In the original creation of the world God made us perfect with the perfection of nature, which consists in our having everything due to our nature. But over and above what is due to our nature there were later added to the human race certain perfections that were solely owing to divine grace. Among these …
Can We Play Too?
I finished listening to the White Horse covenant confusion series. Covenant confusion is right. We have a lot of knots to untie. The center of the problem concerns the use of the word grace in speaking of God’s relationship to Adam before the Fall. Because the word grace is linked in their minds to the …
Thunderhead Holiness/Psalm 29
INTRODUCTION There is little doubt that the inspiration for this glorious psalm was a monumental thunderstorm. In this inspired account we find a true and biblical description of glory, beauty, and holiness. THE TEXT Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due …
Raising Eyebrows At My Windshield
I am continuing to listen to the White Horse Inn series on covenant confusion, and was duly astonished by something Michael Horton said. By registering this astonishment, I am not saying that I differ with him on this necessarily, but just that I was surprised to hear him talking this way. He said that Jesus …
Distinctions Within the Covenant
God makes distinctions between particular congregations. He does not divide the world into two great categories, the baptized and unbaptized, and treat them all accordingly. But neither does He treat everyone according to their individual status alone. It is true that everyone stands or falls at the Last Day one at a time, and God …
The Need for Answered Prayer/Psalm 28
INTRODUCTION As the people of God, we must not ever be content with unanswered prayer. We cry out to the Lord, and we do not do this because we want to hear ourselves talking in a religious way. We do this because we seek deliverance and salvation. THE TEXT Unto thee will I cry, O …
Talking Reasonably to My Windshield
A friend recently gave me a couple of CDs of a recent broadcast of The White Horse Inn with Michael Horton. While listening to the program (I am not done yet) a couple of comments caught my attention. I think that if we worked though the issues surrounding these comments, we might have the possibility …
Preparing the Tongue for Worship
No man can tame the tongue, James tells us. But the Word of God also tells us that what is impossible for men is possible with God. What is impossible for the flesh is easy for grace. We have thanked God for the work He is doing in our midst. It is right that we …
Plus Nothing
The points made in the previous post apply in another way to the problem posed for sola fide by theological Arminianism. To be faithful to Scripture we have to reject all notions of “faith-plus-something-else” salvation. Salvation must be all of God. The ground of our salvation must be Christ and His work alone. Just as …
Faith Alone
Faith is the alone instrument that God uses to bring justification to the individual believer. This faith that He uses is the real thing, living faith, faith that looks to Christ alone (apart from any defective works that person might have). But a very common form of “defective works” would have to include defective theories …