Monthly Archives: November 2011

30
Nov

Calvin still relevant in schooling the schoolmen on justification

From the Catholic Encyclopedia: A biblio-ecclesiastical term; which denotes the transforming of the sinner from the state of unrighteousness to the state of holiness and sonship of God. Considered as an act (actus justificationis), justification is the work of God … Continue reading →

Posted in Tumble | 2 Comments
30
Nov

A prayer

Of David. 1Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me! 2Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for my help! 3Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers! Say to my … Continue reading →

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30
Nov

I’d rather believe in prevenient grace and justification by faith

The sinner receives the initial grace of regeneration on the basis of the imputed righteousness of Christ. Consequently, the merits of Christ must have been imputed to him before his regeneration. But while this consideration leads to the conclusion that … Continue reading →

Posted in Union with Christ | 2 Comments
30
Nov

Do legalists care enough about God to boast to Him?

Paul accuses his Jewish contemporaries that they “boast in God” the wrong way. We could infer from this is that people come before God to boast in themselves, expecting him to praise their good works. This could be an interpretation … Continue reading →

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29
Nov

Synonyms really exist; and “definitive sanctification” is not new

Warning: this is a Presbyterian geek post. If it doesn’t seem relevant to you, that is probably because it isn’t. Not worth your time. I constantly hear that John Murray “came up with” the doctrine of definitive sanctification. Here’s the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible & Theology | Leave a comment
29
Nov

Raised to new life; raised to Lordship

…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one … Continue reading →

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29
Nov

Faith, Hope, Love, all three

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. One idea one gets from some notable Reformed theologians is that only faith justifies because only faith is passive and outward looking (or worse, … Continue reading →

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28
Nov

The Real Presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper — Why it matters

Why it matters will depend on a host of inferences. Not everyone makes the same inferences from the same principles. Systems can go in different directions. I can say everything at once in this brief post. Not going to try. … Continue reading →

Posted in Union with Christ, Worship | Leave a comment
28
Nov

Monopoly & censorship in your food and environment! (Here’s something that might be worth discussing at Occupy Wall Street)

Most of my career as an environmental consultant has been involved in helping commercial and industrial clients comply with the various regulations in a way that allowed them to still be profitable. About 15 years ago we were working on … Continue reading →

Posted in political-economy | Leave a comment
25
Nov

Does God still speak? Does God still act?

Evangelicalism is roughly (very roughly) divided into two camps: those who believe in “continuing revelation” in the form of supernatural prophecies, utterances, and divinely-given knowledge. Others insist that, since “the canon is closed,”  all prophecy must have ceased. Personally, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Covenant Theology | Leave a comment