“We cannot make a distinction between the saints of the Old Testament and the saints of the New in this respect. They may and do differ with regard to gifts and graces, but individual justification is the sine qua non of being a genuine saint of God. In all this we are discussing, and reaffirming, the traditional Protestant doctrine of the righteousness of Christ imputed to those individuals who are elect. This, plus nothing, constitutes the ground of their final acceptance before God.”
Other Saving Graces
“The kind of faith that God gives as a gift is always alive . . . when God has done this wonderful work, the faithful instrument does not shrivel up and die. It continues to love God and obey Him . . . Faith without works is a dead faith, and a dead faith never justified anybody. Saving faith is every accompanied by all other saving graces.”
But By What Standard?
Ground and Instrument
“Nor does God justify us because of our faith—rather He justifies us because of Christ’s obedience and work, and this is appropriated by us through faith.”
And Where Would You Advertise It?
“Modern evangelicals write books on How to be Born Again, which betrays the fact that they are not grasping the Lord’s teaching in the third chapter of John. Does anyone write books on how to be born the first time? Who would buy it?”
It Followeth No Way
“This corporate regeneration of the people of God in no way lessens the need for individuals to be born of the Spirit of God. How could a call for omelets be taken as opposition to eggs?”
Last Letters Before October Hits
Letter to the Editor: Thank you for doing the debate. It has hard to endure that much of an abolitionist of absolute certitude, but it had to be done.It seems to me his argument is ...
How Could It Mean That?
“Simply put, the objectivity of the covenant does not mean that a man does not have to be born again.”
Growth Both Changes and Doesn’t
“Hidebound tradition and spontaneous innovation do not go together, but there is another combination which does. We desire to see the Church reformed—zeal for novelty is a sinful desire. Our deep desire should be to walk in the old paths in the right way. But we also desire to see her always reforming—Jesus taught us that faithfulness is the basis for godly originality and not some spark of ‘creativity’ (Matt. 13:52). When a tree grows, it is not innovating. But it is not dead either.”
Ain’t It the Way
