The Reformed doctrine of sola Scriptura, then, affirms that the Bible is the sole written authority for the faith and life of God’s people. We respect and submit to lesser ecclesiastical authority, but we are not bound by it absolutely as we are by biblical authority. This is the basis for the Reformation principle of [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Faith’
Submitting to God and His Sovereign Right
Posted in Owens, John, tagged Faith, God's Sovereignty, Righteousness, Wisdom on March 19, 2012 | 1 Comment »
To submit to the Father of our spirit denotes] an acquiescence in His sovereign right to do what He will with us as His own; a renunciation of self-will; an acknowledgement of His righteousness and wisdom in all His dealings with us; a sense of His care and love, with a due apprehension of the [...]
The Inextricable Link Between Faith and Love
Posted in Bridges, Jerry, tagged Discipleship, Faith, Gospel, Hebrews 11, Love, Pleasing God on December 15, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
There is an inextricable link between faith and love. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and as we have seen, without love, it is impossible to please God. But this love arises in our hearts only as we by faith lay ahold of the great truths of the gospel. To do [...]
He Is The Sum of Gospel Teaching
Posted in Fraser, James, tagged Doctrine, Faith, God's Glory, Gospel, Holy Spirit on November 21, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
It is the gospel that exhibits God’s highest glory, which he chiefly designs to display before sinful men, even that glory of God that shineth in the face of Christ. It is the gospel that sets forth the glory of Christ, and by which the Holy Spirit himself is glorified; and it is it that will [...]
That Would Be Salvation By Works
Posted in Bridges, Jerry, tagged Discipline, Faith, Holiness, Martin Luther, Salvation on October 4, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Let me be clear at this point. We do not pursue holiness or the evidences of God’s discipline to attain salvation. That would be salvation by works. Rather, God’s discipline in our lives, and the desire to pursue holiness on our part, be it ever so faint, is the inevitable result of receiving God’s gift [...]
Two Points Worth Noting About Propitiation
Posted in Bridges, Jerry, tagged Christ's Death, Faith, God's Justice, God's Wrath, Propitiation, Sacrifice, Salvation on September 8, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
We should notice two important points about this propitiatory act of Christ. First, God presented Him, or set Him forth as an atoning sacrifice. It is God the Father who initiated the whole plan of salvation. It is God the father who provided the sacrifice of His Son to satisfy His justice and appease His [...]
Faith Itself Has No Merit
Posted in Bridges, Jerry, tagged Christ's Death, Christ's Righteousness, Faith, Righteousness on September 6, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Faith is the hand by which the righteousness of Christ is received. Faith itself has no merit; in fact, by its nature it is self-emptying. It involves our complete renunciation of any confidence in our own righteousness and a relying entirely on the perfect righteousness and death of Jesus Christ. – Bridges, Jerry; The Disciplined [...]
We Can Easily Fall Into One of Two Errors
Posted in Bridges, Jerry, tagged Discipline, Faith, Gospel, Guilt, Obedience, Performance, Trust on August 17, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Without a continual reminder of the good news of the gospel, we can easily fall into one of two errors. The first is to focus on our external performance and become proud like the Pharisees. We may then begin to look down our spiritual noses at others who are not as disciplined, obedient and committed [...]
The Focus of Our Faith is the Issue
Posted in Horton, Michael, tagged Baptism, Faith, Grace, Lord's Supper, Preaching, Scripture, Word on July 15, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Once your faith is focused on what happens inside you instead of what happened outside of you in history, it is easy to say that what you really need are good resources for private experience and moral improvement rather than any external Word. However weak and foolish in the eyes of the world, God’s methods [...]
We Cannot Climb Up to God
Posted in Horton, Michael, tagged Faith, Gospel, Righteousness, Romans 10, Works-Righteousness on July 12, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
In other words, works-righteousness calls for moral ascent, zealously climbing the ladder to heaven rung by rung. It is as if Christ were far away and it is up to us to find him, or perhaps he is still lying around in the grave waiting for us to bring him up by our earnestness. But [...]
