Reformed Christian Studies

By Pastor Brian Schwertley - Posted at Sermon Audio: Direct Link:  Standing Against the Devil, Part 6 - Gospel Shoes of Readiness | SermonAudio Image Source:  https://www.scripture-images.com/

 By Nathan Eshelman - Posted at Gentle Reformation: Jesus said, "Blessed are those that mourn." It is in this gospel mourning God comes to his people. The Spirit gives comfort as we mourn for sin and the effects of sin on a hurting world. We look to the Christ which came down in search of all those who would mourn by faith. Gospel mourning leads the mournful to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. What can we say about the Lord Jesus Christ in relationship to this? What does Jesus have to do with this mourning? When we think of the Christ of gospel mourning, we begin with asking how the Scriptures describe Jesus. What are the most prominent descriptors that we find in the Scripture to help us to know the character and personality of our savior? One of the most substantial descriptions that we find of Jesus in the whole of the Scriptures is Isaiah 53. In The prophet provides a description of the Lord Jesus Christ—and we see something of his mourning in verse 3:... Con

 By Pastor Dewey Roberts - Posted at Vanguard Presbyterian Church: The longer I live, the more I find myself agreeing with Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on so many things. I do not have an exact passage from which to quote, but I remember in his writings that he often said that you are in the wrong position when you have an enemy on only one side. The true Christian position is that we must be in the middle between two enemies, one on the right and the other on the left. This is especially true when we consider the matter of salvation. The correct doctrine will have two great enemies—legalism and antinomianism. Antinomianism is a word that throws many people. It comes from the Greek word for law, ‘nomos’. Thus, our enemies are legalism or anti-legalism, nomism or antinomianism. Legalism is a denial of the gospel. Antinomianism is a denial of the law. They would seem to be polar opposites and in many ways they are. In other ways, legalism and antinomianism are friendly cousins. In the end,

Direct Link:  The New Perspective on Paul | SermonAudio

 By Rev. Trevor Baxter - Posted at Sermon Audio:  1 Corinthians 15: 15 - 20 (KJV) 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

The Second Helvetic Confession CHAPTER XIII Of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, of the Promises, and of the Spirit and Letter THE ANCIENTS HAD EVANGELICAL PROMISES . The Gospel is, indeed, opposed to the law. For the law works wrath and announces a curse, whereas the Gospel preaches grace and blessing. John says: "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). Yet notwithstanding it is most certain that those who were before the law and under the law, were not altogether destitute of the Gospel. For they had extraordinary evangelical promises such as these are: "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head" (Gen. 3:15). "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 22:18). "The scepter shall not depart from Judah...until he comes" (Gen. 49:10). "The Lord will raise up a prophet from among his own brethren" (Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22), etc. THE PROMISES TWOFOLD

Scripture Text: Deuteronomy 15:15 (KJV) 15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.

By Dr. Joseph Mizzi We don’t know when, but a time will come when we have to depart from this world. At that hour nothing but one thing is essential. It will not matter how much wealth and possessions we had accumulated. We will leave all behind us. We must let go of everything - even our loved ones. With tears and sorrow we have to say our final goodbyes. Not even our health will matter anymore. Our bodies will crumble and fall. Only one thing matters: our soul! For in the momentous hour our spirit will leave to meet our Maker. That hours marks the beginning of eternal bliss or everlasting woe. Our eternal destiny depends solely on our relationship to God during this life. We must make a fundamental choice. Either we trust in God completely or we do not trust him at all. We cannot entrust our souls to anyone else. He alone is worthy of our wholehearted trust, confidence, obedience and adoration. He alone sent his beloved Son to reconcile us to himself, to forgive us a

Posted at Reformation Scotland: Salvation is free but it is not cheap. It is without money but also without price. The gospel has a simplicity yet it must never be undervalued. Appreciating the fulness of the gospel should be our daily delight. It has dimensions that challenge our ability to measure. There are at least eight ways in which we can attempt to measure the greatness of salvation. Andrew Gray draws out the dimensions of this great salvation in a sermon on Hebrews 2:3 “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation”. This great salvation is offered in the gospel. In Ephesians 1:13 it is called “the gospel of our salvation” and in Acts 13:26 “the word of this salvation”. 1. Its Great Cost No less a price was laid down to purchase this great salvation than the blood of the Son of God. Where does salvation flow to you from? It comes running to you in a stream of the blood of the Son of God. This is clear from Hebrews 9:12: “Neither by the blood of goats and calves,

By Rev. Samuel Davies - Posted at Grace Gems : "The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ!" 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 This restless world is now in an unusual ferment; kingdom rising up against kingdom, and nation against nation; armories filling, weapons glistening, cannons roaring, and human blood streaming, both by sea and land. These things engross the thoughts and conversation of mankind, and alarm their fears and anxieties. But there is another kind of war carrying on in the world; a war, the outcome of which is of infinitely greater importance; a war of nearly six thousand years standing; that is, ever since the first grand rebellion of mankind against God; a war in which we are all engaged as parties, and in the result of which our immortal in

By Rev. Michael J. Ericson - Posted at Presbyterian Reformed Church : March 3, 2003  A major controversy has developed over the past year in the Reformed community. While there are often differences and debates in the camp, I believe, this particular matter, is a watershed issue that could shape the direction of Reformed and Evangelical churches. It strikes at the very heart of the gospel, namely, the application of Christ’s redemption, the new birth, justification by faith alone, and conversion. To elucidate of what I speak, permit me to offer a review of the history of the controversy.  Early in 2002, the annual Pastors Conference was held at Auburn Avenue PCA, in Monroe, LA. The speakers were John Barach, Steve Schlissel, Steve Wilkins and Doug Wilson. The scope of God’s covenant with man in Christ, its administration, and appropriation were the substance of the conference. On June 22, 2002, Covenant Presbytery of the RPCUS issued a statement entitled “A Call to Repentance.”

Posted at A Twisted Crown of Thorns : This is the true account of Nathan Cole describing the moment he heard that the gospel was coming to Connecticut. George Whitefield was the preacher -as fields were emptied, people converged eagerly to listen with bated breaths. “Now it pleased God to send Mr. Whitefield into this land; and my hearing of his preaching at Philadelphia, like one of the Old apostles, and many thousands flocking to hear him preach the Gospel, and great numbers were converted to Christ; I felt the Spirit of God drawing me by conviction, longed to see and hear him, and wished he would come this way. And I soon heard he was come to New York and the Jerseys and great multitudes flocking after him under great concern for their Souls and many converted which brought on my concern more and more hoping soon to see him but next I heard he was at Long Island, then at Boston, and next at Northampton.  Then one morning all on a Sudden, about 8 or 9 o’clock there came a m

By T. M. Moore - Posted at  The Fellowship of Ailbe : Begin Here, Remain Here (1) “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and thento the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.” Acts 26.19, 20 The deepest need Many Christians today believe that saving faith – full faith – consists of hearing, responding to, and continuing in the hope of the Good News of Jesus Christ. “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,” they explain. Just believe, and keep believing in the hope of forgiveness and eternal life. From this perspective, all we have to do in trying to reach others for Christ is put Jesus before them in a way that scratches their itch – whatever that might be – and some of them will come to Him and find a home in our midst. Are they lonely? Jesus is a friend and comforter. Do they lack a pur

By Stanley D. Gale - Posted at byFaith Online : A car careens into a tree because the alcohol-impaired driver fails to negotiate the curve. His wife is killed when her side of the vehicle makes impact. Their infant daughter, strapped in the backseat, survives but suffers injuries she will carry for the rest of her life. That incident haunts the man, a follower of Christ who took a wrong turn. He has confessed his sin to God and believes he has found forgiveness. He has even received forgiveness from his in-laws, but he cannot forgive himself, knowing that his actions have brought such pain to others. He has sought professional counseling. As much as it hurts to relive the moment, he finds it helps to express his grief. But no sooner does he leave the office than he finds his heart filling with guilt once again, like a leaky basement in a downpour. In trying to deal with it, he hears repeatedly how much more difficult it is for people to forgive themselves than it is to forgive ot

(35 Minutes) Link: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=18161914396

Posted at Tolle Lege: “These verses show us the peculiar plan by which the love of God has provided salvation for sinners. That plan is the atoning death of Christ on the cross.  Our Lord says to Nicodemus, ‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.’  By being ‘lifted up,’ our Lord meant nothing less than His own death upon the cross. That death, He would have us know, was appointed by God to be ‘the life of the world.’ (John 6:51.) It was ordained from all eternity to be the great propitiation and satisfaction for man’s sin.  It was the payment, by an Almighty Substitute and Representative, of man’s enormous debt to God. When Christ died upon the cross, our many sins were laid upon Him. Read more... 

By A.W. Pink - Posted at Grace Gems : "The glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me." 1 Timothy 1:11 Most of the so-called evangelism of our day is a grief to genuine Christians, for they feel that it lacks any scriptural warrant, that it is dishonoring unto God, and that it is filling the churches with empty professors! They are shocked that so much frothy superficiality , fleshly excitement and worldly allurement should be associated with the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They deplore the cheapening of the Gospel, the beguiling of unwary souls, and the carnalizing and commercializing of what is to them, ineffably sacred. It requires little spiritual discernment to perceive that the evangelistic activities of Christendom during the last century have steadily deteriorated from bad to worse—yet few appear to realize the root from which this evil has sprung. It will now be our endeavor to expose the same. Its aim was wrong, and therefore its

By AW Pink - Posted at Grace Online Library : "The gospel of Satan is not a system of revolutionary principles, nor yet a program of anarchy. It does not promote strife and war, but aims at peace and unity. It seeks not to set the mother against her daughter nor the father against his son, but fosters the fraternal spirit whereby the human race is regarded as one great ‘brotherhood.’ It does not seek to drag down the natural man, but to improve and uplift him. It advocates education and cultivation and appeals to ‘the best that is within us.’ It aims to make this world such a comfortable and congenial habitat that Christ’s absence from it will not be felt and God will not be needed. It endeavors to occupy man so much with this world that he has no time or inclination to think of the world to come. It propagates the principles of self-sacrifice, charity and benevolence, and teaches us to live for the good of others, and to be kind to all. It appeals strongly to the carnal mind

"The second reason why such holy days are an abomination to God is that it is necessary to sanction error in order to give them our esteem. We shall again cite Christmas by way of example. If there were any possibility that the date of Christ's birth were preserved through tradition, then it would be January 6th rather than December 25th which deserved the preference. The Greek Church is an older institution than is the Latin. And if tradition has any validity, that validity depends upon antiquity. "Even if we were to appeal to the false criterion of tradition we would be condemned! However, as tradition is condemned by Scripture we can neither build upon it nor be judged by it. "Much more important is the fact that the celebration of Christmas (and other such humanly devised holy days) distorts the true gospel of Jesus Christ. By the special religious observance of certain days, certain aspects of the gospel are given a prominence which is not given them

Christian Focus By Andy Wilson - Posted at The Ordained Servant : The Story of The Marrow of Modern Divinity The Marrow of Modern Divinity is a book with an interesting history and an important message. The title is indicative of the book’s content: it is filled with choice quotations from key Reformers, including Luther, Calvin, Bullinger, Ursinus, and Ames. First published in 1645 by an English bookseller/barber/surgeon named Edward Fisher, it was also at the heart of a controversy in the eighteenth-century Scottish church. In the midst of that controversy, a minister named Thomas Boston published an edition of The Marrow that contained extensive explanatory notes on Fisher’s text. A 2009 edition published by Christian Focus presents Boston’s helpful, but sometimes cumbersome, notes in a reader-friendly format. [1] The Marrow is written as a dialogue among four characters: Evangelista (a minister of the gospel); Nomista (a legalist); Antinomista (an antinomian); and Neo