Based on a thorough survey of how the Holy Spirit works throughout Scripture, I suggested last week that although he certainly sometimes works in extraordinary… Read More »Ordering as Characteristic of the Holy Spirit’s Work
C. S. Lewis once wrote that the modern dilemma is either to taste and not to know or to know and not to taste—or, more… Read More »Beauty in Scripture’s Words and Forms
Last week I presented a brief survey of the Holy Spirit’s activity throughout Scripture, which helps to lay an important foundation for assessing his work… Read More »Is the Holy Spirit’s Work Characteristically Extraordinary Experience?
Few Christians would say that beauty is unbiblical. After all, they vaguely remember references to “the beauty of holiness” or the desire “to behold the… Read More »Beauty in the Hebrew Bible
In 1962, A. W. Tozer warned that the evangelical church was missing a jewel. “Now, worship is the missing jewel in modern evangelicalism. We’re organized;… Read More »In Pursuit of a Doxology
Ultimately, current expectations concerning the Holy Spirit’s work in worship must derive, not from experience, but from Scripture. In order to lay such a biblical… Read More »How Does Scripture Describe the Work of the Holy Spirit?
We have seen that to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Scripture teaches particular redemption, an advocate would need to show an explicit negation: a denial… Read More »Limited Atonement: Rejecting What Was Never Provided?
Proponents of definite atonement wish to avoid a “hypothetical” atonement by asserting that the elect’s sins were actually atoned for, when Christ died in A.… Read More »Limited Atonement: Provision and Application
Limited Atonement, also known as definite atonement and particular redemption, is regarded by some as a kind of Shibboleth of Reformed or Calvinistic Orthodoxy. Disavow… Read More »Limited Atonement and Eternal Justification
We continue to examine nine biblical theses regarding election. 6. The individuals given to Christ by the Father are chosen in Christ. just as He… Read More »Nine Biblical Truths Regarding the Doctrine of Election (2)
Security companies enjoy a kind of odd gratitude for criminals. After all, without the threat of crime, security companies would have little in the way… Read More »Merry Christmas, Heretics, One and All
In our last post, we showed that all Christians implicitly or explicitly accept the idea of election: that God controls (directly or permissively) the destinies… Read More »Nine Biblical Truths Regarding the Doctrine of Election (1)
The idea that God chooses or “elects” people is taught in many Scriptures (Rom 8:29-30; Eph 1:4; 2 Thes 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2). People struggle… Read More »Why Every Christian (Ultimately) Believes in Election
One of the ways you make your mark in the online discernment ministry world is by “outing” a popular and generally reliable pastor or Bible… Read More »Undiscerning Discernment
A critic recently approached me about our hymnal and rebuked us for (among other things) including hymns written by Catholics in our hymnal. It is… Read More »May a Baptist (or any other Protestant) sing Catholic hymns?
I find it quite amusing these days to be classified by some as “Reformed”, when I’d barely heard the term for most of my Christian… Read More »The Many Meanings of “Reformed”
I am forming an argument for Scripture-regulated worship from two pillars: the authority of Christ and our love for him (Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6). If Christ… Read More »Love for Christ & Scripture-Regulated Worship 7: Loving What Christ Loves
The first post in this series introduced Scripture-Regulated Worship. The second post considered some important arguments for Scripture-Regulated Worship. The third post showed the ways the New Testament explains… Read More »Love for Christ & Scripture-Regulated Worship 4: Christ’s Authority 2
I present my children with two written tests. They open the envelope of the first, and see the heading, “Dad Orthodoxy”. A series of questions… Read More »Two Exams, and Two Questions
Soul competence and the priesthood of the believer are two sides of one doctrine that Baptists cherish. Indeed, they make up part of the matrix… Read More »Authority, Soul Competence and Vocation