Why is the Doctrine of the Trinity Important? It is vitally important because the Bible teaches it. Moreover, the three persons of the One Triune God are involved in our salvation. There are other reasons. I'm not a teacher or a theologian, so I'm providing some resources on the doctrine below. We have posted … [Read more...]
Puritans and Mortifying Sin
Some time ago I had a very short exchange with someone regarding the Puritans and mortifying sin. He was of the opinion that the Puritans were in error in more than one doctrine, especially their emphasis on sin. I certainly differ with many of them when it comes to a Church-Israel distinction, the Millennium and other … [Read more...]
The Wrath of Christ
Talking about the Wrath of Christ isn't done in polite society. Not just in the secular sphere but also in the religious. The message constantly preached nowadays is that God is Love. There's no place for wrath. While it is true that love is one of God's attributes, God is also just. Because God is just, He hates … [Read more...]
Did God the Father Create the Son?
Did God the Father create the Son? Those who affirm this hold to a doctrine called Arianism. Essentially Arianism states that God the Father created the Son out of nothing. The Son was the First of Creation and from Him everything else was created. It was proposed early in the 4th century by the Alexandrian presbyter … [Read more...]
What is a Christian?
What is a Christian? What are the marks of a Christian, and why do some people prefer to call themselves "Christ Followers"? For the first question I'm going to take Ian Hamilton's book The Gospel-Shaped Life as a guide. Hamilton also wrote The Faith-Shaped Life. But I want to cautiously address the last part of … [Read more...]
Twenty-first Century Evangelicalism and Sin
The problem with Twenty-first Century Evangelicalism and sin isn't just an issue of quantity. It is its overall neglect of sin's true nature. In his book The Faith-Shaped Life Ian Hamilton cites George Swinnock, who was addressing the problem of the attitude to sin in his day. In Chapter 16 (Faith's Great Sorrow), … [Read more...]
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Today is Resurrection Sunday - This is the day of The Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ's resurrection is the sealing of His promise to all who place their faith in Him. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did … [Read more...]
Bible Prophecy & Covenant Theology
Bible Prophecy and Covenant Theology - how does Covenant Theology (CT) deal with prophecy in the Old Testament? Does it try to avoid the subject? I've looked at this topic previously. But I wanted to make some additional observations. Recently, Westminster Seminary Press republished a book by Herman Bavinck: The … [Read more...]
Make Me a Captive, Lord
Make Me a Captive, Lord - is the title of a hymn by George Matheson. It is a paradoxical hymn in the sense that in taking us captive, God actually frees us from our sin natures. Man naturally struggles against God's will. Yet when we give ourselves to Him we can experience our greatest joy in all trials. Another … [Read more...]
Eschatology of Covenant Theology
It could be rightly said that the eschatology of Covenant Theology is largely formed by its Covenant views: the "Covenant of Redemption," the "Covenant of Works" and the "Covenant of Grace." These covenant views impact how Covenant Theologians understand ideas like eschatology and the relationship between the church … [Read more...]
