Assurance Of Salvation
Whoever . . . eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body […]
(PART SIX OF A SIX-PART SERIES) We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the […]
(PART FIVE OF A SIX-PART SERIES) We are delighted that Dr. Jones has agreed to expand this current study of 1 John from four parts to six, helping us to dig even deeper into this Epistle for the remainder of 2020. In his First Epistle, the apostle John drew an identikit portrait of the […]
(PART FOUR OF A FOUR-PART SERIES) You have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. (1 John 2:20–21) The apostle John’s declaration here, which he […]
It’s not uncommon to hear comments such as “Don’t suppress your feelings—get in touch with them.” And a popular modern theory is “If it feels good, it must be right—do it!” Identity issues today are argued based on feelings—that is, what you feel about yourself determines your identity. One reason people check their smartphone hundreds […]
“The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance—Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters” by Sinclair Ferguson
Having benefitted from his lectures on this topic years ago, I was excited to hear that Sinclair Ferguson was finally going to publish his work on the Marrow Controversy. Weaving together the insight of a church historian and the heart of a pastor, Ferguson uses the Marrow Controversy as a map to help track our […]
Growing up in evangelicalism, I have found that there is a healthy suspicion of unbiblical ceremonies. At least in theory. In practice, we often substituted our own “sacraments.” Where Rome offered forgiveness if the penitent met the conditions and claimed the inherent powers of the priesthood, we evangelicals were nevertheless often led to ourselves, to […]
Some years back, I viewed Amadeus in the student lounge of the Assemblies of God college my friend was attending. In this film about Mozart, a Roman Catholic priest visits a lunatic asylum where Salieri, a court musician of mediocre talent, is pining away his last days. The priest seems sincere and has a good pastoral manner. […]
In the Lutheran tradition, three names stand out above all others: Martin Luther (1483-1546), Martin Chemnitz (1522-1586), and Johann Gerhard (1582-1637). As the father of the Reformation, Luther needs no introduction, even among non-Lutherans. Chemnitz is also well-known, primarily for his role in the production and propagation of the Formula of Concord (1577) and his […]
I admit that I was (and am) an athletic misfit, but I suspect I wasn't the only one always picked last for kickball in school. Did you ever eat alone in the cafeteria? Were you ever rejected by the "cool kids" in high school? We all need to know that we are accepted, valued, and […]
Do you know if your name is written in the book of life? Unless your parents named you after a Bible hero like David, Sarah, Mary, or Abraham, how can you really know for sure? This is the so-called problem of assurance that most serious-minded Christians wrestle with at some point in their lives. There […]
