Faith is Not a Work

June 11, 2024Posted inFaith
The Arminian notion that faith is a product of man’s free will and our contribution to the work of salvation implies that faith is a work, and that we are saved because of faith—language that the Scriptures never use—rather than by or through faith. This is simply a subtle form of Semi-Pelagianism, which teaches that…

Faith is Knowledge

June 4, 2024Posted inFaith
The Heidelberg Catechism is a confession of Reformed churches of Dutch and German extraction. It defines faith as not only a certain knowledge whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed to us in His Word, but also a hearty trust which the Holy Ghost works in me by the Gospel, that not…

Faith is a Gift of God

May 31, 2024Posted inFaith
Many Christians today think that faith is our contribution to God’s saving work. God does everything except this last little bit: you must believe; you must accept Christ; God wants to save you, but he cannot or will not exercise his power to make you come to him; you must exercise your free will and…

Psalm 80: Restore us, O God!

May 21, 2024Posted inPsalms Commentary
Verse 2 of Psalm 80 shows us that this song of testimony belongs to the time following the end of the northern kingdom, and the Asaph mentioned here is not the Asaph whom David appointed to serve in the temple, but a later Asaph who may also have written Psalms 74 and 79. Those two…

Psalm 107: Celebration of the Return from Exile in Babylon

May 14, 2024Posted inPsalms Commentary
Psalm 107 celebrates the Lord’s lovingkindness and wonders towards the sons of man. It has six stanzas. Introduction, verses 1–3 The Lord’s Care in the Wilderness, verses 4–9 The Lord’s Breaking of Chains, verses 10–16 The Lord’s Deliverance from Destruction, verses 17–22 The Lord’s Calming of a Storm, verses 23–32 Conclusion, verses 33–43 One of…

Israel and the Nations

May 7, 2024Posted inIsrael and the Nations
“The Nations,” (or “the Gentiles”; it’s usually the same word in Hebrew) is an important theological concept in the Old Testament. It was not simply s designation for the different ethnic groupings found in the world of that time, nor a way of distinguishing descendants of one ancient figure from those of another; it was…

Psalm 90: A Ladder of Prayer

May 1, 2024Posted inPsalms Commentary
Psalm 90 is the only song of Moses in the psalter, but other Scriptures give us two others that belong to him. The first is in Exodus 15, and it is a celebration of the defeat of Pharaoh at the Red Sea. The second is in Deuteronomy 32, and it is a song to testify…

Sanctified by Faith

April 11, 2024Posted inSanctification
I once heard a well-known Reformed theologian say, “Justification is by faith alone, but sanctification is a cooperative effort.” That is a dangerous misunderstanding. Sanctifcation, like justification, is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. On the surface, it may seem obvious to some that sanctification not only is but must be a…

Structure of Psalm 140

March 25, 2024Posted inPsalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
Psalm 140 is a prayer of David against a violent man who was attacking him especially with his tongue. The phrase "man of violence(s)" occurs three times, in verses 3, 4 and 11. The word "tongue" occurs in verses 3 and 11. While David was in great trouble, he was not greatly shaken by it.…