How to Not Fall Away
I was recently driving with my young daughter a few days after she publicly professed her faith in Christ. She asked an important question: Not everyone who says they trust in Jesus stays faithful to him. How can I be…
Category Reformation21
To Whom is Christ the Wonderful Counselor?
One passage cherished for Advent reflection is Isaiah 9:6. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,…
The Completeness of Scripture
The three previous articles in this series addressed the necessity, content, and character of Scripture as set forth in chapter 1, paragraphs 1-5, of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Paragraph 6 turns to the subject of the doctrine often called…
Perfect Peace in a Problem-Filled World
Isaiah 26:3-4 gives God’s people one of the most precious truths in all of Scripture. Isaiah speaks directly to God and says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.…
On Paths and Pondering
I love a good ponder. Whether it’s eyes up to the midnight sky, gulping down drafts of galaxy from the clear and cloudless evenings, or pen-planting rows of thought along my journal, I love thinking and reflecting and meditating. When…
Future Justification? Future Judgment According to Works
The overwhelming biblical data on the place of works at the final judgment is not something we can afford to ignore (see Rom. 2:13; 2 Cor. 5:10; Matt. 16:27; Jn. 5:28-29; Gal. 6:7-9; Rev. 20:13; 22:12). The final judgment and…
A Study in Intertextuality: Seeing Jesus in All of Scripture
One of my favorite texts is Acts 13:38-39. It’s a simple gospel text that is part of Paul’s sermon to a Jewish synagogue situated in the gentile region of Pisidia. Paul is speaking to both Jews and gentile God-fearers. Verses…
True Politics and the Ethic of Love, Pt. 2
Ever since Augustine’s The City of God Western political thought has kept some kind of separation – in lesser or greater degrees – between heavenly politics and earthly politics. Oliver O’Donovan clarifies this truth when he writes that “the opposition…
Fairly Vanilla Theology: Justification and Good Works
Editor’s Note: This article reflects the main ideas of Davenant’s teaching on justification, though some of his careful distinctions and nuances can’t be fully captured in a brief summary. For his exact wording, readers should consult his Treatise on Justification.…
True Politics and the Ethic of Love, Part 1
God’s required commandments of mankind are summarized by our Lord through first, loving God and second, loving our neighbor. This is the whole of ethics, the required oughtness of how mankind is to live in God’s world. And of…