For quite a while now I have wanted to publish a list of what I believe to be the 15 most beneficial books on the cross. This list does not include all of the various Systematic Theologies, such as Calvin’s Institutes, which include sections on Christology or the atonement. There are, of course, many Puritan works that deal with the atonement and the Person and work of Christ. This is a list of the particular individual volumes I have benefited from most:

#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14
#15

Editors Note: I am ashamed to admit that I forgot about this book. Thanks to Josh Walker for making me painfully aware of this unbelievable oversight. So I guess its top 16 now!

As a nice addition to the previous Eric Alexander post on “The Cross is the Experience of the Father,” you can now watch Sinclair Ferguson’s message from the 2009 Ligonier National Conference, The Holiness of the Father.

HT: Iain Campbell

It is not uncommon to hear someone refer to Sinclair Ferguson as being the best theologian in the English speaking world. Anyone who has read his books or heard his sermons and lectures will admit that this is in no way an unfit commendation. His style is simply yet profound, his expositions are terse but weighty–his insights are simply unparalleled. It is due in part to his mastery of the various theological loci . His uncanny ability to wed systematic, biblical, exegetical and historical theology in his expositions of Scripture demonstrate this unsurpassed giftedness.

There is another aspect of his ministry that is often overlooked (of the same essence as that which he has so often commended in the life and ministry of Richard Baxter). Ferguson has, on several occasions, alluded to the fact that Baxter would “set time bombs in Kidderminster” by illustrating divine truth with everyday objects in the city. The brilliance of this method was that, no matter where someone walked in the city they would be reminded of something Baxter had said in a sermon. Like Baxter before him, Sinclair Ferguson exhibits the ability to draw from Scripture and bring it to bear on the experiences and objects in the world. Without trivializing transcendent truths, he demonstrates their experiential relevance in the world in which we live.

All the strengths that Sinclair Ferguson brings to his biblical expositions are found in the articles republished in Reformation Trust’s recently released, In Christ Alone. Written over a twenty year period, articles from Eternity Magazine and Tabletalk have been edited and organized into a manageable volume. Even the cover art, designed by Geoff Stevens, demonstrates the time and effort that went into making this volume so impressive. In Christ Alone is a welcomed addition to the Reformation Trust series.
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Several years ago I was working for a construction company–renovating and building homes. It was probably one of the most difficult jobs I have ever had; but it was what God used to teach me the value of working hard. One weekday morning, I woke up and read the evening section of this particular section of the Daily Light . As I drove to work that morning I meditated on Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” I was not sure why that particular verse stuck out as the one on which I would meditate as I went to work. That morning turned out to be one of the hardest mornings I had at this job. We had just finished building an extension on the back of a home and now had to put new sod down where we had ruined the grass. I was asked to rake a huge pile of dirt across the section we would put new grass on. As I labored and grumbled, I soon discovered that there were birds (Robins) right next to me. I labored and they hopped around. After a little while I realized that they were much closer to me than birds generally get. I started wondering why they were not afraid of me. I stopped and watched them for a minute. They were eating worms. “Well,” I thought, “Birds eat worms; there’s nothing unusual about that.” Then I realized what was happening. As I raked the dirt, I was being used to uncover the worms that lay beneath. The verse I had read that morning came to mind, “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.” My Father in heaven was using me to reap and labor so that the birds would be fed. There was, of course, an even greater truth in this rare experience. My Father was teaching me that He cares so much more for me than for them. “Are you not of more value than they?” My heavenly Father has abundantly provided for me since that time. I have never been in want. He has taught me that “every good and every perfect gift comes from…the Father of lights.” He had taught me to trust Him for my needs.

Last night, almost 7 years after that event, I was sitting on my bed expressing my worries about the church plant. “How are we going to get support;” “If we can’t gather a core group we won’t have a church;” “What am I going to do?” These were the things coming out of my mouth. At that very moment, I opened the Daily Light and began to read the evening devotional I read almost 7 years ago that day. The Lord again reminded me to trust the One who feeds birds who do not labor for food, and in whom we live and move and have our being. Oh, that I would remember this lesson every day of my life. It is one of the greatest lessons we could ever learn. We have a Father in Heaven who cares deeply for us. He provides for our every need. He has so ordered nature to exhibit His care and preservation that we ought always to make the connection between His care for objects of lesser value and greater value. Above all He provided His Son as a sacrifice for sin. I am exceedingly thankful that He continues to teach me this lesson.

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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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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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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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.

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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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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Our three part series on the superadded gift (SG) was pretty difficult and challenging. This was especially true in our small group study but we’re still friends despite any differences as we wrestle through Bavinck’s analysis and (to quote Thomas Watson) the treachery of our own hearts. This post briefly recaps and reflects on Bavinck’s main points on the superadded gift.

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The second introduction, or the second feature of the introduction, of the book of Revelation is actually a Triune salutation. John writes:

“Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits before the throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and freed from our sin with His own blood and has made us kings and priests to our God.”

There are several significant details in the salutation. In the first place, it is a Triune blessing. Grace and peace come to the people of God from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is not so clear on the surface, because of the way in which each Person of the Godhead is spoken of, or from the order in which each member of the Godhead is mentioned.

John describes the Father as “Him who is and who was and who is to come.” He is the everlasting God. The One who has no beginning and no end. Though the Father is not mentioned by any particular name, and though this same description is applied to Jesus in verse 8, the construct necessitates this interpretation. The Father has already been mentioned at the beginning of the book by the name “God.” It is surely taught in Scripture that the Father and the Son are each God in every way that makes Him God. Deity is clearly attributed to the Spirit as well, in such places as Acts 5 where it is said that Ananias and Saphira have lied to the God by lying to the Holy Spirit. But, in the realm of redemption (i.e. the work of the economic Trinity) the Father is often referred to simply as “God.” The other confirmation is the reference to the Spirit and the Son in the subsequent verses.

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Phil Ryken has a very helpful post, over at Reformation 21, in which he points out the significance of the title of Darwin’s magnum opus The Origin of the Species . The subtitle?  The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life . In this post Dr. Ryken shows that there is an underlying premise of racism in Darwin’s Origin of the species . You can read Dr. Ryken’s post here .

Last night I had the enormous privilege of having Philip Graham Ryken preach at my ordination service. Beginning in September 2007 I served as a pastoral intern under Dr. Ryken at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Having Phil at my ordination service was a great blessing. A little over a month ago Phil informed me of what passage he would be preaching at the service–1 Corinthians 16:1-9. I have to admit, at first thought I wondered how appropriate this text would be for an ordination service. Not only did Phil’s reason for choosing this message and content surpass my expectations, the Lord greatly moved my heart with the specific applications that Phil made from the text. There was a creative element to the sermon that made it especially memorable. Phil moved from the text, focusing on the church planting endeavors of the apostle Paul, to John Calvin’s church planting in and from Geneva, to the present and my call to plant a church in Richmond Hill, Ga. You can find this sermon here . You can listen to or download it here as well.

Here is the link to the sermon that Phil Ryken preached at Elijah’s baptism. The text was Jeremiah 36:1-36. It was a great sermon with a very creative ending. This particular sermon exalted the centrality and importance of the word of God more than any I have heard in quite a while. Our friends, the Helfands, were also having their son, Daniel, baptized at this service.

Here is the link to the sermon that Phil Ryken preached at Elijah’s baptism. The text was Jeremiah 36:1-36. It was a great sermon with a very creative ending. This particular sermon exalted the centrality and importance of the word of God more than any I have heard in quite a while. Our friends, the Helfands, were also having their son, Daniel, baptized at this service.

No, I am not that short. Phil is just a really tall man!

Here is the link to sermons preached by Philip Graham Ryken, in 1996 and 1997, at College Church in Wheaton, IL. You can also find several D.A. Carson sermons, preached at College Church, here. When you follow the link go to “speaker” search, select the names above, and hit the magnifying glass link button below the speaker name. This will bring up all the sermons that they preached at College Church.

Here are some more lectures delivered at the Westminster Confession of Faith Today Conference. These messages were given together with various PCA General Assemblies. If you are wondering about copyright issues, or if you would like to purchase MP3 downloads, read here. You will also find Sinclair Ferguson lectures, delivered at the WCF Today Conferences and at GA, at the link above. The links below with take you to my imeem.com page where you will be able to listen to the lecture.

Ligon Duncan – The Covenant Theology of the Westminster Standards

Ligon Duncan - Calvin, Westminster and the Lord’s Supper

Derek Thomas – Trinitarian Theology in the Westminster Confession

Phil Ryken - Oliver Bowles and the Westminster View of Gospel Ministry

Chad VanDixhoorn - Westminster’s Debate on the Imputation of Christ’s Active Obedience

Carl Trueman – The Westminster Confession and Sacra Doctrina

Sean Lucas – Coalescing Conservative Dissent: Southern Presbyterians and Confessional Revision in the 1930′s

Doug Kelly - The Westminster Standards on the Sabbath

Al Mohler - The Reading, Preaching and Hearing the Word of God

John Fesko - Lutheran and Reformed Confessions on Justification

Thanks to Justin Taylor over at Between Two Worlds for the reminder about the Gospel Coalition Conference. This looks like it will be superb.

Gospel Coalition Conference: Registration Open

This past March Phil and Lisa Ryken spoke on marital issues at Taylor University. The fist talk listed below was given by Phil. The following two were Phil and Lisa.

Loving the Way Jesus Loved (VIDEO)
Loving the Way Jesus Loved (AUDIO)

The First Twenty Years are the Hardest(VIDEO)
The First Twenty Years are the Hardest (AUDIO)

This is My Lover, This is My Friend (AUDIO)

The Simeon Trust, sponsor of the Biblical Exposition Workshops, has provided free Audio and Video Links to this past years’ workshops. Since I attended the one hosted by Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia I will begin with the links to those sessions:

Today was the second day I attended the Biblical Exposition Workship at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. The Event is sponsored by The Charles Simeon Trust. The primary speakers were Phil Ryken and David Helm. I have greatly benefited from the instruction, preaching, and fellowship over the past two days. In between each of the speaking sessions the men break off into small groups and discuss various passages from 1 Kings or the Sermon on the Mount. The theme of this years workshop is “Preaching Christ as King.” Phil has preached two sermons from 1 Kings and has given a talk on “Melodic Lines” (i.e. various themes, such as power, money, and sex, present in each chapter–as well as Christology) through the Solomon narratives of 1 Kings. These have been excellent times of instruction. David Helm, pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Chicago, has spoken on the importance of the biblical-theological context, texual and sermon structure, and issues relating to principles of interpretation. David is a good teacher with many sound principles to impart.

I was in the small group led by the Rev. Marion Clark. This has been a very edifying and profitable time. We have met several times already, and each time a different pastor/participant brings and outline of a text he has been assigned. After considering the theme, aim, application, and structure of the passage we talk about things we noticed or how we would preach. Then we consider how we would bring in the person and work of Christ in accord with the text of Scripture.

All of this has made the workshop a very valuable experience. One of the highlights for me was in this afternoons discussion. We came together to consider Matthew 5:25-34. A fairly well know passage where the Lord Jesus Christ gives the command not to worry. Marion pointed out something very interesting that I have not seen before. The text comes directly after our Lord’s teaching about not laying up treasures on earth, and even more immediately after Jesus says, “You cannot serve God and money.” Jesus is clearly teaching about the evil of greed and coveteousness in verse 19-23. In verses 25-34 He is clearly teaching on the sin of worry and anxiety. So what is the connection? I had thought it was simply connected by the concept of stiving for earthly goods. Food and clothing could be considered as the very basic, representative things that we stive after. But Marion suggested that Jesus is perhaps anticipating those who would respond to what He has said in verse 19-24 by saying, “Well Lord, we are not laying up treasures on earth because we do not have the money that others have to do so.” So Jesus’ response is, “Do not worry about what you will eat or about what you will drink…” In the first place He condemns the sin of greed and in the next place He condemns the sin of anxiety. For the rich, greed is a particularily prominent sin and for the poor anxiety is a prominent sin. This is not to say that the rich do not become anxious or that the poor do not become greedy. But it is an interesting observation that those who have very little are more likely to become anxious about what they need while those who are rich are more given to greed.

We ended our discussion by talking about how in Christ, the poorest person can be a joyful, contented, trusting person. One of the pastors talked about the Haitian Christians who have nothing and yet are so full of joy and peace because of the work of Christ. He reminded us of the contrast seen on the countance of the unbelieving Haitians. This was a moving and sobering time for us. I hope I will not forget it.

The current edition of Reformation 21′s online magazine is out with two very good articles on the preaching of several Puritans and Luther. Derek Thomas has written a fine article on the preaching of the Puritans that can be found here. And Phil Ryken has written a brief article on Martin Luther’s preaching of the birth narratives that can be found here. Both articles are helpful and both encourage us to go read and reread the works mentioned.

This month Reformation 21 has compiled several articles by different ministers on various aspects of union with Christ. Iain Campbell has submitted one on “Union with the Bridegroom” You can access that here. Phil Ryken has submitted one on “Justification and Union with Christ.” That article can be found here. These are important subjects written by some of the ablest theologians. May God grant us all a deeper knowledge of the blessings that we have as we are united to Jesus Christ by faith.

Pastor Ryken has been preaching through the book of 1 Kings recently. If you have some time listen to the sermons on the Temple. The first sermon on the Temple is titled “Materials and Labors” and can be found here. The second sermon is titled “This New House” and can be found here. The third, “Inside Solomon’s Temple” and can be found here. The Fourth is titled “Solomon and all his Glory” and can be accessed here. The Fifth, and most recent sermon, is titled “The Furniture in God’s House” and can be found here. These sermons have been a great blessing to me and I hope that you will find them to be as well.

For a great lecture on “justification and union with Christ” listen to Phil Ryken at the Gospel Coalition website: http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/workshop_audio.php

This lecture has great content and is an excellent source of deep theology on this issue.

Phil Ryken has recently posted a blog concerning Calvin’s use of the term ‘imputation’ with
regard to justification. It can be found at:

http://www.reformation21.org/Reformation_21_Blog/Reformation_21_Blog/58/vobId__6358/

This is a very helpful reference with all the debate over imputation these days. I would also recommend Calvin on James 2 (found in his commenatries) for a clear deliniation between declarative justification and demonstrative justification. Calvin puts it in such simple terms when he says, “Faith is the root, works are the fruit.” This is an indispensible resource in present discussions over the nature of justification.