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)
Author: Tony Arsenal
“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)
Tranquility Is Not Enough
We are nearing the end of our “Non-Negotiable Rejections.” We have looked the Stoic worldview in the eye and said “No” to its Impersonal God and “No” to its Autonomous Self. We have refused to trade our Father for a fire, or our dependence for pride. Now, we arrive at the final divergence. It is… Continue reading Tranquility Is Not Enough
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)
Made Holy: On the Process of Sanctification (WCF 13.1–13.3)
In the previous chapters, we have witnessed the legal wonder of Justification (where God declares us righteous) and the relational warmth of Adoption (where God makes us sons). But a critical question remains: Does God simply hand us a ticket to heaven and leave us in our filth? Does He change our status without changing… Continue reading Made Holy: On the Process of Sanctification (WCF 13.1–13.3)
The Subtle Serpent of Self-Sufficiency
In our last article, we drew a line in the sand regarding the doctrine of God. We rejected the cold, impersonal Logos of the Stoics in favor of the warm, sovereign fellowship of the Triune God. We established that we are not cogs in a machine, but sons of a Father. Now we must turn our gaze… Continue reading The Subtle Serpent of Self-Sufficiency
Geerhardus Vos and the Covenant of Redemption
Having examined Augustine and Hodge, we turn now to Geerhardus Vos, the father of Reformed Biblical Theology. Vos is a giant of the faith, known for his deep insight into the eschatological structure of Scripture. Owen Strachan appeals to Vos to demonstrate that the Reformed tradition has always held to the Son’s submission. However, Strachan’s… Continue reading Geerhardus Vos and the Covenant of Redemption
Heirs of God: On the Grace of Adoption (WCF 12.1)
In Chapter 11, we stood in the divine courtroom. We saw the Judge bang the gavel and declare the guilty sinner “Righteous” based on the work of Christ. That is the glory of Justification—it settles our legal status. But God does not merely release us from the dock and tell us to go live our… Continue reading Heirs of God: On the Grace of Adoption (WCF 12.1)
The Unbroken Line: From Shem to the Threshold of Promise (Gen. 11:10-32)
Loved ones, we have just witnessed the collapse of the world’s first empire. At Babel, humanity shouted, “Let us make a name for ourselves,” and God answered with confusion and dispersion. The camera of Scripture panned out to show us a world scattered and divided by language. It was a scene of judgment and chaos.… Continue reading The Unbroken Line: From Shem to the Threshold of Promise (Gen. 11:10-32)