GRACE & PEACE “At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) “I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled …
Their Frenzies and Crusades
One area of secular blindness (one of many) is their inability to see how religious they are being. Having defined religion quite narrowly as church buildings and altars, they are utterly incapable of seeing the all-pervasive and quite religious nature of their frenzies and crusades. The problem with invisible religions like this is that one …
The King and the Cobbler
Book 3/Section 18 Generosity (section 6) 1. How does one lend to the Lord? 2. Is this kind of generosity meritorious? 3. Why does God allow us to lay up treasures in heaven this way? Tribulation (section 7) 1. What about tribulation? Doesn’t God promise that He will not forget our sufferings? 2. According to …
Inheritance, Not Wages
Book 3/Chapter 18 Recompense (section 1) 1. How does Calvin explain those passages which say that God will repay every man according to his works? 2. How do we know that our good works are not meritorious in themselves? Inheritance (section 2) 1. How is the term “reward” to be understood? 2. How do we …
Organic and Dark Brown
I am reading a book right now that promises to be enormously helpful — When Helping Hurts. Often poverty relief efforts are as well-intentioned as it gets, but the results unfortunately do not match the intentions. This book understandably begins with the biblical mandate to see the connection between the gospel and actually changing the …
Sound of the Chisel
We are a gathered assembly here, gathered in order to worship the Lord. But we have gathered out of a community, a group of people who live together, serving the Lord in various capacities, throughout the rest of the week. What we do there is what we bring here. We see this in everything. The …
Learning to Love
We have gathered at this Table from many different households, and we represent many different eating habits. But once a week, we all gather together in order to eat and drink the same thing, and do so in the same way, according to the same custom. In Christ, this is a meal of shared love, …
The Pride of Nations
Confession Our Father and God, You have established Your Church as a royal priesthood in this world, and so we intercede for the nations of men now, confessing on their behalf so that the grace of Your forgiveness will soon be extended to them all. Father, we come before You to confess the pride of …
The Perfection of Realizing Imperfection
Book 3/Chapter 17 Romans 2:13 (section 13) 1. How does Calvin handle Romans 2:13? The appeal to works by believers (section 14) 1. How does Calvin handle the multiple places where believers appeal to God on the basis of their innocence? Perfection (section 15) 1. Does Calvin allow believers to claim any kind of perfection? …
Taking the Bubble Wrap off True Faith
I am going to file this one under Auburn Avenue Stuff, even though it is part of my paedocommunion discussion with Lane. This is because in the second half I am going to address a few things that came up in the comments over at Green Baggins. But first let me address Lane’s questions about …