Reformed Articles
Church Growth Or God's Glory?
When we embrace man-made goals we will also embrace man-made means to get there. This is illustrated by the modern church growth movement, which has impacted how people think about church and thus how the church operates. Full Article.
Justification and God's Law
The law of God is a revelation of His perfection. There is no other way for us to know perfection other than by what God has revealed. His law is a revelation of His righteous character, showing us what He loves, hates and expects. Many Christians in the modern world have a very improper view of God's law and practically despise it for being "too harsh" or scoff at it for being imperfect, saying it needed to be modified and upgraded by Christ. The Scriptures, however, see the law only as perfect (Deut.4:8; Ps.19:7; Rom.7:12). While the law will forever remain perfect, it's application is only good when it is used lawfully (1 Tim.1:8). We are truly understanding Biblical justification, if we say that justification is totally without the law, when it comes to our efforts, though totally in accord with the law, when it comes to God's ordering and Christ's works done on our behalf. Full Article.
Baptism, Continuity and Individualism
As the New Testament church was born they were told about the need to believe in Christ and be baptized. It is a misunderstanding to connect the act of baptism in this context to the invisible realm. It is the influence of atomistic individualism that causes people to do this. God’s covenant dealings are inseparable from His working with His visible covenant community. Full Article.
Redemption versus the Fall
It is wrong to underestimate the universal impact that sin had upon all of life, but it is even worse to underestimate the universal impact that Christ's redemption has upon all of life. The extent of redemption is as wide as the extent of the fall. As the great hymn writer Isaac Watts expressed in his hymn, Joy to the World: "He comes to make His blessings flow, far as the curse is found". The Bible teaches that the victory is Christ's, both in time and eternity. Christ's obedience is more powerful than Adam's disobedience. Redemption trumps the fall, not only in eternity, but in history too. Full Article.
Kingdom Living and God's Law
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph.2:8,9). These wonderful words teach that our salvation has nothing to do with our works or efforts---it is all of grace. The reason we have been saved, however, is so that we might glorify the Lord by our works (Matt.5:16). It's only from the position of being totally accepted by God, that we are able to truly live for God's glory. Full Article.
Scriptural Evidence for the Trinity
This article lays out what God has revealed about Himself in Scripture, and it is because of this revelation that the true church has always defended the doctrine of God’s Threeness (Tri-Unity). Full Article.
Trinity and Daily Living
The Biblical revelation about the Triune God probably shows most clearly fallen mankind’s refusal to bow to God’s absolute word. The age old problem introduced by Adam and Eve is still with us, namely, that we want to have a say in defining what we are prepared to submit to, or believe. Many who don’t reject God’s revelation outright, nevertheless, still insist on somehow checking up on what God has said, before they are prepared to believe it. The Biblical teaching on the Trinity is not an irrelevant doctrine reserved for in-house debates between stuffy professors, but is critically important for every person and all of life and thus we need to bring all our thinking and living into line with this reality (Rom.12:2; 2 Cor.10:5). Full Article.
The Myth of Neutrality
Is it possible to arrive at true knowledge about anything in life by assuming a position of neutrality toward God? Some would have us believe that the only way to discover the truth is to investigate each situation or question by assuming a position of neutrality with respect to God's existence and explanations found in the Scriptures. Whatever we think about the possibility of neutrality will affect every aspect of our thinking and every conclusion we arrive at, thus investigating this claim of neutrality is of the utmost importance. Full Article.
Wine and the Lord's Supper
What are proper Biblical elements for the Lord's Supper? Does it matter whether we use wine or grape juice; bread or wafers? Full Article.
Does Scripture Permit Us to Drink Alcoholic Beverages?
Few issues have generated more heated debate among Christians than that of the morality of alcohol consumption. Yet the ethical issue before us is: Does the Bible allow for a righteous consumption of the beverage alcohol? The fundamental question is ethical, not cultural or demo-graphical; it requires an answer from a Biblical, not an emotional base. Full article by Dr. Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. Th.D.
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