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CampOnThis
Steve's reformed, biblical, thought-provoking, and exciting blog. Join him today... |
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"Those whom, God effectually calls he also freely justifies, not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness, but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness by faith, which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God" – WCF Ch 11
“Justification is a judicial act of God, in which He declares, on the basis of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, that all the claims of the law are satisfied with respect to the sinner” (L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology, p. 513).
"The phrase in ipso (in him) I have preferred to retain, rather than render it per ipsum (by him,) because it has in my opinion more expressiveness and force. For we are enriched in Christ, inasmuch as we are members of his body, and are engrafted into him: nay more, being made one with him, he makes us share with him in every thing that he has received from the Father." (John Calvin Commentary on 1 Cor 1:5)
"This calling is an act of the grace of God in Christ by which he calls men dead in sin and lost in Adam through the preaching of the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit, to union with Christ and to salvation obtained in him." - Francis Turretin
What do the Romanists Really Believe?
"If anyone says that after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentant sinner, that no debt of temporal punishment remains to be discharged either in this world or in purgatory before the gates of heaven can be opened, let him be anathema." (The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, in Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1919 ed.), pp. 214, 46).
Read the rest of "Justification by Faith Alone..." |
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November 12th 2008 - by William Hendriksen
Thoughts on Psalm 73:12-19
A Very Unpopular Doctrine
'Ladies and Gentlemen: The idea of a hell was born of revenge and brutality on the one side, and cowardice on the other… I have no respect for any human being who believe in it. I have no respect for any man who preaches it... .I dislike this doctrine, I hate it, I despise it, I defy this doctrine.... This doctrine of hell is infamous beyond all power to express." Thus spoke Col. R. G. Ingersoll, "the great agnostic."
Pastor Russell used to hammer away at his favorite subject, "The Nightmare of Eternal Torture." As he saw it, this terrible doctrine was being proclaimed by the ministers of the established churches in order to instill fear in the hearts of their people so that they might remain manageable.
read the rest of DO UNBELIEVERS GO TO HELL WHEN THEY DIE? |
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November 10th 2008 - ...what popes, philosophers, and emergent pastors fail to recognize
by Martin Luther
excerpts taken from his "Table Talk"
That the Bible is God's Word...
That the Bible is God's Word and book I prove thus: All things that have been and are, in the world, and the manner of their being, are described in the first book of Moses on the creation; even as God made and shaped the world, so does it stand to this day. Infinite potentates have raged against this book, and sought to destroy and uproot it—king Alexander the Great, the princes of Egypt and of Babylon, and monarchs of Persia, of Greece, and of Rome, the emperors Julius and Augustus—but they nothing prevailed; they are all gone and vanished, while the book remains, and will remain for ever and ever, perfect and entire, as it was declared at the first. Who has thus helped it—who has thus protected it against such mighty forces? No one, surely, but God himself, who is the master of all things. And 'tis no small miracle how God has so long preserved and protected this book; for the devil and the world are sore foes to it. I believe that the devil has destroyed many good books of the Church, as, aforetime, he killed and crushed many holy persons, the memory of whom has now passed away; but the Bible he was fain to leave subsisting. In like manner have baptism, the sacrament of the altar, of the true body and blood of Christ, and the office of preaching remained unto us, despite the infinitude of tyrants and heretic persecutors. God, with singular strength, has upheld these things; let us, then, baptise, administer the sacrament, and preach, fearless of impediment. Homer, Virgil, and other noble, fine, and profitable writers, have left us books of great antiquity; but they are nought to the Bible.
While the Romish church stood, the Bible was never given to the people in such a shape that they could clearly, understandingly, surely, and easily read it, as they now can in the German translation, which, thank God, we have prepared here at Wittenburg.
Read the rest of "THE AUTHORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD" |
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November 7th 2008 - A biblical worldview
Sports is the great family pass-time in the United States. I have five kids; and all five are engaged in sports at various levels. My two oldest sons are amazing football players; my youngest son a great gymnast and baseball player; my oldest daughter an amazing dancer/choreographer; and my youngest daughter a wonderful soccer player and and budding cheerleader. But what do the Scriptures tell us about sports and athletics in general? If we are not careful, great abilities can become an idol and eclipse our walk with the Lord rather than encourage it.
My dear friend, Pastor David Cunningham, has written a very helpful article on this subject that I am honored to share with the readership of COT. I would encourage you to print this out or email it to your pastors, the head of women's or men's ministry; youth pastor, your local FCA director; give to your sons or daughters coach; even use it with your own family for devotions this week. It is biblical, balanced, insightful, challenging, encouraging and edifying.
I highly recommend it to you.
Let Us Run the Race with Endurance,
Steve
(1 Cor. 9:24-27; Heb. 12:1-2)
Read the rest of "SPORTSOLOGY..." |
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When I was touring through Europe eleven years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Lutherstadt at Wiitenberg to see the birthplace of the Reformation. I was so moved by all that I saw and read, I penned these words of this song while standing outside Luther's church.
I pray they are a blessing to you today.
Yours for the Master's use,
Steve
Col. 1:9-14
CORNERSTONE
You do your best and nothing less
To be blessed - and try to save your soul from death
But it's all work's righteousness you know
You cannot manufacture grace
By self-denial in a religious place, weeping hard upon your face
Or saying prayers to some dead saints you know
It's not through creeds or liturgy
Self-flagellation 'til you bleed, making vows that you can't keep
By mysteries and visions when you dream
It's a narrow way that you must come
To the Father - through the Son, loving Him more than other loves. Family, friends, yourself or anyone
BY GRACE ALONE, THROUGH FAITH ALONE,
ON THE WORD ALONE, BECAUSE OF CHRIST ALONE!
HE IS OUR ONLY HOPE - HE IS THE CORNERSTONE!
You can not add one thing to Him
To save your soul from the curse of sin
You must loose your life so you may win salvation
Empty-handed, cling to Him
Suffering Servant, Prince of Peace
Lamb of God, Incarnate Deity
Christ died for God at Calvary
Once for all we've been redeemed
(chorus)
The Son of Man gave His life for His own
The Just for the unjust no greater love was ever shown
Our Champion forever now reigns from heaven's throne
And the true gift of salvation is by grace through faith alone |
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October 27th 2008 -  The Gift of God's Son, the Guarantee of All Other Blessing
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? -Romans 8:32
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? -Romans 8:32
Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else? -Romans 8:32
“When God calls a sinner, He does not repent of it. God does not, as many friends do, love one day and hate another; or as princes, who make their subjects favorites and afterwards throw them into prison. This is the blessedness of a saint; his condition admits of no altercation. God’s call is founded upon His decree, and His decree is immutable. Acts of grace cannot be reversed. God blots out His people’s sins, but not their names.” -Thomas Watson
“If our religion be of our own getting or making, it will perish; and the sooner it goes, the better; but if our religion is a matter of God's giving, we know that He shall never take back what He gives, and that, if He has commenced to work in us by His grace, He will never leave it unfinished.” - C.H. Spurgeon
"God commended his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." If, then, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, will he freely give us all things. "All things!" How comprehensive the grant! "According as his Divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness." Holding the security in the hand of faith, you may repair to your Heavenly Father, and ask for all that you need. So to speak, God has bound himself to withhold no good thing from you. He is pledged, and from that pledge he will never recede, to grant you all you need. What is your demand? Is it the Spirit to seal, to sanctify, to comfort you? Then draw near and ask the gift. "For if you who are evil know how to give good things to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" Is it pardon? Then ask it. He who provided the sacrifice for sin, will he not freely bestow the forgiveness of sin? Is it grace? Having given you the Reservoir of grace, is he not as willing and "able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work?" Is it comfort? Having given you the "Consolation of Israel," will he not prove to you the "God of all comfort?" Is your necessity temporal? Are your circumstances adverse? Filled with forebodings of approaching difficulty, the cruse of oil and the barrel of meal dwindling, are you anxious and fearful? Take your temporal need to God. What! will he bestow the higher blessings of grace, and withhold the inferior ones of providence? Never! And can you press to your believing heart the priceless, precious, unspeakable gift of his Son, and yet cherish in that heart the gloomy, misgiving, thought of God's unwillingness and inability to supply all your need?" - Octavius Winslow
“For non-reformed theologies..."at the end of the day, the security of the believer finally rests with the believer. For those in the opposite camp [Reformed], the security of the believer finally rests with God -- and that, I suggest, rightly taught, draws the believer back to God himself, to trust in God, to a renewed faith that is of a piece with trusting him in the first place." - D.A. Carson
From the "Hymnbook of Heaven":
1 Samuel 2:9; Nehemiah 9:16-19; Psalm 31:23, 32:7,23,28-33, 38, 84:5-7, 89:30-33, 94:14, 97:10, 121:7, 125:1; Proverbs 2:8; Isaiah 40:30, 54:4-10; Jeremiah 32:38-42; Matthew 18:6, 12-14, 24:22-24; Luke 1:74, 22:32; John 3:36, 4:13, 5:24, 6:37-40, 51, 8:31, 10:4, 8, 27-29, 17:11, 15; Romans 6:1-4, 7:24-8:4, 28-39, 11:29, 14:14; 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, 3:15, 10:13; 2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5; Ephesians 1:11-14, 4:30; Philippians 1:6; Colossians 3:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 3:3-5; 2 Timothy 1:12, 4:18; Hebrews 3:14, 7:25, 10:14, 36-39, 13:5; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 2 Peter 3:8; 1 John 2:19, 3:9, 5:4, 13, 18; Jude 1, 24. |
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