Jerry Bridges on the importance of the gospel

The gospel is not a “one-time” truth, but an everyday truth, as Jerry Bridges has articulated: To preach the gospel to yourself, then, means that you continually face up to your own sinfulness and then flee to Jesus through faith in His shed blood and righteous life. It means that you appropriate, again by faith, […]

Sunday Leftovers (11/5/06)

The truth that a believer may have assurance and confidence in his salvation is rooted in the work of Christ. The believer’s confidence is not in being able to keep himself, but in the power of God and the sufficiency of Christ to keep him. This is why it is essential that the believer keep […]

Another sad day

The complete truth has not yet been revealed about the circumstances of Ted Haggard’s resignation as pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs and as President of the influential National Association of Evangelicals. Until that truth is revealed, we would be wise to neither speculate nor gossip about it. Prayer, particularly for the protection […]

Reformation Week Reflection #4

John Calvin: As all mankind are, in the sight of God, lost sinners, we hold that Christ is their only righteousness, since, by his obedience, he has wiped off our transgressions; by his sacrifice appeased the divine anger; by his blood, washed away our stains; by his cross, borne our curse; and by his death, […]

Reformation Week Reflection #3

The story of the death of the two English Reformers Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley is well known. Ryle recounts their meeting and death at the stake: Ridley first entered the place, and earnestly holding up both his hands, looked towards heaven. Shortly after, seeing Latimer, he ran to him, embraced and kissed him, saying, […]

All Saints Day

“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.” (Heb. 13:7; NASB) The typical American neighborhood was inundated last night by an assortment of ghosts, goblins, witches, and vampires, interspersed with a few pirates, angels, cartoon characters, bunnies, puppies, scarecrows and […]

Truth and Scripture in the postmodern world

This morning Al Mohler synthesizes a commentary written by Methodist pastor Rob Renfroe, who offers his analysis of why the Methodist church is debating such important issues in that denomination. Mohler’s summary says: Clarifying the issues is a first step toward answering the crucial questions. Rob Renfroe has done a commendable job of clarifying the […]

Reformation Books

Are you curious about the reformation, but don’t know much about it? Here are three books that I’ve found helpful (this is not intended to be an extensive listing, but just enough to give you an introduction and taste of the lives of some of the key men of the Reformation). They all offer brief […]

Reformation Week Reflection #2

John Calvin: …justification by faith [is] the first and keenest subject of controversy…Wherever the knowledge of it is taken away, the glory of Christ is extinguished. And later: How comes it that we are “carried about with so many strange doctrines” (Hebrews 13:9)? Because the excellence of Christ is not perceived by us. So of […]

Christ died . . . for prosperity?

At or near the top of the New York Times bestseller list for many months, Joel Osteen (Your Best Life Now) has a significant audience. What is his thesis? He reveals his motivation on page 1, telling the story of a man who had some success. While on vacation in Hawaii, this man saw a […]

Just what did Luther say?

Yesterday Elizabeth asked me what Martin Luther said in his 95 theses (declarations) to the church in Wittenberg. You may read the theses here. The statements were his attempt to bring the church to a point of repentance for its corruption of the truth of the gospel — that man is saved by grace alone, […]

Reformation Week Reflection #1

In honor of Tuesday being Reformation Day (the 489th anniversary of the posting of Martin Luther’s 95 theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg), here is the first in a series of quotes from some of the reformers on the importance of the gospel: “Either sin is with you, lying on your shoulders, […]

Desiring Salvation

Why someone wants to be saved is no small question. It penetrates the heart of our motives and offers a clear view of the desire of our heart. (Do we want God or do we want a gift that God gives?) If God is not your ultimate joy and desire, you may not be saved. […]

Sunday Leftovers (10/29/06)

Those who are saved are saved eternally by the work of the eternal Godhead on their behalf. What does each member of the Godhead do for believers in Christ? [This list is nowhere near exhaustive, but it is a good starting point.] The work of the Father to secure you He has sovereign purposes and […]

Thomas Boston on Scripture

“Consider the excellency of the scriptures. There is a transcendent glory in them, which whoso discern cannot miss to hug and embrace them. To commend the bible to you, I shall say these eight things of it. [Here is the first only.] 1. It is the best of books. They may know much, ye think, […]