“A man who is married to a woman can betray her, but a man who never met her cannot do so . . . In other words, we say that all adulterers were never really married. But of course this means that they are not really adulterers . . . In other words, we have two positions: the first is that husbands cannot commit adultery, and the second is that adulterers are not husbands, and hence not adulterers. What never seems to occur to anyone is the duty of fighting our fellow Christians to the last ditch—as Athanasius did with Arius.”
A Neo-Nazi Godsend
Introduction: Not only did it not have to be this way, it certainly won’t be. So that part of it is a relief anyway. Back when I was a kid at home, periodic wrestling matches would break out in the living room. There were various wrestlers involved at different times, but one of the things …
Two Distinct Pleasures
“But it appears that as soon as we are stopped from rummaging around in our own hearts, we have an immediate yearning to rummage around in someone else’s. We either doubt our own salvation with anguish or we doubt someone else’s with satisfaction.”
You Know, Tuesday Letters
Letter to the Editor: Re: Application, Allergies & Anaphylaxis For the last several years I have noticed concrete applications coming from pulpits where I live becoming as rare ...
Teaching Faith Instead of Doubt
“If we believe God when He says that He made us one with our wives so that He could have godly offspring, then we should act as though we believe it. This means that we should teach our children to believe it. And this means, in its turns, that they should never know a time when they did not love and honor Jesus Christ, love His gospel, and love His Church. If we do anything else with our children, we are teaching them to doubt, not to believe . . . We must return to the doctrine of covenantal succession. If we hold to infant baptism, we are saying by our participation in that wonderful rite that we believe God’s promises concerning future generations. What this debate has shown is that more than a few paedobaptists are saying, ‘Really? You believe the promises? Isn’t that works?’”
Application, Allergies & Anaphylaxis
Introduction: One of the great characteristics of modern Reformed preaching and teaching is that there appears to be a deep and abiding aversion to making any concrete applications. Sometimes various things are decorated as though they might be a matter of possible application, but this is illusory, like a heat shimmer off a highway in …
The Honor of Dishonor, the Grace of Disgrace
Acts of the Apostles (13): Introduction: One of the more remarkable blessings that the presence of the Holy Spirit brings is the ability He gives to believers to suffer scorn gladly. This is a remarkable ...
Childrearing, Not by Works
“If God were to have my children turn out on the basis of my works—on one of my good days—they would all be in the penitentiary. But He offers to give me my children, and their children after them. What must I do? I must believe Him when He offers them to me. Now if I believe Him, this faith is organically connected to parental faithfulness. But we are solid Protestants, and so we do not try to have the ox push the plow. Faith first and faith foundationally.”
It Was a Serious Question
The Half-Way Covenant
“Contrary to the assumptions of many, the Half-Way Covenant was not the result of covenantal lethargy, but just the reverse—covenantal rigorism. Everyone had to be ‘born again’ in a highly visible, demonstrable way, but there were a number among the settlers who were not regenerate, along with a number of others who were regenerate but who were unable or unwilling to gin up a credible testimony. But these people believed in Christ, they held to the truth of the Christian religion, and they wanted their children baptized. They lacked the revivalistic tremens, but wanted their children baptized. The Half-Way Covenant allowed for this, but maintained a high fence around the Table of the Lord. This was zeal run amok, not lethargy. Unfortunately, it was a zeal without knowledge.”