Archive for category Salvation
Do we strip God of His sovereignty!
The total sovereignty of God. I like this guys video's, here we have RC Sproul excerpts from a conference (04). I love this talk myself.. at the end of the video there is Horatius Bonars' hymn ''Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul" I have put the words to the Hymn below the video.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight." (Ephesians 1:3-9 ESV)
"We love because he first loved us". (1 John 4:19 ESV)
What an amazing awesome grace, an amzing grace that shone upon a sinner like me 
anyhow, make a cup of coffee sit back and listen to the video.
Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.
Your voice alone, O Lord, can speak to me of grace;
Your power alone, O Son of God, can all my sin erase.
No other work but Yours, no other blood will do;
No strength but that which is divine can bear me safely through.
Thy work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God, not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest, And set my spirit free.
I bless the Christ of God; I rest on love divine;
And with unfaltering lip and heart I call this Savior mine.
His cross dispels each doubt; I bury in His tomb
Each thought of unbelief and fear, each lingering shade of gloom.
I praise the God of grace; I trust His truth and might;
He calls me His, I call Him mine, My God, my joy and light.
’Tis He Who saveth me, and freely pardon gives;
I love because He loveth me, I live because He lives.
Horatius Bonar.
Soli Deo Gloria
An Introduction to Reformed Theology
This sermon (James White) along with several others in this series and writings from Spurgeon are what first introduced me to the doctrines of grace (also known as Reformed Theology or Calvinism). Here and in others in the series I may post soon, James White discusses what exactly Reformed Theology is and dispels many of the rumors that are made by opponents to the Reformed faith (or Calvinism). I highly recommend listening to this regardless if you believe you're familiar with the doctrines of grace or if you're wanting to learn more about them.
Scandalous!
Posted by Phil in Bible, New Testament, Salvation on March 26, 2010
I have just started reading a book called: Scandalous: The cross and resurrection of Jesus.
The Author is D.A Carson, The book is based on 5 talks he gave at MarsHill Church Seattle (Mark Driscoll).
The first chapter (based on Matthew 27:27-51a) is on the mocking of Christ in His final Hours by Roman guards and those at the scene of the crucifixion. First of all the deep irony of the mocking Roman guards, dressing Jesus up as a King and taunting Him. Of course, the irony of this is, that, Jesus really is the one true King something they did not realise in their taunts and the same goes for those mocking at the crucifixion.
This is the last part of the Chapter and I love it … just thought I would share with you.
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The man who is mocked as King —- is King
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The man who is utterly powerless—- is Powerful
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The man who can't save Himself—– saves others
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The man who cries out to God——–Trusts God
Followed by this poem.
On that wretched day the soldiers mocked him,
Raucous laughter in a barracks room,
“Hail the King!” they sneered, while spitting on him,
Brutal beatings on this day of gloom.
Though his crown was thorn, he was born a King -
Holy brilliance bathed in bleeding loss-
All the soldiers blind to this stunning theme:
Jesus reigning from a cursed cross.
Awful weakness mars the battered God-man,
Far too broken to hoist the beam,
Soldiers strip him bare and pound the nails in,
watch him hanging on the cruel tree.
God's own temple's down! He has been destroyed!
Death's remains are laid in rock and sod.
But the temple rises in God's wise ploy:
Our great temple is the son of God.
“Here's the One who says he cares for others,
One who says he came to save the lost.
How can we believe that he saves others'
When he can't get of that bloody cross.
Let him save himself! Let him come down now!”-
Savage jeering at the king's disgrace.
But by hanging there is precisely how
Christ saves other as King of grace.
Draped in darkness, utterly rejected.
Crying, “Why have you forsaken me?”
Jesus bears God's wrath alone, dejected–
Weeps the bitt'rest tears instead of me.
All the mockers cry, “He has lost his trust!
He's defeated by hypocrisy!”
But with faith's resolve, Jesus knows he must
Do God's will and swallow death for me.
N.T. Wright and the Doctrine of Justification: A Panel Discussion
Posted by Phil in New Testament, Salvation on February 9, 2010
Further from my post yesterday, on ligioner's website there is a video on NT Wrights view of the gospel. This is a panel discussion, but will give you an idea of what NT Wright is trying to say or trying to avoid saying??. NT Wright takes a view, that, the reformers got it wrong about Justification, particularly on their view of works based salvation in Judaism in 1st century Palestine.
It seems as though NT Wright has based his views on 1st century Judaism on EP Sanders (EP Sanders is a liberal evangelical) work, anyhow check the video out for yourself. Mark Seifried answers this correctly around the 10 minute mark in the discussion.
(Albert Mohler leads a panel discussion at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with professors Tom Schreiner, Mark Seifrid, Denny Burk, and Brian Vickers on N.T. Wright and the Doctrine of Justification (September 2009))
Is ‘NT Wright’ Teaching Another Gospel?
Posted by Phil in New Testament, Salvation, covenant on February 8, 2010
It seems that everywhere you turn, you can read differing opinions on NT Wrights (New) perspective on Paul. NT Wright adds to earlier works (Dunn and Sanders) although, he does not agree with everything they had to say. So the question remains, is Tom Wright re – writing the Gospel? Did the reformers get it wrong or is the 'New Perspective' the correct understanding of 'what Paul really said'?
Here are some helpful links that will show where NT Wright has got it wrong:
- Ligon Duncan and Sinclair Ferguson address the question, "Is Wright teaching another gospel from the New Testament, as understood & written by the Apostle Paul?" Watch the Video!
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The Doctrine of Justification and the New Perspectives on Paul – For the past few decades, a paradigm shift in New Testament scholarship has led some researchers to question whether the church has rightly understood first-century Judaism and the apostle Paul. In the name of a “New Perspective on Paul,” certain men are calling for a reassessment of the traditional Pauline understanding of the doctrine of justification, the nature of good works, and other elements essential to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Prominent among these figures is N.T. Wright, bishop of Durham and theologian who in his voluminous writings is demanding a new reading of Paul, even claiming that the Protestant Reformers misunderstood the apostle to read more and see a huge resource of materials click here