Author: Tony Arsenal

The Problem of Suicide: A Point of No Return

We have arrived at the most somber chapter of our “Non-Negotiable Rejections.” We have dismantled the Stoic’s impersonal God, his prideful self-sufficiency, and his small goal of tranquility. We have insisted that evil is real and must be fought with hope, not resignation. But now we must confront the final, logical conclusion of the Stoic… Continue reading The Problem of Suicide: A Point of No Return

A Godly Sorrow: On Repentance Unto Life (WCF 15.1–15.6)

In the previous chapter, we examined Saving Faith—the hand that reaches out to rest on Christ alone. But the Bible rarely speaks of faith in isolation. Jesus began His ministry with a dual command: “Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Faith and repentance are the twin graces of conversion. You cannot turn toward Christ without… Continue reading A Godly Sorrow: On Repentance Unto Life (WCF 15.1–15.6)

“Let There Be No Strife”: Land, Legacy, and Letting Go (Gen. 13:1–18)

Loved ones, in our last study, we watched the father of the faithful stumble. Driven by famine and fear, Abram went down to Egypt, deceived Pharaoh, and endangered the promised line. It was a low point. But God, in His severe mercy, plagued Pharaoh and brought Abram out—not empty-handed, but wealthy. Genesis 13 is the… Continue reading “Let There Be No Strife”: Land, Legacy, and Letting Go (Gen. 13:1–18)

The Problem of Evil: Stoic Resignation vs. the Hope of Glory

We have spent the last few articles rejecting the errors of Stoicism—its impersonal God, its idol of self-sufficiency, and its small goal of tranquility. Now we come to the place where philosophy hits the hardest reality of human existence: Suffering. Every man, if he lives long enough, will walk through the valley of the shadow of… Continue reading The Problem of Evil: Stoic Resignation vs. the Hope of Glory

The Theological Cost of ERAS

In the previous five articles, we have engaged in a forensic examination of the historical claims made by Owen Strachan. We have seen how citations from Augustine, Hodge, Vos, and Berkhof were mishandled, truncated, and stripped of their dogmatic context to support a view they explicitly rejected. But historical revisionism—as egregious as it is—is often… Continue reading The Theological Cost of ERAS

The Instrument of Salvation: On the Nature of Saving Faith (WCF 14.1–14.3)

In the logical chain of salvation, we have seen God call the sinner from death to life (Effectual Calling), declare him righteous in His sight (Justification), adopt him into His family (Adoption), and renew him in holiness (Sanctification). But how do we personally connect to this salvation? What is the hand that receives these gifts? The answer is Faith. However,… Continue reading The Instrument of Salvation: On the Nature of Saving Faith (WCF 14.1–14.3)

“This Is My Sister”: A Test of Faith in a Foreign Land (Gen. 12:10–20)

Loved ones, in our last study, we stood with Abram on the spiritual mountaintop. He had heard the call of God, left his idols in Ur, and built altars in the Promised Land. He was the knight of faith, staking a claim for Yahweh in the midst of the Canaanites. But the Bible is not… Continue reading “This Is My Sister”: A Test of Faith in a Foreign Land (Gen. 12:10–20)

Louis Berkhof and the Silver Bullet

We arrive now at the climax of our historical investigation. Of all the theologians cited by Owen Strachan in his 2021 defense of ERAS—and alluded to in his recent podcast appearance—none has been more directly influential in the American Reformed seminary context than Louis Berkhof. While it is perhaps an exaggeration to call Berkhof the… Continue reading Louis Berkhof and the Silver Bullet

“Go from Your Country”: The Call and the Covenant (Gen. 12:1–9)

Loved ones, we have crossed a massive theological threshold. For eleven chapters, the Bible has painted on a global canvas—creation, flood, nations, and the scattering at Babel. But now, the God of the universe narrows His gaze to a single, childless old man in Haran. Genesis 12 is the beginning of the answer to the… Continue reading “Go from Your Country”: The Call and the Covenant (Gen. 12:1–9)