Justification

If it is the doctrine upon which the church stands or falls, justification by faith alone in the completed work of Christ alone will be front and center of battle after battle as the church earnestly contends for the faith. So let's read ch.12 like it really matters because in fact it does.  Pages 279-301 of Pilgrim Theology for 12.17.13.

The Work of Christ

And now for the crux of the matter which is the work of Christ! Both the active and passive obedience of Christ are in view in the first half or so of ch.8 (pp.191-208). We will cover this on Tuesday, November 5th. We will NOT be discussing the whole chapter. Such grand themes considering the grandeur of the grand one, Jesus Christ, the righteous!

The BIG Payoff

Reading, Reading, Reading!

Just a few days ago I had the exciting opportunity to answer someone's questions about the gospel. It wasn't at church, it wasn't in a class, and it wasn't the time to pull up a theological textbook on my iPhone. It was the time to explain the truth about Jesus from the Bible. What prepared me? Certainly the Spirit of God was working and for Him I am thankful! But what also came into play was what I had grappled with, considered, and worked through in "the study." In other words, it was the hard work of studying that proved eminently practical in my opportunity to help someone and by so doing love them. The moral here is to find motivation to do the hard work of learning. Do the hard work of learning because it is worth the investment. 

For Tuesday, December 18 we have an article that you will likely find difficult. But given that it is about the important matter of Christ's righteousness being credited to the believer so that we might be justified, it is well worth the effort! The essay is Do This and Live by R. Scott Clark. Pick up your copy at the OBC bookstore if you have not already and make the investment in learning. Do it for your edification, for the love of your neighbor, and for the glory of Christ.

Don't Be a Bellarmine!

Bellarmine, the Roman Catholic arch rival of Protestantism understood that the imputation of Christ's righteousness was the foundation for justification through faith in Christ alone. Therefore he rejected it. Unfortunately some Protestants such as N.T. Wright, Federal Vision, and certain dispensationalists are joining Bellarmine in their denials and are thereby assaulting the very foundation of justification. Here is a paper on this important gospel topic protesting Protestants denying the gospel foundation of imputation. 

Hell is our topic for discussion next Tuesday morning so remember to read ch.13 of Gagging. We are almost done so hang in there! In the meantime and given that you are part of THEOLOGY for Breakfast, you shouldn't miss Sunday night, May 6th at OBC. I will be presenting a paper addressing a vital matter to the church. The puritanical subtitle is "The Vital Nature of Christ’s Imputed Righteousness and Corresponding Active Obedience as Essential to Biblical Justification." Given the vital nature of the matter, I wouldn't miss it...and I won't! See you at 6:00 pm?