In Reformed theology there are various ways to describe Christ’s church.  One of the descriptions is to distinguish between the church militant and the church triumphant.  This is not to say there are two churches.  It is simply a way to explain the state or degree of Christ’s church.  Christ’s church exists in a twofold... Continue Reading

It is difficult to over-estimate the value of this book at the present time. It shows clearly why the Barthian teaching has been so ineffective in the life of the church. It has been an intellectualist movement which has led men to preach about the Word rather than preach the Word. It has been going... Continue Reading

Both mortification and vivification are the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. As Paul states, “If you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom. 8:13; see also Rom. 8:4; Gal. 5:16-25;... Continue Reading

Not everyone agrees with this view.  Some people say that it detracts from human freedom, so they speak of God’s middle knowledge.  That is, although God knows all the possibilities of what might happen in the future, his decree depends on man’s choices and actions.  In this view, God decreed that which he foresaw would... Continue Reading

I read this book multiple times in the 1980s. Though I’ve not reread it since, I still cite from memory many significant Lovelace insights: “characteristic flesh,” “the sanctification gap,” “n-step sanctification,” “the need for a tuned and adapted form of nouthetic counseling.”   There is not another book quite like Richard Lovelace’s The Dynamics of... Continue Reading

One good thing about White Christian America’s declining political clout is that evangelicals can return to the biblical obligation of making disciples, rather than making political ones. Yet there is some very noticeable but subdued cheerfulness by Jones for the end of White Christian America and one gets the sense that he’s not alone in... Continue Reading

“The book’s main emphasis is a detailed examination of the key similarities and differences between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. In the broadest terms, these differences relate to matters of authority and salvation—who or what is the ultimate source of authority for Christians, and how can people be saved.”   Is the Reformation over? This question... Continue Reading

“We sometimes think that we are autonomous free-floating individuals who make decisions for ourselves. The reality is that we are influenced in many ways in every decision we make. And in the area of sex, above all, we are open to manipulation and exploitation, even unwittingly, by passions that rage and desires that can overwhelm... Continue Reading

This isn’t theological nitpicking or dry, dusty doctrine that is irrelevant.  To say that Jesus’ death is tightly connected with his intercession echoes biblical truth, glorifies Christ and his saving power, and it gives the Christian firm comfort and assurance that Jesus who died for us will also intercede for us, that our faith will... Continue Reading

The sovereignty of God has to be the foundation of any lasting deliverance from these fears. I can release control if God is in control. God’s sovereignty means that even if things do go wrong, they are not out of control but under God’s control, and He will work it together for our good.  ... Continue Reading