There is still plenty of time to register for the Great Bavinck Giveaway! Subscribe by April 20 to be included in the drawing for a free copy of Bavinck’s ‘Saved by Grace’ (RHB, 2008). See the March 16 post for details. Our last post examined the outset of the Reformed ‘Covenant’ view of grace. Bavinck suggests it’s the middle way between the high Roman Church and the Anabaptist view on the opposite end.

There is a ‘cog’ between transmitting grace and receiving grace for salvation. It is a very important cog. It’s where to place the first moment of ‘regeneration’ in the order of salvation. The question is: does regeneration happen before or after ‘calling’? Many within the Reformed camp assume regeneration happens before baptism and others similarly hold that it could also (not to exclude the former possibility) occur a few days into one’s life, as in the case of covenant children who die in infancy. That rule, explains Bavinck, is the concession that regeneration happens apart from the agency of the Word, or through the Word; it’s a matter of degree, not principle. What’s the point? The Reformed believe that grace is free: The Lord has instituted signs and wonders to accommodate the means of grace e.g. the Word and Sacrament which proceed from Christ by His Spirit. Sounds good, right?

On the other hand, argue the Anabaptists generally, the Sprit is opposed to nature. Regeneration precedes ‘calling’ through the Word. This means the Holy Spirit works directly, effectually, and irresistibly in the human heart in opposition to the Word or other material  means. The church, they contend, does not itself mediate grace. Nor does the minister directly convey grace to the believer. The scriptures for that matter do not contain the actual reality of grace, but from the Holy Spirit alone. In sales, it’s ideal to successfully cut the middle man. But in this case this is no way to save.

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By faith [the Christian] is a member of the covenant [of grace], and that faith has a wide outlook, a comprehensive character, which not only points to justification but also to all the benefits which are in Christ. Whereas the Lutheran tends to view faith one-sidedly–only it its connection with justification–for the Reformed Christian it is saving faith in all the magnitude of the word. According to the Lutheran, the Holy Spirit first generates faith in the sinner who temporarily still remains outside of union with Christ; then justification follows faith and only then, in turn, does the mystical union with the Mediator take place . . . The covenantal (or Reformed) outlook is the reverse. One is first united to Christ, the Mediator of the covenant, by a mystical union, which finds its conscious recognition by faith. By this union with Christ all that is in Christ is simultaneously given. Faith embraces all this too; it not only grasps justification, but lays hold of Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King, as his rich and full Messiah.

—
Vos, Geerhardus. "Doctrine of the Covenant in Reformed Theology" in Redemptive-History and Biblical Interpretation edited by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.  p 256.

We had the distinct privilege to talk with Rev. Jim O’Brien, pastor of Reedy River PCA and contributor to Feeding on Christ, about the Puritans, their theology and their writings. You can listen to the episode here.

A nice addition to this interview is the Sinclair Ferguson lecture he gave at the dedication of the Puritan Resource Center. You can listen to this lecture here.

“It smells of the prison. It was written when the author was confined in Bedford jail. And ministers never write or preach so well as when under the cross: the Spirit of Christ and of Glory then rests upon them.”

May Jesus keep us near the cross!

“If Jesus is precious to you, you will not be able to keep your good news to yourself. You will be whispering it into your child’s ear. You will be telling it to your husband. You will be earnestly imparting it to your friend. Without the charms of eloquence you will be more than eloquent: your heart will speak, and your eyes will flash as you talk of His sweet love.

Every Christian here is either a missionary or an impostor. Recollect that. You either try to spread abroad the kingdom of Christ, or else you do not love Him at all. It cannot be that there is a high appreciation of Jesus and a totally silent tongue about Him. Of course I do not mean by that, that those who use the pen are silent: they are not. And those who help others to use the tongue, or spread that which others have written, are doing their part well: but that man who says, ‘I believe in Jesus,’ but does not think enough of Jesus ever to tell another about Him, by mouth, or pen, or tract, is an impostor.

You are either doing good, or you are not good yourself. If thou knowest Christ, thou art as one that has found honey. Thou wilt call others to taste of it. Thou art like the lepers who found the food which the Syrians had cast away: thou wilt go to Samaria and tell the hungry crowd that thou hast found Jesus, and art anxious that they should find Him too. Be wise in your generation, and speak of Him in fitting ways and at fitting times, and so in every place proclaim the fact that Jesus is most precious to your soul.”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, “A Sermon and a Reminiscence,” Sword and the Trowel (March 1873), as cited on http://www.spurgeon.org/s_and_t/srmn1873.htm.

http://tollelege.wordpress.com/

“The chief article and foundation of the gospel is that before you take Christ as an example, you accept and recognize him as a gift, as a present that God has given you and that is your own. This means that when you see or hear of Christ doing or suffering something, you do not doubt that Christ himself, with his deeds and suffering, belongs to you. On this you may depend as surely as if you had done it yourself; indeed as if you were Christ himself. See, this is what it means to have a proper grasp of the gospel, that is, of the overwhelming goodness of God, which neither prophet nor apostle, nor angel was ever able fully to express, and which no heart could adequately fathom or marvel at. This is the great fire of the love of God for us, whereby the heart and conscience become happy, secure, and content. The is what preaching the Christian faith means.”

When I was preaching through the book of Ephesians I came across a series of transcribed lectures that Eric Alexander had delivered at the 1984 Urbana Conference on the first three chapters of the Epistle. Recently I have found a series he did at the 1981 Urbana Conference on Acts 2, 4-6, 6-7, 13:1-6 and 16. I am certain that you will benefit immensely from reading them. The link to each exposition is listed below:

Eric Alexander on Acts

Pentecost and Missions (Acts 2)
Mission and Opposition (Acts 4-6)
Mission and the People God Calls (Acts 6-7)
Mission and Vision (Acts 13:1-6; and 16 )

Eric Alexander on Ephesians

The Basis of Christian Salvation (Ephesians 1:1-14)
The Ministry of Christian Interceding (Ephesians 1:15-23)
The Nature of Christian Experience (Ephesians 2)
The Privileges of Christian Ministry (Ephesians 3)

Over at Historia Salutis I have posted a short piece on a biblical theological approach to understanding trials and temptations. You can read it here .

The poorest of the poor need many things . . . food, clothing, protection. Most of all they need the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

May we live lives worthy of the Gospel to help people in dire situations . . . in our neighborhoods and all over the world.

Pray for these children

Pray for these women

Come Lord Jesus and end all this! Come even now!

MP3 lectures of several of the lectures delivered at the 2009 Calvin Conference, hosted by GPTS , are now online. Available for download are Joel Beeke’s lecture, Calvin the Theologian of the Holy Spirit , and Joseph Pipa’s lecture, Calvin the Preacher .

You can also watch the videos by visiting the links below:

Joel Beeke:Calvin the Theologian of the Holy Spirit

Joseph Pipa: Calvin the Preacher

Thanks to the kind permission of Dr. Joel Beeke and the men at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, this lecture by Sinclair Ferguson, given at the dedication of the Puritan Resource Center, is now available for download. I listened to this lecture the night it was given and was greatly encouraged. It is a wonderful reminder of the blessing you can reap from studying the lives and writings of the Puritans. This is also a reason you should consider taking courses at PRTS and/or GPTS.

I also want to remind you to be on the lookout for the next episode of Christ the Center. We interviewed Rev. James T. O’Brien on an Introduction to the Puritans. Pastor O’Brien was my pastor in Greenville and studied under such men as John Gerstner and Ford Lewis Battles. I think you will find this episode to be a thought provoking talk on the Puritans. It will be coming out this Friday.

Our last post touched on Bavinck’s theology of the covenant from his book Saved by Grace , (Reformation Heritage Books, 2008). From there we outlined the Reformed concept of salvation, rooted in God’s covenant, as the middle way when compared to the Romanist and Anabaptist concepts of receiving grace and salvation. We now pick the conversation back up in Bavinck’s RD (vol. 3, ch. 5), for some initial remarks on the covenant as both the nucleus and the dividing line of special revelation.

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Over at Old Life, D. G. Hart has an important post dealing with the ongoing discussion about the relationship between union with Christ, justification and sanctification. You can read it here.  If you have not been following the discussion I would recommend that you listen to this recent episode of the Reformed Media Review. The central issue in Darryl’s post has to do with the identification of what John Murray called “definitive sanctification” (see volume 2 of The Collected Writings of John Murray for a defense of the doctrine of “definitive sanctification”). The use of this terminology is troubling to many on account of its absence in our historic Reformed creeds and confessions. We must be incredibly careful when asserting doctrinal positions that are not spelled out in the historic Reformed confessions. But does the fact that it is not mentioned in them mean that it is wrong? I would encourage anyone engaged in this debate to carefully weigh what both sides are saying. Do not be hasting to attribute anything to anyone unless you are sure you know what the other is saying. And, let me emphatically affirm, we are all uniformly opposed to the “Federal Vision” and “New Perspective on Paul” formulations of justification. All of the men at Feeding on Christ wholly adopt the OPC and PCA study committee reports on these issues.

While I rarely promote political issues on this site, I really believe this is an extremely important issue for you to consider. Coral Ridge Ministries is asking individuals to sign a petition in opposition to hate crime legislation.

Alan Keyes explains the details of the present push and dangerous nature of “hate crime” legislation here .

Similar legislation is presently being pushed for in Scotland, and has been in place for years in England and Wales.
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Bavinck’s theology is looking for life; to articulate it, to revel in it, and to encapsulate it especially as it is found in the certainty and context of divine revelation. One of the best characteristics of Bavinck’s work is that his polemics and theological controversy are never battles over words and the consistency of artificial constructions. He is looking for the theory that best explains and enhances our shared experience and has found it in the Reformed expression of faith and life.

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Here is the link to the most recent Christ the Center Interview. This time we had the distinct privilege of interviewing Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin, professor of church history and Biblical spirituality at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, about the importance of studying the early church fathers and reading them as did the Protestant Reformers.
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Updates from the 2009 Ligonier National Conference are online at the Ligonier Ministry blog. You can read them here . There will be a live webcasting for the remainder of the conference tomorrow. You can watch the live feed here . At 8:30 AM, on Friday morning, Sinclair Ferguson will be preaching. His message is titled "Hallowed By Your Name: The Holiness of the Father." You have to register first in order to watch the live webcast. You can do so here .

Last week we had the privilege of interviewing Michael Haykin on the importance of studying the church fathers. The full interview will be released tomorrow at the Reformed Forum . For now, here is a special excerpt from the end of our conversation. It is not included in the forthcoming interview.

For those of you who have not read my previous post about Dr. Robert K. Rudolph you can find that post here. You can read more about him here. Below is a picture of Dr. Rudolph with his good friend Dr. Van Til. My father had both men as professors in Seminary. I have learned more from them, through my father, than probably from any other theologians.

You will find all of Dr. Rudolph’s class lectures I have converted to MP3 below. I apologize for the poor editing work I did on them. Please spread these around as Dr. Rudolph’s son, Karl, has given me permission to make them public.
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Our last post summarized Bavinck’s definition of sin as a non-physical ethical force that is not exactly ‘non-being’ but certainly strives in that direction. Death, the result of sin, was pronounced as judgment in Genesis 2 but there is more mystery and complication to this ‘death sentence’ than there is certainty.

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The Christ the Center audio program panel recently had the privilege of interviewing Dr. T. David Gordon about his new book Why Johnny Can’t Preach which you can listen to here. The book is an absolute delight to read. However, the subject hits a little too close to home for a preacher like me! I never am satisfied that my preaching is up to par and now I have even more reason to doubt it. My goal is to lift up Jesus Christ and to exposit the specific text I have chosen within the overall flow of redemptive history. However, my commitment to the right approach to preaching-which is Christ-centered, redemptive-historical, and experimental and applicatory in all the proper senses of these descriptive words-is no guarantee that I will preach well. Being convinced of the right way to preach is only one factor. Apparently I am not alone in my self-dissatisfaction.
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The wife of Dr. David Martyn Lloyd-Jones has opened up a window that allows us to peer into what life was like for them in their first church in this short little book, Memories of Sandfields. Bethan Lloyd-Jones makes the world of Aberavon, Wales in the late 1920s to late 1930s come to life with these reminiscences and vignettes of a host of trophies of grace at the Bethlehem Forward Movement Church (commonly referred to as “Sandfields”). Mrs. Lloyd-Jones, a medical doctor in her own right, brings the meticulous physicians eye for detail to the task of recalling the moving times at this Welsh Presbyterian congregation.

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Reformation Heritage Books, Joel Heflin, and Feeding on Christ are hosting a Bavinck giveaway, to be drawn on April 20^. There are three unique giveaways.

The first will be sponsored by Reformation Heritage Book Talk. They will be giving away 2 Bavinck books, Saved by Grace: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Calling and Regeneration (Reformation Heritage Books, 2008) and Essays on Religion, Science and Society (Baker Academic, 2008). In order to be entered into this contest, simply subscribe to RH blog, and email Michael at mmdewalt@gmail.com and let him know you have subscribed.

The second Bavinck giveaway is hosted by Joel Heflin. He is giving away Saved by Grace: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Calling and Regeneration (Reformation Heritage Books, 2008) ) hosted by RHB. To be entered to this drawing, subscribe to Joel ’s blog spot and email Joel at jheflin27@yahoo.com to let him know you have subscribed to the blog.

The third giveaway is sponsored by Feeding on Christ. The guys at Feeding on Christ are giving away Saved by Grace: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Calling and Regeneration (Reformation Heritage Books, 2008). To enter this contest, simply subscribe to Feeding on Christ and email them at nbatzig@gmail.com to let them know you have subscribed.

If you have already subscribed to all or any of these blogs, and you want to be entered into the contest, simply email the sight manager of the blog you subscribed to above. Please let him know who you are, where you’re from, and that you’ve subscribed. Your name will be entered into the contest of the blog(s) to which you have subscribed.

Jeff Downs sent me some audio links from a Conference he put together featuring Stephen Nichols. The lectures were on Jonathan Edwards’ apologetic method. You can find the first lecture here and the second one here. They were apparently delivered sometime close to the release of An Absolute Sort of Certainty.

Here are the audio lectures from the 2007 Simeon Trust Biblical Expositors Workshop at College Church, Wheaton, IL. The speakers were Phil Ryken, Kent Hughes, and David Helm. The theme of the workshop was Christ in the Law of Moses. The lectures that Phil gave on portions of Exodus are particularly helpful. I would also recommend Phil’s commentary on Exodus in Crossway Books’ “Preach the Word” series.

I asked my good friend Stephen Burch to contribute a few posts to the “Notes on the Apocalypse” series here at Feeding on Christ. Picking up at the end of Revelation 1, Burch notes:

Everyone needs the gospel at every point in life. There is never a point in life when we graduate from the gospel. The Apostle John towards the end on his life in no exception. John was perhaps the holiest and most mature man on the planet. Think of John’s stellar life. He walked with Jesus in his earthly ministry. He was present when Jesus was transfigured. He witnessed the cross. He saw the risen Jesus. At Pentecost, John was clothed with power. He had done miracles, planted Church’s, written 4 books of the Bible and been instrumental in who knows how many people coming to know and be matured in Jesus. But, all this does not mean John has moved past his need for the gospel!

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Thanks to Justin Taylor for pointing out this article in a recent Time Magazine on the impact of Calvinism on the world. You can read the article here . It is fascinating that Time would dedicate an article to anything Calvinistic. It also is interesting that the author, David Van Biema (a good Dutch name–with a Reformed background?), mentioned Roman Catholicism’s recent move to reinstate indulgences. This, of course, lay at the heart of the Reformation. If you have to buy your way out of purgatory Christ could not be an all-sufficient Savior. I do have to say that Van Biema ends the article in a less than desirable way.

IF YOU ARE IN CHRIST JESUS BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH . . .

You are justified (made right with God) and have peace with God – Romans – 5:1

You died with Christ and died to the power of sin’s rule over your life – Romans 6:1-6

Your God is unlike any other, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage. He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on you, and will subdue your iniquities. He will cast all your sins into the depths of the sea – Micah 7:18-19

Your sins have been removed from you as far as the east is from the west – Psalm 103:12

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow – Isaiah 1:18
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Carl Trueman has a very helpful post over at Reformation 21 showing the ungenerous nature of "generous orthodoxy." In typical Trueman like fashion, he shows the logical weakness of the position championed by Brian McLaren and adopted by emergents of all kinds. You really should read this post.

Desiring God has a new web site design. It is similar to the old one, but is much more user friendly in my opinion. I thought the old one was too busy. This one makes finding things much easier!

Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (PRTS) has just created a section on their website where you can sign in as a guest and sample a course lecture. Since I am enrolled in the Th.M. program at PRTS I thought it would be fitting to promote this wonderful school. Dr. Joel Beeke will be familiar to most of our readers, but the other two full time professors, Dr. David Murray and Dr. Gerald Bilkes, are excellent teachers as well. Puritan has a rare blend of historica Reformed orthodoxy, experimental preaching, pastoral theology and scholarship. Like my Alma Mater, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, it would be a great school for anyone interested in pursuing the pastorate. It happens to be very affordable as well. I do hope you will listen to one of more of the free class lectures here .

For all who are unable to attend Greenville Seminary’s Spring Theology Conference on John Calvin this week, the following evening sessions will be offered via a live webcast:
7:00 PM Tuesday (March 10): Dr. Joseph A. Pipa, Jr.: Calvin the Preacher
7:00 PM Wednesday (March 11): Dr. Joel Beeke: Calvin the Theologian of the Holy Spirit
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For all of you Bavinck fans, you can now find Synopsis purioris theologiae, disputationibus quinquaginta duabus comprehensa, ac conscripta per Johannem Polyandrum, Andream Rivetum, Antonium Walaeum, Antonium Thysium ( 1881) by Hermann Bavinck on-line here here. Of course, being able to read Latin might help. Sorry!

It is probable that the whole of Matthew’s Gospel is a typological fulfillment of Israel’s history. This means, of course, that all of Christ’s life is the chronological anti-type of Israel’s experience. Here is a brief explanation:

Matthew opens with the words: “The book of the generations of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of Abraham.” Why only mention David and Abraham? Simply put, they were the two Israelitish covenant heads who were organically related to Christ. Jesus did not come from Moses’ seed, but he did come from Abraham and David. Note also the way that Matthew mentions David first, then Abraham. As the genealogy unfolds he starts with Abraham, moves to David, goes through the exile and finally comes to the fulfillment of the promises. This structure sets the grid for understanding Matthew’s Gospel.

Matthew could have chosen to take the genealogy back to Noah and Adam (as Luke chooses to do) but it appears that he wanted to stop at Abraham to explain the Israel/Christ typology. This is further developed by the reference to Hosea 11:2 in Matthew 2, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” Then by the baptism, the temptation in the wilderness, the Sermon on the Mount, the feeding of the multitudes, the references to David and Solomon, the pronouncement of ‘woes’ on the leaders of Israel, and His death on the cross (i.e. the great exile).
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You can listen to part 2 of our interview with Guy Prentiss Waters here. In this episode we have attempted to give a fair and biblical critique of N.T. Wright’s new book Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision (already out in the UK, scheduled for a June 2009 release in the States). You can listen to part 1 of the interview here.

Here is the new edition of the Directory of Public Worship, published by Christians Focus. Sinclair Ferguson and Mark Dever have introductory essays in it. Ferguson’s chapter is titled “Puritans: Ministers of the World,” and Dever’s chapter is titled “Preaching Like the Puritans.” You can find a PDF copy of these introductory essays here, thanks to the work of WTS Books.

Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS), in Philadelphia, has developed a new audio resource page. You have to register to access the audio, but it is all free. There are humdreds of valuable audio lectures and sermons from such theologians as E.J. Young, Cornellius Van Til, John Murray, Edmund Clowney, Sinclair Ferguson, Richard Gaffin, Vern Poythress, Darryl Hart, Lane Tipton, Bill Edgar, David Powlison, Ed Welsh, etc. You can sign up here.

I have recently written a post over at Historia Salutis that deals with Old Covenant Theocratic sanctions in redemptive history. You can find this post here.

Here is the link to all the audio from the Architectural Setting of Christian Worship Conference. You will, of course, want to listen to the lectures by Terry Johnson and Hughes Oliphant Old, but I have heard many compliments about David Gobal’s talk, “Temple or Meeting House: Church Building in Historical Perspective .” Those who are planting a church or getting ready to build a church building may find this talk particularly interesting.

In our last few posts we’ve been plowing through Bavinck’s analysis of original sin and what was lost by the fall. Human beings did not become ‘sub’ creatures after breaking the covenant or works, but something changed. The original relationship and integrity with God was destroyed when sin took advantage of the commandment. Here is a brief look at Bavinck’s analysis of the nature of sin in what he describes as ‘mystery in variety’.

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Crossway has announced that the online edition of the ESV Study Bible will be available to everyone for a limited time.

Created to help people understand the Bible in a deeper way, the ESV Study Bible, with 2,752 pages of notes and resources, is the most comprehensive study Bible ever published. In addition to the features found in the print edition, the ESV Online Study Bible provides numerous interactive features enabling readers to:

• Record personal notes, reflections, and links
• Click hyperlinked cross references
• Search by verse, topic, or keyword
• Digitally highlight Bible passages or key words with various colors
• Listen to audio of passages

Revelation 1:5-10 really is the master key to unlock the structure of the book. While the throne of God, the trumpets, bowls, and seals all play a central role in this book, the book would be, as I noted in the previous post, meaningless without its Christological structure. Put simply, the book is about Jesus Christ–specifically with regard to His first and second coming. And is this a surprise to us? It shouldn’t be if we have come to see that the Bible is about the Lord Jesus Christ and the work He does in His first and second coming. Isn’t this what Jesus taught to His disciples on the road to Emmaus, concerning the doctrine of the Old Testament, when he said to them, “O foolish ones and slow in heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and entered into His glory ?” There, Jesus proceeded to open the Scriptures and “beginning with Moses and the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself .” Peter also explained this when he wrote, “10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow (1 Peter 1:10-11).”
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James White, over at Alpha and Omega Ministries , pointed out this video in which CNN treats the subject of the UN and freedom of speech. It appears that the UN is now pushing to make it illegal to say or write anything that contradicts Muslim beliefs. This is very serious. When liberal news media CNN is concerned you can be sure that it serious! Watch for yourself.

On July 27, 2008, Richard B. Gaffin preached a sermon, at Grace OPC in Vienna, VA,  on the High Priesthood of Christ from the book of Hebrews. You can listen here .

I apologize for the delay in posting these audio files. In March of 2006 Guy Prentiss Waters spoke at the Grace OPC theology Conference in San Antonio, TX. The topic was "Justification." You can find all the audio here .

Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. briefly reviewed Michael Horton’s Covenant and Salvation in Ordained Servant.  The main criticism lies in Horton’s performative notion of the declaration of justification.

Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. responds to John Fesko’s criticisms of his views in the latest edition of Ordained Servant.  Fesko criticizes the “Gaffin school” for rooting sanctification in union with Christ rather than in justification.  The response is helpful and may clarify the issues for those in the throws of this exchange.  Gaffin recently discussed this topic on Christ the Center.

Over at The Resurgence , Mark Driscoll has posted a link to the audio from the 2008 Biblical Parenting Conference. Ted Tripp, author of Shepherding a Child’s Heart, and Instructing a Child’s Heart , gave the following talks:
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