benjamin Keach
Brandon Adams:
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares was a series of sermons published by Benjamin Keach in 1701. Keach was a particular baptist. This parable was the central text in the debate over religious liberty, or liberty of conscience. We’re posting it here because an edited text version does not exist online. Here is a PDF version. A bit about Keach…
Read [2 hour readout]
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 5, 2014
The Case for Credobaptism from a 1689 Federalism perspective [Sam Renihan]
place for truth header
Brandon Adams over at 1689Federalism.com writes:
Place for Truth: A Voice of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals posted two articles recently. One arguing for paedobaptism [link], the other for credobaptism.
Sam Renihan
Sam Renihan
Samuel Renihan wrote an excellent summary of 1689 Federalism’s case for credobaptism. I highly recommend reading it, printing it, and saving it.
Consequently, there has never been a covenant wherein “believers and their children” constituted the paradigm for covenant membership.
POSTED ONOCTOBER 31, 2014
Reformation Day Roundup [Audio, Video + more]
Happy Reformation Day! Here is a roundup of previous post which may be of particular interest to y’all this day:
Short Luther Bio & Reading of His 95 Theses by Curt Arend [Audio]:
luther reformation
Hear Pastor Curt Arend (who we interviews on episode 24 of our podcast) give a short biography on Luther and read his 95 Theses, the spark of the Reformation!
24 minute audio:
Audio Player
00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.
–
4 Short Video Interviews with Michael Haykin on Martin Luther:
haykin on luther video prevCredoMag:
In celebration of Reformation Day we are pleased to post the following video interviews with Michael A.G. Haykin, professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and contributor to Credo Magazine. In the first video Haykin explains how Martin Luther was converted, in the second video Haykin tells us how Luther came to post the 95 theses, in the third video Haykin tells the story of Luther’s famous “Here I Stand” speech at Worms, and in the fourth video Haykin addresses the contemporary question, “Is the Reformation Over?”
Michael Haykin on Luther’s Conversion:
–
Michael Haykin on the 95 Theses:
–
Michael Haykin on Luther at Worms:
–
Michael Haykin: Is the Reformation Over?:
–
James White’s “A brief review of Reformation Day“ [4:23 – 12:37]:
–
How Printing Gave Us The Reformation
Printer_in_1568-ce
by Eric Ayala
–
Nurturing Congregational Song (& what does the Reformation have to do with it?)
Luther singing
by Ken Puls
–
+ MORE!
POSTED ONOCTOBER 30, 2014
400-Year-Old Lessons from English Baptists & Persecution [Michael Haykin]
Haykin:
PersecutionPersecution and martyrdom are perennial features of the Church’s existence in this world. Numerous New Testament passages bear out this fact (see, for example, 1 Peter 4:12–19; Acts 14:19–22; John 15:18–21). The experience of the Church down through the centuries has indeed been one of persecution and its concomitant, martyrdom. And although my focus is going to be on one period of this history, we need to recognize that this is not merely an issue of the past. It has been estimated that currently there are thousands martyrs every year around the world.
Now, the period that I wish to look at concerns the era of Particular (or Calvinistic) Baptist origins in the mid-seventeenth century…
Let us look briefly at some of those persecuted to see what we can learn regarding how we should respond to persecution.
THE EXPERIENCE OF JOHN BUNYAN (1628–1688)…
THE EXPERIENCE OF WILLIAM MITCHEL (1662-1705)…
THE EXPERIENCE OF ABRAHAM CHEARE (D.1668)…
Read “400-Year-Old Lessons from English Baptists and Persecution”.
POSTED ONOCTOBER 27, 2014
‘New Testament Use of the Old Testament’ [Roger Nicole] 14-page PDF
Roger Nicole
Roger Nicole
Check out Reformed Reader‘s edited and summarized version of Roger Nicole’s “The Old Testament in the New Testament.” article from volume one of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (ed. Frank Gaebelein):
“One very notable feature of the NT is the extent to which it alludes to or quotes the OT. It appeals to the OT in order to provide proof of statements made, confirmation for positions espoused, illustration of principles advanced, and answers to questions raised. …[There is] a very close relationship between the Testaments. Eight propositions clarify this relationship.”
1) The NT writers assumed that the OT in its entirety was meaningful and relevant for their own time.
2) The NT writers were convinced that many of the events of the life of our Lord and indeed of the beginnings of the Christian church had been prophesied in considerable detail by OT writers.
3) The ground of the NT writers’ faith in the prophetic vision of the OT was their conviction, frequently and variously expressed, that the OT is the Word of God.
4) Because they viewed the OT as the Word of God, the NT writers did not hesitate to interpret its statements, not merely in terms of what the human authors could have thought, but in terms of what God himself meant in speaking through the prophets.
5) In many cases the NT writers, illumined by the Holy Spirit, perceived with greater clarity than the OT writers themselves God’s intended meaning behind some prophecies. What the prophets had seen only dimly and in terms of general principle, the NT writers saw in the glowing light of fulfillment in a perspective in which a wealth of details fall into place.
6) The NT writers had such a deep insight into the fullness of God’s redemptive purposes that they could perceive foreshadowings and parallelisms where others might easily have missed them altogether. In many such cases it is not necessary to hold that the OT writers completely understood the way their pronouncements would relate to their fulfillment in the NT.
7) In a number of cases the NT authors saw a significant relationship between a diversity of OT passages. Sometimes they made this plain by a juxtaposition of quotations; in other cases, they appear to have united two or more passages in an illuminating combination.
8) While the NT writers draw attention mainly to the meaning of OT passages, they did not hesitate to build an argument on one word of the original text. This method of quoting the OT manifests a supreme confidence in the divine authority of even then minutest details of Scripture.
–
PDF:
This isn’t the exact same as the above reference but looks to be very similar:
Roger Nicole, “New Testament Use of the Old Testament,” Carl F.H. Henry, ed., Revelation and the
Bible. Contemporary Evangelical Thought. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1958 / London: The Tyndale Press,
1959. pp.137-151.:
Download (PDF, 52KB)
POSTED ONOCTOBER 17, 2014
The Blessedness of Sleep [A. W. Pink]
THE BLESSEDNESS OF SLEEP
A.W. Pink
A. W. Pink
A. W. Pink
“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He giveth His beloved sleep”. [Psalm 127:2]
How often is it now lost sight of that the Lord cares for the bodies of His saints as well as for their souls. This is more or less recognized and owned by believers in the matter of food and clothing, health and strength, but it is widely ignored by many concerning the point we are here treating of.
SLEEP is as imperative for our physical well-being as is food and drink, and the one is as much the GIFT of our heavenly Father as is the other.
We cannot put ourselves to sleep by any effort of will, as those who suffer with insomnia quickly discover. Nor does exercise and manual labour of itself ensure sleep: have you ever lain down almost exhausted and then found you were “too tired to sleep”?
sleep bed restSleep is a DIVINE GIFT, but the nightly recurrence of it blinds us to the fact.
When it so pleases Him, God withholds sleep, and then we have to say with the Psalmist, “Thou holdest mine eyes waking” (77:4). But that is the exception rather than the rule, and deeply thankful should we be that it is so. Day by day the Lord feeds us, and night by night He “giveth His beloved sleep.” Thus in this little detail—of Elijah’s sleeping under the juniper tree—which we are likely to pass over lightly, we should perceive the gracious hand of God ministering in tenderness to the needs of one who is dear unto Him.
Yes, “the Lord pitieth them that fear Him,” and why? “for He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14). He is mindful of our frailty, and tempers His winds accordingly; He is aware when our energies are spent, and graciously renews our strength. It was not God’s design that His servant should die of exhaustion in the wilderness after his long, long flight from Jezreel, so he mercifully refreshes his body with sleep. And thus compassionately does He deal with us.
Alas, how little are we affected by the Lord’s goodness and grace unto us. The unfailing recurrence of His mercies both temporally and spiritually inclines us to take them as a matter of course. So dull of understanding are we, so cold our hearts Godward, it is to be feared that most of the time we fail to realize WHOSE loving hand it is which is ministering to us. Is not this the very reason why we do not begin really to value our health until it is taken from us, and not until we spend night after night tossing upon a bed of pain do we perceive the worth of regular sleep with which we were formerly favored?
And such vile creatures are we that, when illness and insomnia come upon us, instead of improving the same by repenting of our former ingratitude, and humbly confessing the same to God, we murmur and complain at the hardness of our present lot and wonder what we have done to deserve such treatment. O let those of us who are still blessed with good health and regular sleep fail not daily to return thanks for such privileges and earnestly seek grace to use the strength from them to the glory of God.
[Quoted from A.W. Pink’s ‘Life of Elijah’]
–
[HT: Heavenly Worldliness]
POSTED ONOCTOBER 16, 2014
On pastoral (dis)qualification & other things [Jeremy Walker]
preacherJeremy Walker:
[P]astoral qualification is never merely a matter of apparent giftedness and effectiveness. It has at its root a question of character…
He concludes with a sober, always needed, reminder:
Finally, let there be no gloating: “let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12). You may believe you saw this coming. You may have mourned over the painful trajectory that developed, and perhaps the failure of those who publicly applauded phases of Mark’s career publicly to address the change in tack. You may have your suspicions and fears about what comes next. But to revel in the sin of another is a demonic thing. To rejoice in a man’s public downfall is to join Satan’s company. When you see another man, any man, sinning and stumbling, remember that – but for the grace of God – that is you, and pray with tears that it might never be.
Read entire post.
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BAPTI-BOT BLOG ROUNDUP
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Theme: September 21, 2017: Jeremy Walker, Pastor of Maidenbower Baptist Church of Crawley in West Sussex, England, author & blogger @ Reformation 21 & The Wanderer, will address: “What […]
Fri, Oct 06, 2017
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September 6, 2017 Show with Marc Grimaldi on “The Importance of Calvinism for Biblically Faithful Evangelism: What it Prevents & What it Preserves”
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Fri, Oct 06, 2017
Archbishop of Canterbury Can’t Answer Direct Questions, More on the I Am Sayings of Jesus
Snuck a quick DL in today, covering Justin Welby’s inability to answer a direct question on the nature of sin, and then spending most of our time continuing the discussion […]
Fri, Oct 06, 2017
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Final page of last lecture for Southern California Reformed Baptist Pastors’ Conference ‘17
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Endorsements for “Getting the Garden Right,” coming soon from Founders Press
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Reformed Resources from a 1689 Perspective
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CATEGORY: THEOLOGY
POSTED ONJANUARY 5, 2015
How Can We Know If Our Children Are Christians? Tom Hicks Answers
Tom Hicks
Tom Hicks
Reformed Baptist Fellowship:
Christian parents want our children to know Christ because we want what is best for them. Many parents, however, struggle with how to know whether their children have come to a saving knowledge of Christ. While there’s no way to give a complete answer in a short blog post like this, I’ll try to offer you a handful of basic principles. No child gives evidence of salvation in a vacuum. These are things a child has to learn from faithful parents who teach him the Word of God. And these are lessons of the heart that only the Holy Spirit can truly teach. A child may certainly be saved before his parents can see it, but there are some evidences that point to our child’s salvation.
Growing awareness of God’s goodness.
Increasing sense of personal sin.
Leaning on Jesus for forgiveness and salvation.
Growing desire to know the Bible and pray.
Faithful repentance of sin and increasing obedience to Christ’s commands.
Read the explanation of each point.
No child (or adult for that matter!) does any of these things perfectly. But if your child has a pattern of these evidences of salvation, you should bring him to the pastors of your church for baptism and church membership.
POSTED ONDECEMBER 25, 2014
“This infant God deserves thy ode.” Hercules Collins’ Poetry on the Incarnation of Jesus
Hercules Collins Incarnation 1
–
Hercules Collins Incarnation 2
–
Hercules Collins Incarnation 3
Hercules Collins
+ more
[source: Particular Voices, 2, 3]
POSTED ONDECEMBER 25, 2014
‘A Happy Christmas To You All!’ – C. H. Spurgeon
Spurgeon Online:
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a faithful pastor to the people of God in his day. Part of his faithfulness may be seen in how he stood against the various errors and corruptions of the medieval church. One of these errors was the adding to the calendar various holidays. Not even Christmas was exempt from his fiery zeal: “WE have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas.”
But one would be mistaken to think that dear old Spurgeon had no place in the heart and home of a Christian for the joyful celebration of our Lord’s birth. This can be seen from the fact that he often preached sermons on the incarnation at or on Christmas (the statement above comes to us from a sermon preached Dec. 24th the subject matter was the birth of Christ) and by these statements that are of the stock of Spurgeon’s verbal genus…
santa spurgeon
Now, a happy Christmas to you all; and it will be a happy Christmas if you have God with you… I shall say nothing to-day against festivities on this great birthday of Christ. I hold that, perhaps, it is not right to have the birthday celebrated, but we will never be amongst those who think it as much a duty to celebrate it the wrong way as others the right. But we will to-morrow think of Christ’s birthday; we shall be obliged to do it, I am sure, however sturdily we may hold to our rough Puritanism…
Feast, Christians, feast; you have a right to feast. Go to the house of feasting to-morrow, celebrate your Savior’s birth; do not be ashamed to be glad, you have a right to be happy. Solomon says, “Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.” “Religion never was designed To make our pleasures less.” Recollect that your Master ate butter and honey. Go your way, rejoice tomorrow; but, in your feasting, think of the Man in Bethlehem; let him have a place in your hearts, give him the glory, think of the virgin who conceived him, but think most of all of the Man born, the Child given. I finish by again saying, “A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!”
More…
POSTED ONDECEMBER 24, 2014
Longing for more than Christmas [Jason Ching]
Pastor Jason Ching
Pastor Jason Ching
Every week on our headlines podcast [The Dunker Bunker] we highlight some posts from our Reformed Baptist blog aggregator [The BaptiBot]. One of the blogs that always gets highlighted is Jason Ching’s, who is one of the pastors at Grace Community Church in Minden, Nevada.
We love it because once or twice a week he gives you a good 30-second devotional.
Allow me to highlight his latest post, which isn’t much longer than my intro:
Longing for more than Christmas
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130:5–6, ESV)
The morning is coldest when the sun first rises.
Part of it is just temperature, the morning hasn’t yet been able to soak up the warmth of the sun. But the other part must be deeper than that.
Our longing for the sun’s warmth reaches its peak when the light is glimpsed, but not yet felt. There’s the hint of warmth, but the absence of its touch.
Two thousand years ago the sun peaked over the horizon. Rays of hope pierced death’s dark dominion.
Perhaps the chill is most pronounced right now. We’ve glimpsed the Son but still we wait. Like watchmen for the morning, we long for more than Christmas.
We long for more than the past, we long for the future that He promised.
With groaning hearts, we long for the One who is coming again.
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POSTED ONDECEMBER 23, 2014
Does God Change in the Incarnation? Spurgeon Answers [Quote & Sermon Audio]
Pastor Erik Raymond points out a quote from Spurgeon that is, “especially helpful in considering the immutability of God (the fact that he does not change) even in light of the incarnation of Christ“:
Charles Spurgeon
Charles Spurgeon
All creatures change. Man, especially as to his body, is always undergoing revolution. Very probably there is not a single particle in my body which was in it a few years ago. This frame has been worn away by activity, its atoms have been removed by friction, fresh particles of matter have in the mean time constantly accrued to my body, and so it has been replenished; but its substance is altered.
The fabric of which this world is made is ever passing away; like a stream of water, drops are running away and others are following after, keeping the river still full, but always changing in its elements.
But God is perpetually the same. He is not composed of any substance or material, but is spirit—pure, essential, and ethereal spirit—and therefore he is immutable. He remains everlastingly the same. There are no furrows on his eternal brow. No age hath palsied him; no years have marked him with the mementoes of their flight; he sees ages pass, but with him it is ever now. He is the great I AM—the Great Unchangeable.
Mark you, his essence did not undergo a change when it became united with the manhood. When Christ in past years did gird himself with mortal clay, the essence of his divinity was not changed; flesh did not become God, nor did God become flesh by a real actual change of nature; the two were united in hypostatical union, but the Godhead was still the same. It was the same when he was a babe in the manger, as it was when he stretched the curtains of heaven; it was the same God that hung upon the cross, and whose blood flowed down in a purple river, the self-same God that holds the world upon his everlasting shoulders, and bears in his hands the keys of death and hell.
He never has been changed in his essence, not even by his incarnation; he remains everlastingly, eternally, the one unchanging God, the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither the shadow of a change.
Here is the entire sermon (his first preached at New Park Street Chapel, Southwark).
Read out [mp3]:
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POSTED ONDECEMBER 22, 2014
2014 Christmas Roundup
dore wisemen woodcut Christmas header nativity star
Here is the Christmas Roundup from last year with some recent posts added on:
Podcast The Incarnation | Sola Scripture Ministries International
On today’s broad cast of After Darkness Light, Heinz Dschankilic and Michael Haykin look at the essence behind the Christmas story. This essence is described in John 1:14 where the apostle notes that “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Come join us today as they explore The Incarnation.
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Christmas and Christianity, Part 1 | Nick Kennicott
I’m not sure if every pastor out there gets the same questions I do, but one that seems to come up pretty regularly this time of year is all about Christmas…
While Christians often debate this issue, I am convinced that the 2nd commandment forbids the making of images of Christ in every respect. I oppose the ikons of Eastern Orthodoxy depicting the members of the Trinity, and just as strongly oppose the myriad of attempts at depicting Jesus in art of various forms (film, paintings, sculptures, crucifixes, etc.). God has said quite categorically, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:4). So the nativity scenes of Christmas depicting Jesus as a baby are a violation of the 2nd commandment, and while well intentioned, should not be displayed by Christians.
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Christmas and Christianity, Part 2
There are at least five areas to consider when working through the biblical arguments against Christmas celebration. They are festivals and special days of observance, the Lord’s Day, the regulative principle of worship, cultural engagement, and Christian liberty.
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Christmas and Christianity, Part 3
What About History?
elf santaSanta Claus is coming to town? | Stephen Rees
It’s that time again. The run-up to Christmas. We’ve been preparing our children. We’ve warned them. They mustn’t say it. They mustn’t even hint at it. Whatever anyone says to them, they mustn’t let it slip. They don’t believe in Santa.
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The cost of Christmas
In a few weeks time most of us will be celebrating Christmas. So how do we, as Christians, decide what it’s right to spend at Christmas? We face the same pressures as other folk. Let me remind you of five important truths.
albert n martinChristmas and the Christian | Feileadh Mor
Albert N. Martin is a straight shooter. In a series on Christmas he outlines the history of the practice in connection with Christian liberty…
MP3s:
Christmas and the Christian 01
Christmas and the Christian 02
Christmas and the Christian 03
Christmas and the Christian 04
Christmas Liberty 01
Christmas Liberty 02
Christmas Liberty 03
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gillGill on Christmas
It directs to the observation of several fasts and festivals, which are no where enjoined in the word of God, and for which it provides collects, gospels and epistles to be read: the fasts are, Quadragesima or Lent, in imitation of Christ’s forty days fast in the wilderness, Ember weeks, Rogatian days, and all the Fridays in the year; in which men are commanded to abstain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving. The festivals, besides, the principal ones, Christmas, Easter and Whitsuntide, are the several saints days throughout the year; which are all of popish invention, and are either moveable or fixed, as the popish festivals be; and being the relics of popery makes us still more uneasy and dissatisfied with them.
“Because you have been attending the wrong church.”
Santa Claus, the Gospel & the Church + The “right way to fire your pastor” | Tom Ascol
It happened again last week. On Thanksgiving morning I received an email from a friend of a friend. The first line read, “It appears I am being forced out of my pastorate.” The story that unfolded in the rest of that email and upon further inquiry is filled with themes that are tragically too common…
Should We Celebrate Christmas? | Scott Brown
Each year, I receive letters asking my thoughts about the celebration of Christmas. So last year, I posted over a dozen articles on the subject of Christmas expressing a number of different perspectives from respectable men…
Ponder through the Twelve Days of Christmas series and test each of them by the Word of God.
Day 1: Sermon by Charles Spurgeon
Day 2: Jonathan Edwards on Christmas, Easter, and New Year’s
Day 3: XMAS by A.W. Pink
Day 4: John Piper
Day 5: George Whitefield
Day 6: Brian Schwertly
Day 7: John MacArthur on the Christmas Tree
Day 8: A Scottish Covenanter – George Gillespie – on Christmas
Day 9: Two Sermons Commenting on Christmas Observance from Charles Spurgeon
Day 10: Rethinking the Pagan Origins of Christmas
Day 11: The Puritans on Christmas
Day 12.1: Did We Celebrate Christmas in Early American History?
Day 12.2: More Quotes from the 17th to the 19th Centuries
Day 12.3: What Roman Catholics Say About Christmas
Day 12.4: Christmas and the Use of Time
Day 12.5: R.C. Sproul and J.I. Packer
JoyFriday Funny: ‘Twas the Sunday pre-Christmas: a cautionary tale [Jeremy Walker] + Audio Interview About This Poem | Jason Delgado
We interviewed Jeremy Walker about his newest book and this topic came up. Here is a five minute preview of Tuesday’s podcast:
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The Power of the Most High | Stephen Yuille
We are in the midst of the Christmas season, when we give particular attention to the incarnation of Christ.
Jesus and the Real Meaning of Christmas | John Samson
Each Christmas we hear the story about angels and shepherds, of wise men and strange sightings of a star, of a donkey, and of the Child that was laid in a stable manger. Yet the actual birth of Jesus, though highly unusual, was not entirely unique. Of course, not everyone is born to the sight of a star moving and coming to rest overhead, or to the sound of angelic announcements and trumpet blasts! Yet it is true to say that many children have been born in humble surroundings. Therefore, it was the manner in which Jesus was conceived that marks Him out from others.
The doctrine of the Virgin Birth holds that Jesus’ birth was the result of a miraculous conception whereby the Virgin Mary conceived a baby in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit, without a human father.
Christ’s miraculous birth tells us much about His nature.
In the Fullness of Time | Mike Porter
So, why did Caesar, the most powerful man in the known world, send out the decree? Because “this…has been written by the prophet”. Because “the heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord as rivers of water — he turns it wherever he wills”. Because the fullness of time had come, and for no other reason. It was God’s sovereign design, and not that of men.
spurgeon14 reminders from Spurgeon for those home for Christmas | Tony Reinke
On Sunday morning, December 21, 1856, Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon to prepare his growing church for the coming Christmas season. He titled it “Going Home,” and the aim of the message was to encourage each member of his congregation to humbly, wisely, and appropriately find opportunities to share their personal testimony with family and friends.
Have Yourself An Eschatological Christmas | Eric Ayala
When we think of Christmas, we often think of the beginning of Jesus’ life here on earth, of when he was incarnate in the flesh and the beginning of the story of the Gospels. But we don’t often think of Christmas as an Eschatological event. The historical reality of the incarnation wasn’t just a sign of a new beginning, but of a completion and fulfillment. Christmas is a mark of the end, the eschaton, as the God who will bring the final day steps into time and space to bring about the culmination of all things. With him comes light and peace and hope; and also judgment and terror, and finality. Far from a celebration of just a cute little baby that we call Jesus, Christmas shows us the declarative and magnificent power of the omnipotent God who reigns over all things.
Christmas in Jesus’ Own Words | Paul Gordon
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19:10
Christmas in The Words of The Apostles of Jesus
“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”
1 John 4:14
poetry poetic poet write draw“To Nazareth came Gabriel, a herald of God’s love” | Jeremy Walker
Recently, preaching from Luke 1, I was disappointed with the range of hymns available that focused on the miraculous conception. What follows is a first attempt at addressing that lack.
A Tale of Two Christmases | Tom Chantry
A thought occurred to me while I was driving home on Christmas Eve listening to callers to a radio station share their Christmas memories. They were all trying to be happy, but they all sounded depressed. It struck me of a sudden that I understand why this is.
More will be added here as they appear.
POSTED ONDECEMBER 19, 2014
Tomorrow’s Promise, Today’s Indulgence [Jeremy Walker]
christmas pudding flamingFrom Jeremy Walker at Reformation21:
Perhaps one of the reasons why the festive season is one of such excess and abandonment is because we indulge with the self-satisfying assurance that we will be sorting everything out tomorrow. So, whether it is food and drink, spending, or general laziness and laxity, we let it all hang out because tomorrow will be different.
…
We can do the same thing spiritually. We promise ourselves that tomorrow is the big day, the day when we will really begin to pray against a particular sin, wrestle against a particular temptation, address a particular habit. And what happens? First of all, our own sinful hearts will incline to one last fling, one last binge – after all, we will be taking ourselves in hand tomorrow. But more than that, Satan will begin to whisper. He will assure us that we might as well give in to temptation – after all, we can repent later and start over the day after. And how often does this happen?
Read the rest of this needed exhortation here.
POSTED ONDECEMBER 3, 2014
Is the evangelical church really glorifying God? [Conrad Mbewe]
Conrad Mbewe
Conrad Mbewe
Conrad Mbewe asks 10 questions towards “evangelical Christianity in Africa”, but these same questions could/should be asked worldwide:
As 2014 draws to an end, my heart aches. I am deeply burdened about what has become the dominant characteristic of evangelical Christianity in Africa. I have tried to wrap my mind around this by simply asking an honest question “Is this Christianity that has become pervasive across the African continent really glorifying God?”
1. Are we glorifying God when we claim that we are experiencing miracles that are actually not happening? […]
2. Are we glorifying God when we speak in “tongues” that cannot be interpreted? […]
3. Are we glorifying God when we reduce the benefits of salvation to more wealth and better health? […]
4. Are we glorifying God when we abandon the preaching of repentance for motivational speaking? […]
5. Are we glorifying God when we hide the rot of spiritual wolves preying on vulnerable souls? […]
6. Are we glorifying God when we reduce truth to a minimum for the sake of Christian unity? […]
7. Are we glorifying God when we reduce worship to senseless dancing to sensual music? […]
8. Are we glorifying God when commanding, declaring and decreeing replace humble petitions in prayer? […]
9. Are we glorifying God when we fill our church membership rolls with goats and kick out church discipline? […]
10. Are we glorifying God when we have women preachers while men sit in pews and listen to them? […]
Read “Is the evangelical church in Africa really glorifying God?”
POSTED ONDECEMBER 2, 2014
Chapter 1 of Recovering a Covenantal Heritage [PDF] ‘A Brief Overview of Seventeenth-Century Reformed Orthodox Federalism’ [Barcellos]
You can read chapter one of the forthcoming book Recovering a Covenantal Heritage. It begins:
CHAPTER 1
A Brief Overview of Seventeenth-Century
Reformed Orthodox Federalism
Richard C. Barcellos, Ph.D.
Recovering Covenantal HeritageIt is no secret that various seventeenth-century Reformed orthodox theologians articulated theology utilizing a federal or covenantal model. There are many sources (primary and secondary) available for the contemporary reader which amply display and discuss this model. We will examine briefly a few of the more important federal theologians of the seventeenth century to introduce readers to the world of seventeenth-century federal or covenant theology. This brief survey understands federal theology as a method and not as a distinct school.
Federal or covenant theology did not begin in the seventeenth century. The seventeenth-century Reformed orthodox built upon the labors of their Reformed predecessors, who built upon the labors of others before them. Such theologians as Zwingli, Bullinger, Calvin, Ursinus, Olevianus, Rollock, Perkins, Ames, and Ball all played key roles in the early development of federal theology. We will look briefly at some of the key contributors to the development of federalism in the early and late seventeenth century, and even into the eighteenth century, to provide a wider context to introduce the reader to the thought-world of post-Reformation federalism. This should assist the reader as he continues through this volume. Knowing the historical-theological issues of the most productive era of the formulation of federal or covenant theology (among paedobaptists and Particular Baptists) will introduce readers to the ways and means utilized in such formulations and help understand some of the post-Reformation confessional statements and the biblical and theological issues at stake.
You can read the HTML (text) of chapter one at 1689 Federalism [45 minute readout], as well as find the 18 page PDF below:
Download (PDF, 343KB)
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Richard Barcellos @richbarcellos
RBAP just ordered 150 copies of Recovering a Covenantal Heritage: Essays in Baptist Covenant Theology. Should be on sale by Dec 16.
12:23 PM - Dec 3, 2014
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POSTED ONDECEMBER 2, 2014
‘Biblical Principles for Parenting’ Series [Keith Throop]
Keith Throop
Keith Throop
Keith Throop introduced this topic:
The Bible doesn’t give us a parenting manual – a specific list of “how to’s” for most any conceivable situation – but it does give us a number of important principles to apply in parenting our children, and, in order to adequately set forth these principles, I can think of no better place to begin that with the fact that God has revealed Himself to us as a Father. This means that we will discover the ideal of fatherhood expressed in His person both in relationship to Jesus, who is God’s Son by nature, and in relationship to those of us who believe and are thus God’s sons by adoption…
Thus each principle we will examine relates in one way or another back to God as our heavenly Father and our supreme example for parenting. The four principles will be as follows [one post devoted to each]:
First, our heavenly Father teaches us the importance of letting our children know that we love them and that they are special to us.
Second, our heavenly Father teaches us the importance of the loving discipline of our children.
Third, our heavenly Father teaches us the importance of raising our children to know His Word.
Fourth, our heavenly Father teaches us the importance of a proper view of both a father’s and mother’s role in the family.
POSTED ONDECEMBER 2, 2014
‘Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants’ Review Article [PDF] by Sam Renihan [from JIRBS 2014]
Kingdom Through Covenant Gentry Wellum
Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenant by Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum
This review article was published in the Journal of the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies (2014): 153-76, and is used with permission from Reformed Baptist Academic Press.
Sam Renihan
Sam Renihan
Here is the first couple of paragraphs of the critique sections and the closing paragraph:
It goes without saying that Gentry and Wellum are to be commended for their detailed, careful, and extensive work. They are also to be commended for a desire to say what God has said in such a way that reflects the way that he has said it. But we must now turn to iron-sharpening and face the giants in the land.
The fundamental argument of Kingdom through Covenant is sound. God does indeed govern his world through dominion delegated by covenant. The overall metanarrative is also sound. There is a great tension/need in the progress of the historical covenants for one who will do perfectly all that God commands. But the authors are operating under a few false dilemmas.
They propose their system as a via media between covenant theology and dispensationalism. From all appearances, covenant theology equals paedobaptism. The only hint to the contrary is the brief mention of Greg Nichols’ book in the preface (12- 13). Forasmuch as the authors are weary of the rehearsal of the same arguments from covenant theologians, they would find many an ally among the federal theologians of the seventeenth-century Particular Baptists. A rejection of the idea that the historical covenants are simply “administrations” of the covenant of grace, an appreciation for the progressive nature of God’s covenantal dealings with man, and an insistence that the new covenant is the covenant of grace are arguments that have been brought forward in the past. But these arguments did not entail the same rejection of the covenant of works and covenant of grace as is seen in this book. Thus, it is a false dilemma to see no party besides paedobaptist federal theologians and dispensationalists…
Gentry and Wellum have produced a volume that demands attention, consideration, and interaction. At the very least, it provides a wealth of exegetical work and research for those who would want to study these issues. But more than that, it is a book that will add contour and detail to the reader’s understanding of the divine drama and all that God has done and will do for his people throughout the ages.
You can read the HTML (text) of this article at 1689 Federalism [52 minute readout], as well as find the PDF below:
Download (PDF, 281KB)
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 29, 2014
Get Desiring God’s new edition of Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress” FREE [PDF, EPUB, MOBI]
Pilgrims Progress New Ed
Desiring God:
On November 28, 1628, in a quiet cottage nestled within the English parish of Elstow, during one of the most tumultuous times in the country’s history, John Bunyan was born.
The place of Bunyan’s birth in Elstow was only a mile from the busy town of Bedford, where years later Bunyan would be imprisoned for over a decade for preaching the gospel. Like his father, Bunyan learned the simple trade of a tinker — a mender of pots and kettles — and came to be known as the “tinker turned preacher” when he began lay preaching in his late twenties. Bunyan’s skill and passion drew hundreds of listeners. Theologian John Owen, a contemporary of Bunyan, when asked by King Charles why he went to hear such an uneducated man preach, replied, “I would willingly exchange my learning for the tinker’s power of touching men’s hearts.”
But Bunyan’s legacy is not so much in his preaching, but his writing. During his imprisonment in the Bedford jail, Bunyan wrote several books, including most popularly, The Pilgrim’s Progress, which has sold more copies in the English language than any book besides the Bible. Today, the book still remains both an incomparable source of spiritual education and a classic in English literature.
Releasing a New Edition
For this reason, on Bunyan’s birthday, Desiring God is excited to release a new edition of The Pilgrim’s Progress, free of charge in three digital formats (PDF, EPUB, MOBI).
This new edition is the original first part of Bunyan’s classic, unabridged and redesigned in beautiful typesetting for modern readability. This edition also features a foreword by Leland Ryken, who kindly offered counsel to us since the beginning of this project, and a short biography of Bunyan’s life by John Piper. The preface to this edition was written by John Newton in 1776 to introduce an old version of the book that included his annotations. This preface was discovered by Tony Reinke, biographer of Newton, and is included now in print for the first time in over a century.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Leland Ryken
To Live Upon God Who Is Invisible: The Life of John Bunyan by John Piper
Preface by John Newton (1776)
The Pilgrim’s Progress
Download:
Download the PDF
Download the EPUB formatted for readers like the Nook, Sony Reader, and Apple iBooks (iPad, iPhone, iPod).
Download the MOBI formatted for Kindle. (You may be required to download the MOBI file to a computer before sending it to your Kindle device.)
In addition to the free ebook formats, we are releasing a new paperback version available on Amazon at minimum cost. At just over 250 pages, this paperback is a stout read and makes for a great gift idea this Christmas season, especially in the midst of new and exciting publications.
Preview PDF:
Download (PDF, 849KB)
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 26, 2014
Thanksgiving Roundup [Spurgeon, J. Renihan, Savastio, 1689]
Here is a roundup from last year with some additions from this year:
Thanksgiving-Brownscombe pilgrim puritan header indian
1689 gift editionThe Importance of Thanksgiving Day by Dr. James Renihan
From the [1689] Second London Confession, Chapter 22:
3. Prayer with thanksgiving, being one special part of natural worship, is by God required of all men. But that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the Name of the Son, by the help of the Spirit, according to his Will; with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and when with others, in a known tongue.
5. The reading of the Scriptures, Preaching, and hearing the word of God, teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual songs, singing with grace in our Hearts to the Lord; as also the Administration of Baptism, and the Lords Supper are all parts of Religious worship of God, to be performed in obedience to him, with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear; moreover solemn humiliation with fastings; and thanksgiving upon special occasions, ought to be used in an holy and religious manner.
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Thanksgiving in the Church
From the Directory for Public Worship: Concerning the Observation of Days of Publick Thanksgiving.
WHEN any such day is to be kept, let notice be given of it, and of the occasion thereof, some convenient time before, that the people may the better prepare themselves thereunto.
C H SpurgeonCharles H. Spurgeon – A Sermon Delivered on Sunday Morning, September 27th, 1863:
Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness. — Psalm 65:11.
POSSIBLY objections might have been raised to a day of thanksgiving for the abundant harvest if it had been ordered or suggested by Government. Certain brethren are so exceedingly tender in their consciences upon the point of connection between Church and State, that they would have thought it almost a reason for not being thankful at all if the Government had recommended them to celebrate a day of public thanksgiving. Although I have no love to the unscriptural union of Church and State, I should on this occasion have hailed an official request for a national recognition of the special goodness of God. However, none of us can feel any objection arising in our minds if it be now agreed that to-day we will praise our ever-bounteous Lord, and as an assembly record our gratitude to the God of the harvest. We are probably the largest assembly of Christian people in the world, and it is well that we should set the example to the smaller Churches. Doubtless many other believers will follow in our track, and so a public thanksgiving will become general throughout the country. I hope to see every congregation in the land raising a special offering unto the Lord, to be devoted either to his Church, to the poor, to missions, or some other holy end. Yes, I would have every Christian offer willingly unto the Lord as a token of his gratitude to the God of providence…
All the year round, every hour of every day, God is richly blessing us; both when we sleep and when we wake, his mercy waits upon us. The sun may leave off shining, but our God will never cease to cheer his children with his love. Like a river his lovingkindness is always flowing, with a fullness inexhaustible as his own nature, which is its source. Like the atmosphere which always surrounds the earth, and is always ready to support the life of man, the benevolence of God surrounds all his creatures; in it, as in their element they live, and move, and have their being. Yet as the sun on summer days appears to gladden us with beams more warm and bright than at other times, and as rivers are at certain seasons swollen with the rain, and as the atmosphere itself on occasions is fraught with more fresh, more bracing, or more balmy influences than heretofore, so is it with the mercy of God: it hath its golden hours, its days of overflow, when the Lord magnifieth his grace and lifteth high his love before the sons of men.
[source: ReformedOnTheWeb]
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Treasury of DavidSpurgeon on Psalm 100:
A Psalm of Praise; or rather of thanksgiving. This is the only psalm bearing this precise inscription. It is all ablaze with grateful adoration, and has for this reason been a great favourite with the people of God ever since it was written.
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God:
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.
On this Psalm, Charles Sprugeon comments:
In all our public service the rendering of thanks must abound; it is like the incense of the temple, which filled the whole house with smoke. Expiatory sacrifices are ended, but those of gratitude will never be out of date. So long as we are receivers of mercy we must be givers of thanks. …Be thankful unto him. Let the praise be in your heart as well as on your tongue, and let it all be for him to whom it all belongs. And bless his name. He blessed you, bless him in return; bless his name, his character, his person. Whatever he does, be sure that you bless him for it; bless him when he takes away as well as when he gives; bless him as long as you live, under all circumstances…
[source: Abraham’s Seed]
2013-11-25 09.03.01Always And For All Things by Jim Savastio
Of all the things that you will do this week, few will be repeated in eternity. But every time you are thankful to God you are engaging in a heavenly and eternal work.
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Seriously Thankful
…In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, amidst a flurry of exhortations, one them stands out above all others. In everything give thanks for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. This is God’s will. That may seem redundant…after all, it’s in the Bible and it’s in the form of a present active imperative–a clear command. By telling us that this is God’s will for those in union with Jesus, Paul is, as it were, underscoring, highlighting, italicizing, putting in caps this particular command. Don’t miss this! it’s God’s will for you to always be thankful. Doing God’s will is of eternal consequence. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21 that only those who do the will of God will go to heaven. Paul tells us in Romans 1 that among the many sins which merit the wrath of God is ingratitude. Unbelief and ingratitude binds the souls in hell together. But how can we be thankful at all times and for all things? Are there not issues which grieve and disappoint us? Of course. The issue is that what God has done for us in Jesus is so much better that it always tips the scales towards gratitude. No matter how well things are going in your estimation now, if you are in Christ you have reason to be thankful.
Thanksgiving Scott BrownThirteen Thanksgiving Celebration Tips by Scott Brown
What follows are THIRTEEN Thanksgiving Celebration Tips. I write this that we “may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,” and to tell of His “wondrous works.” (Psalm 26:7), and to declare the praises of our Lord Jesus Christ across the land. In it you will find encouragement to read the scripture, sing the songs, recount the history and dedicate your family to building a culture of thankfulness.
Pilgrims & Baptists: the little known connection
If not for a Baptist church split, the Pilgrims might never have come to America.
Sort of.
More added here as they come in..
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 24, 2014
1689Federalism.com Update [Resource Roundup]
1689Federalism 1
Brandon Adams
Brandon Adams
Brandon Adams:
FYI, the 1689Federalism.com site has an “Additional Resources” [RSS] section that collects material from around the web relevant to 1689 Federalism. Here are some recent additions:
Historical:
Form and Matter in Covenant Theology
Form and Matter + Promise and Promulgation = Particular Baptist Federal Theology
Did A.W. Pink agree w/ 1689 Federalism?
The Decalogue in the Thought of Key Reformed Theologians with Special Reference to John Owen
The Oneness of the Church (Owen) This essay has important implications for how to properly interpret the olive tree of Romans 11
Baptist Catechisms (Covenant Excerpts)
Books:
The Divine Covenants (A.W. Pink)
The Kingdom of Christ (Abraham Booth)
The Family Tree of Reformed Biblical Theology
Lectures
Pascal Denault on the Covenant Theology of the 1689 Baptist Confession (RB Seminary)
From the Garden to the Covenant of Works (Barcellos)
Redeemer Radio: The Law of God
Several more video and audio lectures on the site
Writings
Barcellos’ Short Writings on the Law
Definition of Key Terms and Phrases
Some thoughts on the three-fold division of the law
Some thoughts on Moral Law, Positive Law, the Ten Commandments, the New Covenant, and the Ground of our Justification
Typical Objections to the Ten Commandments and Christians
The Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 on the Decalogue
Barcellos’ Short Writings on Covenant Theology
How Old is Covenant Theology?
A Typical Objection to the Covenant of Works: Stated, Answered, Concluded
Was Adam placed in a covenantal relationship with God?
Biblical-Theological Exposition and Hermeneutics
Contact
There is also a new Ask a Question page
POSTED ONNOVEMBER 24, 2014
Of What Use Is The Law? Jeff Robinson Answers
Threefold-Use-of-Law_620“Of What Use is the Law? Three purposes”
by Jeff Robinson:
Recently, after our family had completed its daily devotional time together, my oldest son asked me a very insightful question: How do the Ten Commandments apply to us today if they were given so long ago in the Old Testament?
It is a basic theological question that many Christians have asked throughout the history of the church and it is an important query. Many answers have been given to that, not all of them good. Obviously, there are two answers that are dead wrong and lead to two opposite ditches that the follower of Christ must avoid: Antinomianism (the law of God has no place in the life of the believer and he/she is free to live however they please) and legalism (I am saved by how closely I adhere to God’s commands—works righteousness).
One of the best and most helpful answers, in my opinion, that has been given was set forth by the Genevan reformer, John Calvin. In his venerable systematic theology, the Institutes of the Christian Religion, Calvin set forth three “uses” for the moral law of God. {Book 2, Chapter 7, edj}
Institutes
Calvin’s is a helpful paradigm, I think. But perhaps best of all, Calvin reminded his readers, in speaking of the first use of the law, that the law—like a schoolmaster—prepares one to receive the good news of the gospel. The law of God demonstrates that man has no righteousness in himself that is pleasing to God. Sinful man must be given a righteousness that is extra nos—outside of himself. As the Puritans, Calvin’s theological ancestors, famously put it, the law wounds and then the gospel arrives and heals.
As followers of Christ, we are a people of grace and not law. But it is God’s law that demonstrates his spotless character and shows our need of grace. Calvin saw this clearly. As Paul admonished young Timothy, may God teach us how to use the law lawfully (1 Tim. 1:8).
For the full article please read, “Of What Use Is The Law? Three Purposes” by Jeff Robinson at The Blog: The Voice of Founders.org
{see also 2nd London Particular Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 19, Of The Law of God, edj}
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BAPTI-BOT BLOG ROUNDUP
Iron Sharpens Iron Podcast Logo
September 21, 2017 Show with Jeremy Walker on “What is Repentance?”
Theme: September 21, 2017: Jeremy Walker, Pastor of Maidenbower Baptist Church of Crawley in West Sussex, England, author & blogger @ Reformation 21 & The Wanderer, will address: “What […]
Fri, Oct 06, 2017
Iron Sharpens Iron Podcast Logo
September 6, 2017 Show with Marc Grimaldi on “The Importance of Calvinism for Biblically Faithful Evangelism: What it Prevents & What it Preserves”
Theme: September 6, 2017: Marc Grimaldi, a pastor @ Grace Reformed Baptist Church of Long Island in Merrick, NY, will address the theme: “The IMPORTANCE of CALVINISM For BIBLICALLY […]
Fri, Oct 06, 2017
Archbishop of Canterbury Can’t Answer Direct Questions, More on the I Am Sayings of Jesus
Snuck a quick DL in today, covering Justin Welby’s inability to answer a direct question on the nature of sin, and then spending most of our time continuing the discussion […]
Fri, Oct 06, 2017
Introduction to “Getting the Garden Right: Adam’s Work and God’s Rest in Light of Christ,” coming soon from Founders Press
Introduction This book, in one sense, concentrates on hermeneutics and theological method. I contend that New Covenant Theology (NCT) gets the covenant of works and the […]
Fri, Oct 06, 2017
Final page of last lecture for Southern California Reformed Baptist Pastors’ Conference ‘17
You can register for the conference here. Psalm 104:30 says, “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth.” Here both […]
Fri, Oct 06, 2017
Endorsements for “Getting the Garden Right,” coming soon from Founders Press
Nothing shapes how we interpret and apply the Bible as much as our understanding of covenant. Richard Barcellos offers us a helpful blend of biblical exegesis and theological reflection […]
Fri, Oct 06, 2017
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CATEGORY: THEOLOGY
POSTED ONMARCH 11, 2015
What’s a Reformed Baptist? Can there be such a thing? Tom Chantry answers
capitol reformed baptist churchTom Chantry:
Before we can answer whether Reformed Baptists exist, we must first identify what that designation means. “Reformed Baptist” is a term – albeit a compound term – with a definition and a history. Understanding that history is necessary if anyone is going to understand what the first word in the term means. While a number of useful brief definitions exist, I intend to address the question from the standpoint of history.
Read “Defining ‘Reformed Baptist’ (again)”
POSTED ONMARCH 4, 2015
C.Jay Engel & Brandon Adams’ in-depth analysis of ‘The Theonomy Debate’ McDurmon v. Hall [25 Page PDF | HTML] + forthcoming Reformed Libertarian publications
mcdurben hall theonomy debate
Over at ReformedLibertarian.com, C.Jay Engel & Brandon Adams have prepared and written an in-depth analysis of the McDurmon v Hall ‘Theonomy Debate’.
ReformedLibertarian.com
ReformedLibertarian.com
Table of Contents:
Intro and Overview
The Classic Threefold Division
Rutherford, the WCF, and Practical vs. Hermeneutical Theonomy
General Equity vs Particular Equity
William Perkins and General Equity
Old Covenant Abolished
Are They Just?
Particular Baptist Theonomists?
Conclusion
C.Jay Engel
C.Jay Engel
Here are some snippets from their conclusion:
In conclusion, we strongly agree with Hall when he said, “By what other standard? By God’s standard alone. That statement alone does not make you a theonomist. It just makes you a Christian with a biblical worldview.” …Our position that God’s revelation is the standard should be more than obvious…
In all the above, there was no comment on whether McDurmon or Hall outperformed the other. We express no official statement about whether they could have done better or been better prepared or whether one was “ready” to meet his opponents arguments. That is up for the viewer to decide. What we wanted to do was detail our own understanding of the debated issues and demonstrate where we think the theonomist position is weak. There is so much about theonomy in general that we did not have the space to address…
Brandon Adams
Brandon Adams
[I]t is our prayer that both sides of this debate would take the time to understand the nuances in the opposing camp, and look for opportunities to better comprehend the precise nature of their critic’s position, rather than rely on inaccuracies and misleading statements that have been previously written in earlier decades.
At this point in their conclusion they announce some upcoming publications that they are working on:
17 century booksThe question that often comes after it is stated that we reject the theonomic understanding of the mosaic civil law is: “if not theonomy, then what?” What other civil law ought we to have. This is a great question and we encourage you to read our upcoming publication entitled “The Reformed Libertarian Manifesto,” in which we, in detail, demonstrate our own positive theory on the questions of law and politics based on, of course, the starting point of God’s revealed Scripture. Following this publication, we anticipate that there will be a book sized release, on Amazon.com of our rejection of theonomy. The title of this book is “By God’s Standard: A Confessional Baptist Rejection of Theonomy.” You can sign up to receive updates on both of these books here…
25-Page PDF:
Download (PDF, 266KB)
POSTED ONMARCH 4, 2015
Why James White is thankful to be a Reformed Baptist
Dr. James R. White
Dr. James R. White
James White:
I am thankful to be a Reformed Baptist for many reasons. Today, being an elder in a Reformed Baptist church means I get to mt and minister with some of the best preachers and teachers I know, men like Jim Renihan, Richard Barcellos, and Sam Waldron. I have the honor, and the privilege, of ministering in sister churches all across the landscape, and our unity of spirit and faith is encouraging. But the main reason I am thankful to be a Reformed Baptist comes from the work to which the Lord has called me. Over the past nearly two decades now I have engaged in over sixty formal, moderated public debates with the leading apologists representing Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Oneness Pentecostalism, and of late, Islam. Those debates have forced me to engage objections to the Christian faith on every level, from biblical sufficiency to the Trinity to the cross to justification and everything in between. And that is why I am thankful to be a Reformed Baptist. Why? Because of the consistency of our faith. One’s apologetic can be no stronger than the consistency of the faith it defends…
So the next time you eye the big fancy church down the road on your way to your Reformed Baptist church, consider this: the value of the consistency of divine truth, the treasure of having a firm foundation upon which to live a God-honoring life, is truly priceless.
Read “I am so thankful to be a Reformed Baptist”.
POSTED ONMARCH 4, 2015
What is the Relationship of Anabaptists to Baptists? [Ask A Reformed Baptist]
Drowning of [Anabaptist] Maria von Monjou, 1552.
Drowning of [Anabaptist] Maria von Monjou, 1552.
A common question that comes up is, “What is the relationship of Anabaptists to Baptists?”
Paedobaptists will tell you Baptists are Anabaptists. and it doesn’t help that some Arminian Dispensational (SBC) Baptists will trace their roots to Anabaptists.
On a surface-level view it would be easy to think they are one and the same – but a simple look at history and doctrine reveals otherwise.
Phil Johnson
Phil Johnson
From Phil Johnson’s, “The Anabaptists“:
Many Anabaptist ideas made invaluable contributions to the Reformation. For example, these five tenets might be identified as Anabaptist distinctives:
Sola Scriptura—Anabaptists were sometimes more consistent than the Magisterial Reformers in their insistence on biblical authority for certain practices in matters of church polity and worship.
Separation of Church and State—Anabaptists correctly saw the church as the assembly of the redeemed, antithetical to the world and sometimes antagonistic to society as a whole. For this reason they advocated separation of church and state.
Freedom of Conscience—because of the Anabaptists’ convictions about the role of the secular state, they believed that the ultimate remedy for heresy was excommunication. They steadfastly opposed the persecution that was so characteristic of their age. They denied that the state had a right to punish or execute anyone for religious beliefs or teachings. This was a revolutionary notion in the Reformation era.
Believers’ Baptism—The anabaptists were the among the first to point out the lack of explicit biblical support for infant baptism. Most of them made no issue of the mode of baptism, and practiced affusion (sprinkling), however, so they were not true baptists in the modern sense of the word.
Holiness of Life—Anabaptists gave much emphasis to spiritual experience, practical righteousness, and obedience to divine standards. They had no tolerance for those who claimed to be justified by faith while living unfaithful lives. Anabaptists pointed out that Scripture says, “Faith without works is dead” (Jas. 2:20).
On most of those points we would strongly agree with the Anabaptists’ thrust (though not necessarily with the extreme conclusions they sometimes came to).
Nevertheless, there is very good reason to approach the Anabaptist movement with a healthy dose of caution. While acknowledging our very real debt to the Anabaptists on the matters enumerated above, we must also recognize an unhealthy tendency in Anabaptist doctrine: Anabaptists rejected the Reformed understanding of justification by faith alone. They denied the forensic nature of justification and insisted that the only ground on which sinners can be acceptable to God is a “real” righteousness wrought within the justified person.
For further reading on Anabaptist theology see the recommended resources (links) on Phil Johnson’s site.
Also at Phil Johnson’s Spurgeon.org is Chris Traffanstedt’s piece, “A Primer on Baptist History: The True Baptist Trail“:
Burning of [Anabaptist] Anneken Hendriks, Amsterdam, 1571.
Burning of [Anabaptist] Anneken Hendriks, Amsterdam, 1571.
Anabaptist Influence
Most Baptists are fooled into thinking that we come from the Anabaptists just because the word “baptist” is found in their name. But we must use great caution here. We must explore who the Anabaptists really were and ask the all-important question: Are they truly representative of Baptist beliefs?Who are these people called “Anabaptist”? This group refers to a community of rebels during the Reformation period; they were considered to be the radical wing of the Reformation. Even within this group there were various views and camps. Two main separate camps can be identified: the “revolutionary Anabaptist” and the “evangelical Anabaptist.”[11] We really do not want to spend too much time on the revolutionary group for they hardly reflect a biblical approach to Christianity. They actually took on the form of a cult, holding to an extreme mystical experiential view and believing their leaders to be prophets (future-tellers). They were also quick to use violence to get their way.However, the “evangelical” Anabaptists were a movement of a different type. And it is from this group that many say the Baptist movement was born. Thus, we need to take some time to examine them. This group, first of all, rejected the orthodox Christian view of sin. Instead of holding to sin as a bondage both of the nature and actions of mankind, they held that sin was “a loss of capacity or a serious sickness.”[12] The Anabaptists, in following Rome’s view of justification, held that God makes us righteous and then accepts us on the basis of our righteousness. They also believed that Christ did not take His flesh from Mary but held to a heavenly origin for His flesh. When it came to the world, the Anabaptists believe we were to totally separate ourselves from it (although they did dip into it with a zealous evangelism on occasion). The Anabaptists rejected infant baptism and held to believer’s baptism, but their mode for the most part was sprinkling, not pouring or immersion. Their view of interpreting Scripture was that of just strict imitation which led to large movements of legalism.[13]When we look at the Anabaptists we must agree that there are some similarities with the early General Baptists, but overall these similarities are slight and not always relational. In the end, we must come to say that this group of Christians does not reflect the historical teaching of the Baptists. The large portion of Baptist history shows us that Baptists held to a strong position on sin, both in our nature and in our actions, not as just some mere sickness. Baptists have also held to a belief in the virgin birth and see that this is what points to the doctrine of the God-Man, not just some heavenly illusion. As well, Baptists have held strongly to the Reformation’s recovery of justification – that it is based upon Christ’s righteousness alone and not our righteousness because we have none. And finally, Baptists have always seen that the Scriptures are to be studied and applied to everyday life through the power of the Holy Spirit and are not to be followed just in blind imitation or by a leap of faith. So we must clearly reject, as history does, that the Baptist origins flow from the Anabaptists.
The fact of history is that three “Believer’s-Only” groups arose independently of each other and with a few similarities, but even more dissimilarities. The Continental Anabaptists (who did not immerse), the English General Baptists, and the English Particular Baptists.
1644, The First (Particular Baptist) London Confession of Faith
The Confession of Faith, Of those Churches which are commonly (though falsly ) called Anabaptists;
[ see also “Were the Particular Baptists Anabaptists? Paedobaptists Answer”]
1644 anabaptist
1660, The (General Baptist) Standard Confession
A Brief Confession Or Declaration Of Faith. Set forth by many of us, who are (falsely) called Ana-baptists…
For more on Particular Baptist History, read and listen to:
Baptist Symbolics Header 1689CONFESSING THE FAITH IN 1644 AND 1689
Dr. James M. Renihan
–
PodcastPromo007The Confessing Baptist Interview with Dr. James Renihan on Particular Baptist History
–
Dr. James Renihan BowtieThe Reformation and the Baptist [AUDIO]
Dr. James M. Renihan
–
Haykin PinkWhere Did Baptists Come From? [AUDIO]
Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin
–
So if Baptists are not the heirs to the Anabaptists, who are? The Amish, The Brethren, and the Mennonites.
In 2006 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and in 2008 the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) apologized for the Lutheran persecution of Anabaptists. To whom did they apologize? SBC, or any Baptist group? No. They apologized to Mennonites. (see ELCA and LWF)
Lyn & Erroll Hulse
Lyn & Erroll Hulse
I’ll end with a quote from Erroll Hulse,
As Professors James McGoldrick [Baptist Successionism: A Crucial Question in Baptist History] and Michael Haykin [Kiffin, Knollys, & Keach: Rediscovering English Baptist Heritage] have shown, historical evidence is lacking to prove a connection between the Continental Anabaptists of the sixteenth century and the English Baptists.
Hulse, Erroll. Who Are the Puritans?: And What Do They Teach? Darlington (England): Evangelical Press, 2000. Print. Page 188.
POSTED ONMARCH 4, 2015
Moral vs. Modern Use of the Judicial Law in the 1689 [Sam Renihan] + what Joel McDurmon said about it
Sam Renihan
Sam Renihan
Sam Renihan:
If you’re reading the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith and in 19.4 of your copy it says that the general equity of the Israelite judicial laws are of “modern” use, then you’re probably reading an edition copied from Charles Spurgeon’s 1855 reprint (found commonly in places like this). Putting aside the reasons for the change, you should know that “modern” is not the original reading. It should read “moral” instead of “modern.”
Like this:
moral modern judicial law 1689
You should also know that the following editions of the confession have “moral” in 19.4, not “modern”: 1677, 1688, 1699, 1719, 1720, 1743 (two different printings), 1773, 1774, 1790, 1798, 1809, 1818, 1829, 1850 (2LCF is copying the Savoy Declaration here, btw). To my knowledge and research, Spurgeon’s reprint is the first to make this change.
McDurmon Hall Theonomy DebateIn the McDurmon v. Hall Theonomy Debate this was brought up, in part at the 59 minute mark, by Dr. Joel McDurmon when he said:
“…it also makes a difference which one of the London Baptist Confessions you’re reading. Are you reading the original that says the general equity of the judicial is of moral use only? Or are you reading the later edition that changed it to say they’re of modern use only? Which opens the door wide open to the same Theonomic view as the Westminster Confession. And that just so happens to be the version that got picked up by Charles Spurgeon when he did his popularized version, he said it’s of modern use not merely moral use but modern use and that was the version that got published when JD Hall published his version, and I can make the case that that opens the door to Theonomy just as easily. “
Sam Renihan concludes his post:
So if you’re going to make an argument from that wording, then appeal to Spurgeon and his reprint (if anything), but not any of the 15 (at least) editions of the confession that precede his.
Read “Moral vs. Modern Use of the Judicial Law in the Confession of Faith”.
POSTED ONMARCH 3, 2015
Error [Al Martin] + his Systematic Theology series on MP3 [AUDIO]
Dr. Albert N. Martin
Dr. Albert N. Martin
Al Martin:
Error is a dangerous and deadly thing.
The Scripture teaches
that what you receive in your mind as true,
if it is not true, may damn you.
Luther stood and said,
Here I stand; I can do no other; so help me God.
Luther-posting-95-theses
Martin Luther
He did so because he believed
that the lies of Rome were damning the souls of multitudes;
and that only truth could loose them from the grasp of the Prince of Darkness.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
we read these sobering words concerning the influence of Antichrist.
With all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish,
because they received not the love of the truth,
that they might be saved.
For this cause God sends them a working of error,
that they should believe a lie,
that they may all be judged who believed not the truth.
Unless you are immunized against error by a solid infusion of truth,
you may be given up to believe a lie
—a lie that will damn and destroy, with everlasting destruction.
Not only is error deadly for unconverted people,
believers can be wrenched from a course of steadfastness because of error.
Peter warns of this (2 Peter 3:17-18).
Ye, therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand,
beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked,
ye fall from your own steadfastness.
How are we to be kept from that?
Grow in the grace and knowledge.
In other words,
Be immunized against error
by constant and deep exposure to, and absorption of, the truth.
Read “Error” which was adapted from his series of sermons “Here We Stand”.
Chapel Library:
The “Here We Stand” series is a practical and systematic study of the doctrines of the Christian faith, as delivered by Pastor Albert N. Martin to his own Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jeresey. It is especially designed for the laymen, and is very useful also for the theological student. Its intention is to confirm the faith to mature believers, acquaint recent converts with fundamental Christian doctrine, and inform the unconverted as to the truths of Christianity. It is suitable for either group or individual study.
POSTED ONMARCH 3, 2015
Why is Denying Justification such a Serious Error? Tom Hicks Answers
Pastor Tom Hicks
Pastor Tom Hicks
Tom Hicks:
The doctrine of justification by faith alone on the ground of Christ’s imputed righteousness remains under direct attack in various quarters. As someone who wrote his PhD dissertation on the doctrines of justification in Richard Baxter and Benjamin Keach, I am convinced that modifying the biblical doctrine is a serious theological error. As a pastor of a local church, I have observed how the doctrine of justification humbles the proud, strengthens the fainthearted, gives assurance to the fearful, encourages vulnerable and motivates self-sacrificing love. To deny this doctrine is to deny the very heart and power of the gospel. May the Lord bring theological clarity on this doctrine for the sake of His own glory and for the good of His beloved bride.
Scriptural Reasons Denying Justification is a Serious Error
1. To deny justification is to deny the heart of the gospel…
2. To deny justification is to stumble…
3. To deny justification is to receive the Bible’s curse…
4. To deny justification is an offense that warrants church discipline…
sola_fide…In spite of all the passages cited above, some believe that justification by faith alone is a secondary or tertiary doctrine. They say, “We may be justified by faith alone, but we’re not justified by believing justification by faith alone.” Using that rationale, they go on to say a person may be saved without believing this crucial doctrine. But consider three points in response to that assertion.
1. Paul says no such thing when dealing with those who were denying the biblical doctrine of justification…
2. To believe in justification by faith alone is to believe that Christ alone saves…
3. Such an assertion undermines the faith itself when applied to any other central doctrine of Christianity…
Read “Why is Denying Justification such a Serious Error?”
POSTED ONFEBRUARY 28, 2015
Jeremy Walker’s “reluctant & brief” follow-up to his book “The New Calvinism Considered” in light of recent Driscoll happenings
new-calvinism-front1 Jeremy WalkerJeremy Walker:
Driscoll has been among the most vociferous and voluble of those sailing under the flag of the New Calvinism. Toward the latter half of 2014, significant concerns and charges began to accumulate around him…
What do we make of all this? There are several things of which we must take account. The New Calvinism is far bigger and often better than Mark Driscoll, although he has epitomised or been connected with some of its biggest dangers, worst excesses and greatest failings as a movement. Visitors to the website are encouraged to make donations to help ‘support the ministry’, hosting and distributing past and promised future Bible teaching and resources, with a non-profit launch assured. But Mr Driscoll, though down, was not out. In December, he launched a new website with a very familiar design (and the Mars Hill name attached), a well-laundered resumé (containing nothing of the recent and well-attested allegations), and the vast majority of his preached and written material, all under the title ‘Pastor Mark Driscoll’.
Mark Driscoll
Mark Driscoll preaching during his series on the 10 Commandments at Mars Hill
We should avoid tarring all with the same brush, even if some have been spattered with the muck. None of us — myself included — are in possession of every relevant fact. Most of us are not in possession of many relevant facts. If we are to speak to a matter, we must speak to what is clear and evident, and avoid imputing evil without definite evidence.
Another thing to avoid is the kind of vindictiveness and viciousness that gloats in the downfall of another. No Christian should gleefully revel in someone else’s disgrace, even if you think you saw it coming. There may be a righteous sense of the vindication of God’s honour, but we do better to weep over another’s sin than wallow in our own pride.
So, what principles are enforced and what lessons should be learned from this situation?
We should learn the value of a robust ecclesiology
We should learn the importance of maintaining biblical standards for pastoral ministry
We should learn the necessity of real friends
We should learn the significance of true repentance
We should learn the blessing of doctrinal standards
We should learn the ugliness of celebrification
We should learn the worth of hearing our critics
Finally, we should learn the danger of our own circumstances
Read “Revisiting the New Calvinism”.
–
On episode #35 of our interview podcast we discussed this book with the author:
PodcastPromo35 Jeremy Walker New Calvinism
POSTED ONFEBRUARY 27, 2015
Advice to Young Pastors [Conrad Mbewe & Ken Jones]
The Gospel Coalition ask:
In addition to Scripture and sound doctrine, what should young pastors today be studying? Is that any different from what you would’ve recommended 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago?
Conrad Mbewe
Conrad Mbewe
Conrad Mbewe answers:
I would urge pastors to study one vital area (other than the Scriptures and sound doctrine). That would be church history, with emphasis on Christian biography. I find that this practice answers a number of needs. First, as a pastor you learn from others who have gone before you on how to maintain personal godliness and domestic competence in the heat of a growing and demanding ministry. Second, you learn from others how to remain faithful to your calling in the long haul, despite the weariness of the fight of faith you must maintain. Third, reading biographies gives you a wider perspective of what you’re called to do. This could relate to the current stage in the spread of the gospel and thus help you put emphasis in the right place. The wider perspective can also make you consider your own mortality. Most biographies are on men and women who have gone to their reward and have left us their legacy. It begs the question: What kind of legacy do I wish to leave behind?
Ken Jones
Ken Jones
Ken Jones answers:
There are two directions that I’m inclined to take. The first is Christ-centered preaching/metanarrative. Greg Beale’s A New Testament Biblical Theology in conjunction with works like Sidney Greidanus’s Preaching Christ from the Old Testament and Dennis Johnson’s Him We Proclaim capture the sense in which I combine these two distinct areas of theological study. Much evangelical preaching tends to be either therapeutic or moralistic, regardless of theological persuasion. A firmer grasp on Scripture’s particular underlying and overarching message—centered on the person and work of Jesus—would change the substance of what’s being preached. I see that more clearly now than I did 20 years ago. The second direction is toward material that outlines different models for Christians engaging culture. In Reformed circles we talk about Abraham Kuyper or two kingdoms as expressing what it means to be salt and light; unfortunately the differences between the camps are so fiercely debated that the substance of the positions are often lost. Granted, much of our understanding of how the church engages culture is grounded in one’s ecclesiology, but a more thorough understanding of the prevailing positions would be useful, especially in light of the cultural and social issues of the day.
POSTED ONFEBRUARY 19, 2015
Can a confessional Calvinist affirm a libertarian view of free will? Dr. James N. Anderson answers
James Anderson
James Anderson
After examining his own confession (Westminster) Dr. James N. Anderson examines the 1689 to see if it would allow for a libertarian view of free will:
This is a follow-up to the previous post in which I argued that “libertarian Calvinism” (a view recently explored by Oliver Crisp in his book Deviant Calvinism) is not compatible with the Westminster Confession of Faith.Not all Presbyterians hold to the WCF, although it is arguably the most widely-adopted Reformed confession among Presbyterians in the English-speaking world. Moreover, Reformed Baptists have their own parallel confession: deviant_calvinismthe 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. Since the WCF and the LBCF are very similar (often word-for-word identical) in their statements on major points of Reformed doctrine (see here for a side-by-side comparison) I thought it would be interesting to quote the relevant sections from the LBCF to show that libertarian Calvinism isn’t a live option for Reformed Baptists who take the LBCF as their doctrinal standard.
Read “Libertarian Reformed Baptists?”.
POSTED ONFEBRUARY 18, 2015
The Journal of Baptist Studies Vol. 7 (2015) Out Now [PDF] “one, holy, catholic and apostolic church”
About:
The Journal of Baptist Studies 6 (2014)Editors: Anthony Chute and Matthew Y. Emerson
Book Review Editor: John Gill
Board of Editors: John Crowley, Nathan Finn, Michael Haykin, James Patterson, Mark Rogers, Earl Waggoner, Doug Weaver
The Journal of Baptist Studies is an electronic, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the study of Baptist history and thought. The journal is produced under the oversight of a Board of Editors representing numerous Baptist denominations and both religious and secular institutions. JBS does not advocate a particular theological or denominational agenda, but rather reflects the scholarship of individuals who identify with a number of positions and affiliations. The journal is available online for free and is independent of any institution.
Matt Emerson:
As you can see from the table of contents listed below, this edition focused on the four marks of the church from a Baptist perspective. The essays were originally presented in the Baptist Studies session of the 2014 ETS annual meeting.
Table of Contents:
THE JOURNAL OF BAPTIST STUDIES
VOLUME 7 (2015)
Editorial, p. 1
Contributors, p. 3
Journal of Baptist Studies JOBSArticles
“Baptists and the Unity of the Church,” by Christopher W. Morgan, p. 4
“Baptists and the Holiness of the Church: Soundings in Baptist Thought,” by Ray Van Neste, p. 24
“Baptists and the Catholicity of the Church: Toward an Evangelical Baptist Catholicity,” by Matthew Y. Emerson and R. Lucas Stamps, p. 42
“Baptists and the Apostolicity of the Church,” by James Patterson, p. 67
Book Reviews
Currid, John D. Against the Gods: The Polemical Theology of the Old Testament, reviewed by Kenneth J. Turner, p. 83
Freeman, Curtis W. Contesting Catholicity: Theology for Other Baptists, reviewed by R. Lucas Stamps, p. 86
George, Timothy. Theology of the Reformers, rev. ed., reviewed by John Gill, p. 91
Hays, Christopher M. and Christopher B. Ansberry, eds. Evangelical Faith and the Challenge of Historical Criticism, reviewed by Matthew Y. Emerson, p. 95
Holmes, Stephen R. The Quest for the Trinity: The Doctrine of God in Scripture, History and Modernity, reviewed by Michael A. G. Haykin, p. 99
Sanders, Fred. Wesley on the Christian Life: The Heart Renewed in Love, reviewed by Christopher Bosson, p. 101
Read Online:
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cbulogoBaptist Studies Online is dedicated to the study of Baptist history and thought, with special emphasis on Baptists in North America. The purpose of BSO is to facilitate the scholarly study of Baptists by making available to researchers and students an online Journal, a primary source library, a comprehensive collection of Baptist history-related links, and a regularly updated list of announcements related to the field. BSO is a collaborative effort by Baptist scholars from a variety of traditions, with funding provided by California Baptist University in Riverside, California.
POSTED ONFEBRUARY 18, 2015
How to Read Logos’ Baptist Covenant Theology Collection [Sam Renihan]
Helpful, timely tips from one who has spent a great deal of time in these works. Sam Renihan:
17 century booksWith the release of Logos’ Baptist Covenant Theology Collection (17 vols.) I thought it would be helpful and important to offer a few tips for those who are diving into these books.
If you are like me, it’s exciting to spend time in the writings of the Particular Baptists. Every now and then you feel like Indiana Jones looking for the lost Ark. There are even Nazis (Daniel Featley and Thomas Edwards) trying to kill you. This excitement and nostalgia, combined with your desire to find what you seek, may lead you astray in your reading of the sources. So, if this is your first foray into 17th century writings in general, and those of the Baptists in particular, then you should keep in mind at least the following things:
1. Keep in mind that you are from the 21st century…
2. Keep in mind the context in which the authors are writing…
3. Keep in mind that some of the authors later abandoned the faith…
4. Keep in mind that just because Baptist A held X belief, it does not mean that all Baptists, or any other Baptist held X belief…
5. Keep in mind that there are other works on covenant theology from the Particular Baptists. This is just a reminder that these works do not comprise the whole of Particular Baptist thought on covenant theology…
6. Keep in mind that some of these authors are not Baptists, though their works support Baptist principles and the Baptists appealed to them…
Read “How to Read Logos’ Baptist Covenant Theology Collection” in its entirety.
POSTED ONFEBRUARY 18, 2015
‘John Owen & New Covenant Theology’ appendix from ‘Covenant Theology: From Adam to Christ’ now online [HTML | PDF] by Richard Barcellos
Covenant Theology From Adam to ChristOne of the appendices from the book “Covenant Theology: From Adam to Christ” [from RBAP] is now available to read online (though we have featured it before on our NCT page, it is now available in HTML and an easier to read PDF).
It is the appendix by Richard Barcellos, “John Owen and New Covenant Theology: Owen on the Old and New Covenants and the Functions of the Decalogue in Redemptive History in Historical and Contemporary Perspective.”
If one reads some of the difficult sections of Owen’s writings, either without understanding his comprehensive thought and in light of the theological world in which he wrote, or in a superficial manner, some statements can easily be taken to mean things they do not. When this is done, the result is that authors are misunderstood and sometimes, subsequent theological movements are aligned with major historical figures without substantial and objective warrant. Two such instances of this involve John Owen and New Covenant Theology (NCT).
John G Reisinger
John G Reisinger
John G. Reisinger claims that Owen viewed the Old Covenant as “a legal/works covenant.” He goes on and says:
“This covenant was conditional because it was a legal/works covenant that promised life and threatened death. Israel failed to earn the blessings promised in the covenant. But under the New Covenant, the Church becomes the Israel of God and all her members are kings and priests (a kingdom of priests). Christ, as our Surety (Heb. 7:22), has kept the Old Covenant for us and earned every blessing it promised.”
The reader of Owen’s treatise on the Old and New Covenants in his Hebrews commentary, however, will quickly realize that Reisinger’s comments above do not give the full picture of Owen’s position…
Tom Wells is one of the authors of the 2002 book New Covenant Theology
Tom Wells is one of the authors of the 2002 book New Covenant Theology
Another NCT advocate, Tom Wells, claims that John G. Reisinger “has adopted John Owen’s view of the Mosaic and New covenants, without adding Owen’s ‘creation ordinance’ view of the Sabbath.”14 Wells also claims that Owen held a mediating position on the relationship between the Mosaic and New Covenants and that Owen’s position is substantially that of Reisinger and hence, NCT…
Read the rest online [HTML] or in PDF format:
Download (PDF, 655KB)
POSTED ONFEBRUARY 18, 2015
Of Lent [Roundup]
Re-post from last year with some additions:
Aaron Hoak:
And, granted, there’s no command to commemorate the birth, death, or resurrection of Christ, but the way we do those things is through ordinary worship – gathering together as the people of God to sing, pray, receive his Word, and observe the sacraments. Wonderful! But on Ash Wednesday, folks get together to do those things and smear ash on their foreheads. Jesus gave his church two beautiful gospel pictures – baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Ash Wednesday adds a 3rd picture not ordained by Jesus or commanded by God. Adding things not prescribed by Scripture to worship is not wise.
Lord's Supper Ernest Kevin SpurgeonI believe it is (as many observers of Ash Wednesday and the Lent season it kicks off point out) beneficial to think on our sin and our need for repentance; to actually repent. I believe that prayer and fasting are a good way to do this (though as I noted in a post several years ago, what typically happens in Lent is not really fasting). I believe that meditating on our sinfulness and need is helpful preparation for truly appreciating the resurrection of Jesus. But I also believe that Jesus himself gave us the perfect way to do that. It is by remembering his finished work in our observance of the Lord’s Supper. Here we remember and have our faith fed by what He has done. Ash Wednesday and Lent dangerously try to reproduce in our lives what Jesus went through in 40 days in the wilderness which tends to emphasize what we do. Dear friends, Jesus underwent that experience in the wilderness so I don’t have to! He earned acceptance with the Father because I never could.
Read “Ashes, Ashes, We All Do What?!”
–
ash-wednesdayRichard Barcellos from last year:
Recently, The Gospel Coalition (TGC) site posted a blog entry entitled – “Lent Is About Jesus: A Free Devotional Guide.” No, I did not make that up… As I read the post and thought about it a bit, I concluded I would like to respond to it. So, as many of you do on various blogs, I sent a comment to that post. Before sending the comment, however, I sent copies of my response to a few friends, just to make sure I was responding correctly and clearly. They encouraged me to post my thoughts…
This is not helpful to me as an individual or, especially, as a pastor. It creates more work for me.
Read “To Lent or reLent? Thoughts on [last year’s] post at The Gospel Coalition”
–
“Putting the ‘Ent’ Back in ‘Lent.’”
“Putting the ‘Ent’ Back in ‘Lent.’”
Days after that post, Tom Chantry chimed in as well:
It has slowly dawned on me this week that the folks at The Gospel Coalition have reached down from their lofty pinnacle to tell the rest of us that Lent is all about Jesus and that we really ought to consider celebrating it. Childish practice turns sinister when respected pastors tell me that I ought to engage in it. How should I respond?
Read “The Lenten Brouhaha”
–
church05In the above post Jeremy Walker’s post, from a year before, was quoted:
“Frankly, it seems odd to me that many of those who have proved very quick to abandon all manner of patterns and habits and convictions of Christians over decades or centuries, retain Lent, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter (Resurrection) Sunday as set in stone in the calendar, one of the high points of the Christian year (which pattern, we are informed, provides the central event in the church year – the climax of worship, expectation, and celebration, an exercise of the church’s discipline). If you’re not sold on Easter, you might be dismissed as one of the “diehard Reformed” for whom “this [Easter] Monday is like every other Monday because Easter Sunday is like every other Sunday.” To say that Easter Sunday is like every other Sunday is not to suggest an upgraded view of Easter Sunday but a downgraded view of every other one.”
Read “This Lent I am giving up . . . reticence”
–
chocolate-truffle-no-4Three years ago Reformed Baptist Fellowship featured this one:
Another unbiblical aspect of Lent is the very public manner in which it is practiced. Jesus condemned hypocrites for their outward displays of piety (Matt. 6:1-18), revealing the self-righteous nature of such gestures. Lent is very legalistic as well and Paul warns us against binding the conscience in areas which God has left free (Rom. 14:1-12). True sanctification involves the recognition that our consciences are liberated by Christ’s teachings (Mark 7:17-18) while also understanding that the corrupt, sinful heart is what separates us from God (vv. 20-23).
Read “Lent and the Sufficient Work of Christ”
–
Jeremy WalkerJeremy Walker chimed in again last year:
So, here’s a thought: how about giving up semi-Roman Catholic dogma, humanly-mandated asceticism, and empty gestures? Rend your heart and not your garments, and do so not because it is a particular time of year, but because you have a particular kind of heart with its particular manifestations of rebellion. Self-control is never out of fashion. Repentance and confession may have their particular seasons in the life of the saints, but it is worth remembering that when our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent,” he called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.
Read “Not relenting”
–
Any we missed?
POSTED ONFEBRUARY 13, 2015
Spurgeon vs. Spurgeon: Further reflections on the doctrine of divine impassibility [Tom Chantry]
spurgeon1Tom Chantry digs deeper into Spurgeon’s dismissal of the confessional language that, as Spurgeon put it, God is “…’without parts or passions’—I think was the definition.” :
Now this is curious indeed. In 1882 Spurgeon would say that he “often inwardly objected” to the confessional expression of impassibility. We can certainly take him at his word, but we now need to wonder whether he understood what that expression intended. For like it or not, Spurgeon in 1855 clearly articulated the very arguments which the confessional generation applied in favor of that doctrine. If what Spurgeon says in the above paragraph applies to the love of God – and clearly he intends it to so apply – then perhaps he did believe in divine impassibility. Is it possible that he held the view but did not understand the phrase?
Read Spurgeon vs. Spurgeon.
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Introduction to “Getting the Garden Right: Adam’s Work and God’s Rest in Light of Christ,” coming soon from Founders Press
Introduction This book, in one sense, concentrates on hermeneutics and theological method. I contend that New Covenant Theology (NCT) gets the covenant of works and the […]
Fri, Oct 06, 2017
Final page of last lecture for Southern California Reformed Baptist Pastors’ Conference ‘17
You can register for the conference here. Psalm 104:30 says, “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth.” Here both […]
Fri, Oct 06, 2017
Endorsements for “Getting the Garden Right,” coming soon from Founders Press
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