“To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion…”Proverbs 1:2-4 We are so good at being legalists. One minute we’re the “older brother” in our Lord’s parable, resentful of the Father’s lavish grace showered on the prodigal son; the next minute we’re smug judges of the “pharisees.” To reverse the roles [...]
R. C. Sproul, James Boice, and J. I. Packer were already stirring many evangelicals with the vision of a great God who saves sinners by a grace that is amazing from start to finish. Out of the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology, chaired by Dr. Boice, a host of annual conferences sprouted up across North [...]
Chris Jager asked a good question in response to the first post in this series and I thought it was important enough to explore in more than a couple of lines. He asks: Also, is sanctification a work solely of the Holy Spirit, or both the Holy Spirit and the believer? Is the work attributed [...]
“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” It’s often used either as a whip or explained away (“Now, what Paul isn’t saying is…”). As usual, it’s crucial to examine the statement in the flow of Paul’s letter. Context, Context… First, the whole statement reads, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, [...]
Tullian Tchividjian is conducting a four part interview with Mike Horton on the distinction between justification and sanctification and the relationship of the law to the gospel. Part one is here and part two can be found here. The third installment was posted today and can be read here. Here’s a sneak-peek: Some say that [...]
Tullian Tchividjian is conducting a four part interview with Mike Horton on the distinction between justification and sanctification and the relationship of the law to the gospel. Part one is here. Part two is now available here. Here’s a preview: Mike, what are the three uses of the law? Reformed theology embraces these “three uses”: [...]
Our good friend Tullian Tchividjian has been the subject of and a participant in a series of web conversations on the relationship of justification to sanctification. He recently posed a series of question to Mike Horton and has begun posting the answers on his blog. I’m sure that I’m biased, but I think there’s some [...]
One of the more embarrassing campfire ditties I sang way back when went a little like this: He’s changing me, my precious Jesus I’m not the same person that I used to be Sometimes it’s slow-going, but there’s a knowing That one day perfect I will be! When it comes to our progress in the [...]
Our friend, Tullian Tchividjian, has a follow-up post to his great article last week, “Why I Hate Accountability Groups.” In it he quotes Mike Horton’s article, “Does Justification Still Matter?” (Modern Reformation Sep/Oct 2007). As you read both Tullian’s post and Mike’s article, ask yourself when was the last time that “doctrine” played a significant [...]
