We begin by reviewing what we have covered. First, the condition of man is such that he cannot save himself, or contribute to his own salvation. Secondly, we saw that the Father elected some to salvation before the creation of the world. Election is the work of the Father. In our last installment, we looked …
Biblical Swearing
This subject of biblical swearing provides yet another example of the necessity of systematic study in the Scriptures. It is impossible to subject to the authority of just one text as we are reading it, because submission occurs at the point of obedience in real life. And when it comes time to swear, or not …
Discrimination
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 36 Discrimination used to be a good word, and it is still possible to use it that way in some settings (e.g. “He is a man of discriminating taste.”) But for the most part, our modern thought police have seen …
Milk and Bread
My father was a graduate of the Naval Academy, class of 1950. After doing his stint in the Korean War, he eventually resigned his commission to go into Christian literature work with Officers’ Christian Union (now Officers’ Christian Fellowship). After he left the Navy, we wound up in Tacoma Park, Maryland for a short time …
Primer on Eschatology 3
26. What are some of the features of postmillennialism? We have already talked about preterism: Many of the prophecies of the Bible which premillennialists consider unfulfilled, postmillennialists believe have already been fulfilled. This includes Old and New Testaments both. We determine what has been fulfilled by the teaching of the New Testament. Psalm 2 provides …
Efficacious Redemption
We must begin by rejecting a term that is commonly applied to this doctrine. The rejected term is that of limited atonement. It should be rejected for two reasons. One is that it is misleading with regard to the teaching of the Bible, and the other is that it misrepresents the debate. One of the …
Faithful in a Little
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 35 Jesus teaches us that if we are faithful in little, we will be able to be faithful over much (Luke 19:17). Someone who was a slouch as a teen-ager with his paper route is likely to be a slouch …
Petty Legalism
I am currently working through another of N.T. Wright’s books, Bringing the Church to the World, and which promises to be quite good. But on p. 34, I came across a passage that, in my view, overstates his case, and causes alarums to break out in various sectors of Christendom. He says this, speaking of …
Divorce and Remarriage
It is not a coincidence that Christ teaches on divorce in the passage immediately following His instruction on lust. And although Christ taught in this section that we should be willing to remove any member which stumbles us, He teaches here that there is one member which is not to be removed. “”Furthermore it has …
Resurrection Life
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! Great God of wonders, God of our risen Lord Jesus, God of the new creation, we worship You now in the powerful name of Jesus Christ. You gave the breath of life to our father Adam, and You gave new life and …