Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. – Titus 2:6–8 In the pastoral epistles…
The doctrine of God’s decree is a doctrine, as it comprehends divine sovereignty and the “high mystery of predestination” and “eternal election” (2LCF 3.7), that is to rouse humility on the part of the Christian, affording him “matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God” (2LCF 3.7). In confessing “God’s decree” we are asserting, simply,…
When we consider distinctive Christian doctrines like the Trinity and justification by faith alone, the empty tomb is a similarly central truth that impacts both doctrine and practice. As we ponder these things during corporate worship and private devotions, we should marvel at the miracle of the resurrection. The following article will offer several reasons…
In confessionally Reformed discourse regarding the doctrine of salvation (soteriology), great pains are taken to harmonize and synthesize the biblical texts that speak to the various aspects of the gospel. As a result, systematic theology texts tend to invest a lot of effort into explaining the logical order of those aspects through the “order of…
In Genesis 1:26–31, the creation account tells us that mankind was created in God’s image. As Professor Mark Ross explains, this means that mankind exclusively possesses what theologians call the imago Dei whereby man is a “personal being” in the “likeness [of] God” with a unique “measure of sovereignty over all the earth, with dominion…
This question has been a perennial thorn in the flesh of the church, stemming from a failure to understand the nature of biblical repentance. We must be careful to distinguish between repentance itself and the fruits of repentance. Also, we must not separate repentance from faith, because the Bible teaches that the graces of repentance…
The question of good works and the final judgment is one that often perplexes the people of God. The teaching of Jesus in Matthew 25 is relevant as it is a clear statement of the judgment of the sheep and the goats. There are several reasons why the traditional, Protestant understanding of justification by faith…
The Bible often speaks about the “fear of God.” There are two types of the fear of God, the first is a slavish fear, and the second is a filial fear. Both are referred to in Exodus 20:20, “And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear [slavish]; for God has come to test you,…
In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul writes, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” There are several things the church needs to hear about this text. In the first place, the Christian ministry must be populated by men who work…
The Bible teaches what has been commonly referred to in the history of theology as “Calvinism.” The second point of the Five Points of Calvinism is called “unconditional election,” which means that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4) according to His good pleasure (Mt 11:26). He did not…