The following is a post by Pastor Rob Golding of First Artesia Christian Reformed Church. He also writes for the Westminster Theological Seminary Magazine. Penal substitutionary atonement is difficult to understand, in part because we fail to conceive of the parties involved properly. Matters are complicated when the likes of N.T. Wright hyperbolically refer to “justification” in … Continue reading Defending Penal Substitution
Right now, you and I are experiencing the effects of sin, even if we are not conscious of it. When Adam fell and sin entered this world, it wreaked all kinds of havoc. One of sin’s most detrimental effects is that it causes separation, specifically, four types of separation. Francis Schaeffer once laid these out in his book, Genesis … Continue reading The Four Separations of Sin
Verbal inspiration is the doctrine that the Bible is precisely word-for-word what God wanted to say. It is not merely the thoughts and truths of scripture that are inspired but the very words themselves. Upon first hearing the term, many people confuse the word “verbal” with “audible.” The verbal inspiration of scripture is not the … Continue reading How Can Scripture Be Verbally Inspired?
What makes a good systematic theology? In speaking primarily of Evangelical systematic theology, there are at least four important aspects in addition to it being derived from scripture. 1. It is comprehensive, 2. it involves coherent organization, 3. it should apply to issues of the day, and 4. it should all be done for the … Continue reading What Makes a Good Systematic Theology?
Futility. That is what every attempt at rebellion against God entails. Every railing of sin, every shaking of the fist in His face, results in the same thing: nothing. We serve an unchanging God, and nothing can diminish His perfections. For I, the LORD, do not change. – Malachi 3:6 Thomas Brooks once said, “If … Continue reading Finding Joy in the Immutability of God
Revelation 20 is one of the most debated passages in Scripture. When reading commentaries on this passage, it seems that there are about as many interpretations as there are writers. What causes this to be such a unique passage of Scripture is that according to Eerdmans’ Handbook on the Bible, this is the Scripture "which … Continue reading The Millennium: A Look at Revelation 20
The Fight of Faith 