The Puritans often addressed the question, What is the place of the Law in the Christian life? We must consider the Puritans on the nature of the Law, the knowledge of it by man, and the relationship between the Law and sin. Law Is God Exercising His Right to Command …
James 5:17 says that the prophet Elijah “prayed earnestly.” Literally, the text says that Elijah “prayed in his prayer” (KJV marginal note 1). James is using a Hebrew idiom intended to intensify the force of the verb. In other words, Elijah’s prayers were more than a formal exercise; he was …
The Puritans were fond of stressing the transforming power, superlative value, and surprising wonder of adoption. They spoke often of its greatness, excellency, and comprehensiveness. William Perkins said that a believer should esteem his adoption as God’s child as greater than being “the childe or heire of any earthly Prince …
Just what is meant by the term Puritan? Many people today use the term to describe a morose and legalistic brand of Christianity that borders on fanaticism. Much of this stereotype was the product of nineteenth-century anti-Puritan sentiments. While subsequent cultures have expressed various opinions of the Puritans, it is …
The Church never rises above it’s view of God. To understand the value of the attributes of God is critical for every congregation. Where small thoughts of God prevail there will be small thoughts of sin, small thoughts of Christ, small thoughts of the way of salvation. There will be …
After the Heidelberg Catechism asks why Jesus is called the Christ, or “anointed” (Q. 31), the answer begins, “Because He is ordained of God the Father, and anointed with the Holy Ghost, to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will …
1) Divine drawing (11:4a: Wednesday evening=Preparatory); (2) Divine rest (11:4b: Lord’s Supper sermon); (3) Divine nourishment (11:4b: Lord’s Supper at the table).
So what reason could there be to read the Bible? Well, praise God, there are some very good reasons for reading this long, challenging book. Let me mention just three of them. Read because It Is God’s Word First, we need to understand that the Bible is not irrelevant. In …
Students of theology will find in this list helpful suggestions for where to start in reading works of systematic theology. Though not all these works are of equal value, and not all of them are Reformed in doctrine (though most are), they all are important sources for studying theology, and …
