The Federal Vision is a scheme of salvation by works, both moral and ceremonial, set within the framework of a conditional covenant that depends on the covenant faithfulness and perseverance of the baptized for its efficacy and for their final justification.    Several years ago, a fellow Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) minister told me,... Continue Reading

“The dignity of the person who suffered appears in this, that it was God, the Creator himself, who died for the sins of the world; which is infinitely more than the destruction of all creatures, and avails more than the holiness of all the angels and men.”   It was necessary that our Mediator should... Continue Reading

“Jesus” was actually a disguised or confused memory of another historical character, such as [insert ludicrous candidate here, from Teacher of Righteousness onward]….At some point in this process too, Ockham’s Razor comes into play, namely “Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity.”  So what’s wrong with accepting the simple, straightforward explanation, namely that the really... Continue Reading

Earlier this month, Starbucks joined more than 100 companies (including Apple) in urging North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory to repeal the bathroom safety bill, which allegedly discriminates against LGBT rights. How bold and courageous of Starbucks. But when it comes to Saudi Arabia, not only does Starbucks operate all over this religiously-oppressive country, but the... Continue Reading

You have died to yourself for the sake of me, for the sake of our children, for the sake of the Lord’s call on our family and on our lives. You have a level of honesty and integrity that I hope to aspire to. In a matter of days I will be receiving my Master... Continue Reading

Mr Controller threatens when threatened. Whenever his authority or power is questioned or challenged, even when it’s done humbly and appropriately, he warns of unpleasant consequences for the questioner. He certainly never pauses to ask, “Did I exceed my authority? Did I handle this correctly? Have I made a mistake?”   This is a slightly edited... Continue Reading

In this case, the pope is wrong on his above proclamation in three ways. The first is that he ignores what Christ tells us about hell, secondly, he ignores the doctrine of election, and third, he ignores God’s glory in dealing with those who are sent to hell.   The pope of the Roman Catholic... Continue Reading

The simple answer to Hyper-Calvinism is to point out that Christ called all to repent and believe. Jesus knew that only God could grant faith but he required sinners to respond nonetheless. The lessons gained from this controversy can help modern preachers learn how to preach more evangelistically. Iain Murray ends his book, whose full... Continue Reading

Whenever freedom of conscience is threatened by the ambient culture, two things inevitably happen. First, pressure will be applied to those who dissent to either recant or to accept their contagion and shrink back to the smallest corners of the public square. The second thing that happens is that sometimes, this pressure works. So we... Continue Reading

So, should the church keep writing books today? Manton would say “yes.” Why? Because we need to use every means possible to combat the darkness of sin, because we will continue to gain fresh discoveries of God’s glory in Christ, because believers need to be godlier, and because truth needs defending.   Part of our... Continue Reading