I was interviewed by Todd Wilken and we discussed Peter Thiel’s view of the Antichrist and AI.
The interview was based upon an essay I had written several weeks ago which can be found here: AI and Recent Antichrist Speculation
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To access the lectures, catechism lesson, and sermon from Christ Reformed alums Dr. Mike Horton, Dr. Andrew Compton, Dr. Brian Lee, and Dr. Kim Riddlebarger and to view the pictures from this weekend’s celebration, follow the link below
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Looking Ahead to the Finish Line
Several biblical writers tell us that the Christian life is like a race. The starting line is our conversion. The finish line is our death, hopefully after a long and full life, unless our Lord should return prior to our demise. As we run this race, we are to look ahead to the finish line–that inheritance which is ours in Jesus Christ. In chapter eleven the author of Hebrews told his readers that the Old Testament saints looked forward to that time when God fulfilled his promise through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In chapter twelve he now directs us to consider the goal which God has set before those of us living in the new covenant era. As he sets this goal before our eyes, he exhorts us not to hinder our own progress through carelessness, or by rejecting the place of godly discipline. It is Jesus who perfectly trusted in God’s promise and gave his life for our sins, thereby earning the title of the founder and perfecter of faith. Jesus not only fulfills God’s promise, he is God’s promise. Jesus is that one in whom we possess all the blessings promised to us by our gracious God. It is to him we look as we run the race.
We now come to chapter 12 of our exposition of Hebrews, in which the author applies the message of chapter 11, the so-called “hall of faith” to the congregation which has just considered the names and exploits mentioned by the author. In Hebrews 11–one of the best known portions of the New Testament–the author has made the point that there is one covenant promise throughout the course of redemptive history. All those mentioned in the “hall of faith” believed that promise, though for them, the promise was not yet fulfilled. But now that Jesus Christ has come, what was promised to those listed in Hebrews 11 is a reality for all those who live in the era of a new and better covenant. The Old Testament saints trusted God’s promise, and now that Jesus Christ has come, they too have been made perfect, as have all those reading this letter who have placed their faith (trust) in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the creator of all things, and the redeemer of God’s people.
In Christ God’s Promises are Fulfilled
In the first half of chapter 12 (vv. 1-17), the author turns first to Christ’s work on our behalf in fulfilling that promise referred to in chapter 11 by suffering and dying for his people (vv. 1-2). In verses 3-11, the author takes up the necessity for Christians to endure under the hardship they were facing because they were Christians, and to realize that God disciplines his own because he loves us. This was an important word of encouragement to those in the original audience who were facing persecution from the civil authorities, and possibly from those whom they left behind in the synagogues. Then, in verses 12-17, the author exhorts us to persevere in that long and grueling race which is the Christian life.
To read the rest, follow the link below
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Synod rejects the errors of those . . .
Who teach that corrupt and natural man can make such good use of common grace (by which they mean the light of nature) or of the gifts remaining after the fall that he is able thereby gradually to obtain a greater grace—evangelical or saving grace—as well as salvation itself; and that in this way God, for his part, shows himself ready to reveal Christ to all people, since he provides to all, to a sufficient extent and in an effective manner, the means necessary for the revealing of Christ, for faith, and for repentance.
For Scripture, not to mention the experience of all ages, testifies that this is false: “He makes known his words to Jacob, his statutes and his laws to Israel; he has done this for no other nation, and they do not know his laws” (Ps. 147:19–20); “In the past God let all nations go their own way” (Acts 14:16); “They were kept by the Holy Spirit from speaking God’s word in Asia”; and “When they had come to Mysia, they tried to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit would not allow them to” (Acts 16:6–7).
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Of course, Arminians do not want to say that sinful people are saved by personal merit gained through accumulated good works or human effort. But they do seek a way to affirm that God enables all people to seek grace, and then upon finding that grace, and provided they continue to seek grace, the more grace they will attain, eventually leading to the exercise of saving faith. To put this in popular jargon, “God helps those who help themselves.”
To circumvent the biblical and Reformed doctrine of total inability articulated throughout the previous articles of the canons, which teaches that that no one can come to Christ unless they are first made alive through regeneration, Arminians stress a universal, potential grace. Arminians affirmed that anyone who takes advantage of this universal grace (which they spoke of as described as “common grace,” and which has a different meaning than current Reformed uses of the term), can eventually receive sufficient grace to exercise “evangelical” or “saving faith.” Recent Arminians often base their view on contemporary notions of “fairness”— it isn’t right for God to give grace to some and withhold it from others since that would not be “fair.” So grace must be universal in some sense. But early Arminians—such as those singled out by the Canons—usually framed the matter in semi-Pelagian categories. Adam’s fall corrupted human nature. Nevertheless although remaining corrupt and sinful, humans still retain the ability to seek grace, gain more grace, and act upon it by exercising faith and repentance.
The specific issue addressed here is how Arminians understand “common grace” (the light of nature) which is an end-run around the Reformed stress upon an efficacious, particular grace. This becomes clear when the canons identify the two errors addressed here. The first error is that sinners supposedly “make such good use of common grace (by which they mean the light of nature) or of the gifts remaining after the fall that he is able thereby gradually to obtain a greater grace—evangelical or saving grace—as well as salvation itself.“ Depravity, yes. Total depravity and inability, no.
To read the rest, follow the link below
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Episode Synopsis:
C. S. Lewis brought a biblical expression from Paul into the broader evangelical world in his influential 1941 sermon “The Weight of Glory,” based upon 2 Corinthians 4:17. Lewis points out that glory, as used by Paul, is a not a ‘flimsy” thing, but something substantial and abiding. Unlike the shadows of affliction, the denseness of heavenly glory is something real and solid. Since his sermon was widely read and discussed, Lewis made the phrase “the weight of glory” one of the most significant and well-known themes in 2 Corinthians, along with other well-known phrases from Paul, such as “jars of clay” and “he made him who knew no sin to be sin.” The former is Paul’s description of human weakness (which we covered last time), while the latter is tied to Paul’s discussion of Christ’s reconciling work upon the cross–a matter which we will address next time (2 Corinthians 5:21).
If our bodies are mere jars of clay or tents, as Paul puts it, then our outer selves (our bodies) are destined to grow old and eventually fail–as a clay jar crumbles and as a tent wears out. Paul uses Greek categories (which his audience would understand) to speak of an inner and outer self, yet without the dualism typical of Platonic philosophy. Paul sees such things through the lens of Christian eschatology–this age and the age to come, as well as through the categories of seen (our current existence) and the unseen (our heavenly existence). The unseen remains just over the horizon where we cannot see nor experience it until we enter the Lord’s presence.
While we experience all sorts of afflictions and troubles in this life, Paul’s point in our text for this episode (2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10) is that our inner self is simultaneously being renewed in anticipation of the weight of glory–even as our outer self wastes away. Despite what Paul has been through in his dealing with the Corinthians, the difficulties he has faced throughout the Gentile mission must be seen in light of the glory yet to come. Since the Christian knows that our faith is grounded in the fact of Christ’s cross and empty tomb, so the Christian hope is immediate entrance upon death into the presence of God (ensured by the indwelling Holy Spirit) followed by our own resurrection from the dead at the end of the age. So even as we live this life in the midst of death, we anticipate the “weight of glory” yet to come since we are given a foretaste even now through the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit.
To read the show notes and listen to this episode, follow the link below
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First on the list is Connecting Scripture which has just been released by Holman. Connecting Scripture is a CSV (Christian Standard Version) New Testament which does something no other New Testament does. The biblical text has blue and green color coding to indicate when a biblical saying is either a direct citation from the New Testament (blue) or an allusion to something in the Old Testament (green). This enables the reader to see where a New Testament writer quotes from or draws allusion to something in the Old Testament—the thought world of New Testament writers.
This New Testament also has extensive and very helpful notes explaining where and why a New Testament passage is best understood in light of the Old Testament background and context, even in those cases where there is not a direct quotation or immediately identifiable allusion. At a glace, the user of Connecting Scripture can see where and why use is made in the New Testament of the Old Testament—making it an invaluable and helpful resource.
I just got my copy and find myself thumbing through it despite having other things to do.
To see the rest of my recommendations, follow the link below
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Peter Thiel and John Lennox on AI and Recent Antichrist Speculation
There has been much speculation of late about the growth of AI, multi-faceted AI tools, and a future antichrist. It should come as no surprise that much of this recent interest is tied to a longstanding tendency to incorporate antichrist speculation into the preexisting end-times categories of dispensationalists—a final apocalyptic battle (Armageddon), a one world tyrannical government (the UN/EU is the usual suspect), and in many circles this includes events in Israel involving the Jerusalem temple. Many have wondered about how an end-times antichrist may use exploitive technologies to do his nefarious bidding and establish a worldwide antichrist government—hence the concerns about AI. Although I wholeheartedly reject dispensational eschatology, as a small government Reagan conservative with libertarian leanings, I do have some sympathy for worries expressed by dispensationalists regarding our government’s use of evolving technological tools such as AI to restrict the constitutional liberties of its citizens.
In light of the recent trend to associate such an individual with rapidly developing technologies, we need to be clear that the common use of the term “antichrist” is highly problematic. In American culture, the term has a vague, generic meaning largely influenced by film and pop-culture (both evangelical and secular). This generic antichrist is thought to be a mysterious and evil end-times personage who appears on the world stage, usually in conjunction with the end of the world, but often tied to dystopian and post-apocalyptic end times scenarios.
This understanding of the Antichrist has virtually no connection to the term’s biblical usage. Many are surprised to discover that the term “antichrist” never appears in the Book of Revelation. In fact, the biblical use of the term, is much more precise and specific. John tells us that the Antichrist is anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ, that there were a number of them, and that they were already present in the days of the apostles (e.g., 1 John 2:18; 2:22; 4:3; 2 John 7). Biblically understood, an antichrist is any false Messiah associated with the heresy of denying the deity of Jesus.
To read the rest, follow the link below
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Amillennialism with Kim Riddlebarger and host, Caleb Lenard
This is part two of a three part series on the Theology of the Church Podcast. Dr. Jim Hamilton presents historical premillennialism and Dr. Josh Howard presents postmillennialism.
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My longstanding interest in family history has been a rewarding and interesting endeavor. As genealogists often quip, “if you shake the family tree hard enough, the nuts will fall to the ground.” Yes, there are a few “nuts” in my family lineage (Rufus Riddlesbarger— tax dodger, inventor of birth-control devices, all around scoundrel), and a murderer (Raymond Bernard Finch), whose notorious crime and trial in 1960-1961 became the basis for a Perry Mason episode. There are also several notables including a US Senator (Harrison Holt Riddlebarger). But I get that a post like this could quickly turn out to be the equivalent of watching someone else’s family home movies. I’ll spare you.
There is one direct ancestor on my maternal line whose story may be worth consideration. My great, great, grandmother, Jenny Bland Beauchamp [hereafter JBB] (1833-1914), was a Baptist preacher’s wife, and an author (she wrote a book on Christ’s second advent, Our Coming King in 1895, as well as an earlier book, a polemic against the Church of Christ, Maplehurst; or Campbellism not Christianity in 1867). She was a prominent prohibitionist and activist in Denton, TX. The entry about her in the on-line Handbook of Texas is remarkable. By all accounts, she was a force with which to be reckoned.
If you live in a current or former dry county in Texas, you have her to thank. According to the Handbook of Texas History,
During the final year of her presidency, Mrs. Beauchamp traveled more than 5,000 miles lecturing and organizing for temperance; by the close of her administration Texas had 1,600 WCTU members, organized into about 100 local unions. Jenny Beauchamp was elected to a fifth presidential term in 1888 but declined to serve because of ill health. Like her husband [Rev. Sylvester A. Beauchamp], she was also an active worker in the state prohibition movement in the 1880s.
What brought her to my recent attention is the current debate over Christian Nationalism. Her essay in the Union Signal of February 6, 1890, wrestled with the question “Shall Christ be King of the Nation?” and provoked a snarky critical review in the Freedom Sentinel penned under the initials A.T. J.
JBB opens with the question, “Shall Christ Be King of the Nation?” She affirms that “every loyal Christian heart must answer this question in the affirmative,” which she qualifies with a follow-up question. “But in what sense will Christ be King of the Nation?” Her explanation affirms the complexity of the question as well as that of her proposed answer.
To read the rest, follow the link below
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Riddleblog and Blessed Hope Podcast Updates:
Christ Reformed Church’s 30th Anniversary celebration is coming up—October 24-26. C-Ref alums Dr. Mike Horton and Dr. R. Andrew Compton will be speaking on Friday night (Oct. 24), Dr. Brian Lee will be leading the catechism service, and I’ll be preaching Sunday morning (Oct. 26). If you wish to attend, go here for info (Christ Reformed Church 30th Anniversary)
Programming note: Both Riddleblog posts and the Blessed Hope Podcast will be interrupted at the end of the month and early November. I will be traveling
Thinking Out loud:
Preach it, Warren Buffet! “I could end the deficit in five minutes. You just pass a law that says that any time there’s a deficit of more than three percent of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election”
After a terrible July-August, it is hard to believe that the Yankees have made the playoffs, beat the Bosox, and are now squaring off against the Jays. We’ll see how that turns out—looks bad so far
I’ve used Gameday to follow MLB games for years. The balls and strikes count is quick on that platform and should be seamless in games given such a large and prolonged user-test. Using such a system will end bad calls by the home plate umpires, it should reduce the number of batters chirping over ball and strike calls, as well as cut back much of the whining coming from the dugouts about missed calls. Manager ejections should decrease dramatically. Someone quipped that we all owe Angel Hernandez a debt of gratitude for dragging MLB into the future
After watching Kash Patel, Pam Bondi, and members of Congress act like they were in an Animal House food fight, it is time turn the cameras off and put an end to this sort of asinine political theater. Is there any wonder why Congress has a 70% unfavorable rating? The government shutdown no doubt will increase the already pathetic unfavorability rating
I’m with Justin Amash on this. “I’d never trust anyone on the right or the left who is inconsistent on free speech. A person willing to abandon this fundamental American principle for short-term politics—justifying their own hypocrisy by citing the other side’s hypocrisy—can’t be counted on to uphold anything”
To tweak a phrase from Tombstone, it is not a reckoning Trump wants, it is revenge. Not a good character trait for a president
I’m glad Gavin Newsom is running for president—with the qualification, I hope he loses badly enough to leave the political scene permanently. For one thing, California will finally be rid of him (although he will still probably live in Napa Valley). For another, he’ll have to do something to keep gas prices from spiking after the New Year. With a national average in the mid-three dollar per gallon range, it is not a good look for a presidential candidate from California to have the state’s gas prices hover between five-six dollars per gallon—two dollars more than the national average
To read the rest of “my musings” follow the link below
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Episode Synopsis:
In chapter 4 of 2 Corinthians, Paul addresses a subject no one likes or wants to talk about–the frailty and weakness of the human body. We have all seen images of great athletes with robust and fit bodies–the Greeks and Romans idolized the human body in their art and sculpture. But think of those magnificent bodies at their peak (say in their 20-40s) in contrast to those instances where we see the same person much older–with weight gain, joint and muscle deterioration, baldness, crepey skin and wrinkles, and the onset of illnesses and various maladies. That is what Paul is getting at here. We are all “jars of clay” destined to die. This is the inevitable outcome of Adam’s fall into sin.
Given his experience as an apostle, preaching the cross of Christ (as unpopular a message as one can find in the ancient world), Paul knows what it is like to suffer for Christ’s sake, as well as sacrifice his own body and health in the service of Christ’s church. Paul is not a masochist nor a whiner. But he has suffered greatly for the cause of Christ, especially in his work in Corinth–a church where many now belittle his work because of his physical weakness. We get hints in this letter of the emotional toll this took on Paul, as well as the impact of illness and bodily trauma. Paul recounts these matters to explain to the Corinthians why things have taken the course they have.
Paul is not a stoic who strives to “keep calm and carry on.” He is not a peddler of God’s word. Paul trusts in God’s providence through the power of the resurrected Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit to bring about deliverance from the source of all of these problems–human sin. Paul reminds the Corinthians (and us) that eternal things are indeed ultimately far more important than temporal things. The cross is a divinely-revealed message which speaks to these ultimate concerns, whereas Greek and Roman paganism is a mere figment of the sinful human imagination and does not–indeed cannot. In fact, Paul attributes the latter to the work of Satan–the blinder of minds and the thief of souls.
In response to the challenges he faces in Corinth, Paul does not stress fitness, diet, supplements, or exercise as we are apt to do and which are, no doubt, important to our quality of life. Knowing that bodily frailness will eventually overcome us all–Paul directs the Corinthians (and us) to the sure and certain hope of the resurrection and entrance into the glory of God. We may be afflicted and suffer now, but the glories of Christ and eternal life in his presence is our future.
To read the show notes, or listen to the episode, follow the link below
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Who said that?
"Whoever says in the Spirit, `give me money,' or anything else [like that], do not listen to him."
Please do not look up the answer—the whole point is to guess! But if you can’t restrain yourself, or if you know the answer, please don’t post the source and ruin it for everyone else.
Answer is in the comments section below
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My piece on the liberation of the will, is published in the October 2025 Tabletalk magazine.
If you don’t already subscribe, I highly recommend it.
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A Favorite Psalm for Many
With the possible exception of John 3:16, there is perhaps no more familiar portion of the Bible than the 23rd Psalm. Many people memorize it as children. The text of the 23rd Psalm set against the backdrop of a pastel landscape adorns the stock funeral program in countless mortuaries across the United States. As the most famous of all the Psalms, the “shepherd’s Psalm” has been set to music by Bach, Shubert, and Williams. It is recited by characters in countless movies and novels whenever the plot requires proof that someone is a Christian or generically religious. But the 23rd Psalm is beloved by Christians because of its simple expression of confidence in God’s goodness, and because of Jesus’s identification of himself as the “good shepherd” who accompanies us as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
The 23rd Psalm is classified a “Psalm of trust” reflecting the believer’s trust in God’s tender care of his people. It is attributed to David (Israel’s shepherd-king), although no title or authorship is attached to the Psalm itself. Found in the First Book of the Psalter (which includes Psalms 1-41), Psalm 23 draws on the familiar image of the Lord (YHWH) as a shepherd who cares for his sheep (the people of Israel).
The Shepherd
Shepherd imagery was very familiar to everyone living in Israel at the time of David, and reflects David’s experience as a shepherd responsible for the care of his flock. In 1 Samuel 17:34-35, we read, “but David said to Saul, `Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.” David knew what was involved in the care of sheep, and in this Psalm he depicts God as the true shepherd of Israel.
Some scholars contend that this Psalm reflects David’s time in the wilderness when he was hiding from Absalom–which may or may not be the case. But this Psalm does reflect a sense of readiness to face trials, difficulties, and danger because of our confidence in the Lord’s presence with us, especially in light of the fact that being in the presence of the Lord for all of eternity is every Christian’s hope.[1]
To read the rest, follow the link below
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This scene (painted by Dutch artist Emanuel de Witte in 1651) is titled “Interior of the Oude Kerk [old church] at Delft During a Sermon” (1651). de Witte is well known for his interior scenes of churches. This particular painting is now part of the Wallace collection in London.
de Witte depicts a Reformed minister preaching from the raised pulpit in the center of the church. If you look carefully, several of those listening to the sermon have brought their dogs. According to one source, this was a common practice. Churches could be uncomfortably cold and dogs provided warmth. But should your dog bark, become disruptive, or attempt to do their business, church wardens would instruct the dog's owner to take them outside, or else make the owner clean up if the dog made a mess.
To read the rest, follow the link below
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Here we go again.
A South African Baptist pastor, Joshua Mhlakela, claims that the Lord revealed to him in a vision that the Rapture would occur on September 23-24 (during the Feast of Trumpets) which falls on those days. His YouTube video has over a half million hits and this is now buzzing all over the news in addition to social media. He’s interviewed by two spiritales presumably named Prisca and Maximilla.
I too eagerly await the Lord’s return, but am amazed that this seemingly endless stream of prophetic visionaries continue to do this and claim that the Holy Spirit reveals this nonsense to them, when Jesus was direct and crystal clear in Matthew 24:36, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” It is bad enough that Mhlakela would make such a claim, but it still amazes me that the gullible and curious among professing Christians would give any credence to this. Until Jesus does come again, we will be plagued by Montantists of various stripes doing an end-run around the biblical teaching regarding our Lord’s return. Jesus urges us,”therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). Neither does the Holy Spirit reveal anything to anyone contrary to the express teaching of Scripture.
The great irony here is that Peter warned about such conditions in 2 Peter 3:3-5.
Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God.
These so-called “prophets” do great harm to Christ’s church and their falsehoods only create the kind of rank skepticism the apostles warned us about in regard to the Lord’s return.
To read the rest, follow the link below
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Episode Synopsis:
As Paul finds himself facing a serious situation with challenges to his apostolic authority and attacks upon his person and reputation, he defends himself and his apostolic office by pointing to God’s saving work among the once pagan Corinthians. Through Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, the believers among the Corinthians now have hearts of flesh through which they have become “letters from Christ.” This is not only proof of the effectiveness of God’s work among them through the labors of the apostle Paul, but as the apostle will go on to spell out this is a sure sign of the superiority and glories of the new covenant–something the old covenant can never match.
Paul draws three important contrasts in chapter 3 of 2 Corinthians. First, he explains the glories of the new covenant which makes it vastly superior to the old which it has superceded. Second, Paul contrasts the flesh and the Spirit, in which the distinction between the law and gospel is made explicit. Third, Paul draws out the superiority of Christ to Moses by illustrating the fading glory of the old covenant. In making these contrasts, Paul explains how properly understanding the course of redemptive history is one of the key features of his apostolic ministry through which hearts of stone are transformed into hearts of flesh. None of the false teachers and opponents of Paul can make such a claim. Their self-aggrandizing efforts to undo the work that God has done in their midst through the labors of Paul is nothing but a dead end and can do nothing to transform the sinful human heart.
At the end of chapter 3, Paul discusses the glory upon Moses’s face as recounted in Exodus 34. While Moses was forced to veil his face because the Israelites were terrified after Moses had been in the presence of YHWH, Paul described how that fading glory actually reveals the shortcomings of the old covenant and that as a result the hearts of the Israelites were hardened. But the work of the Holy Spirit under the new covenant takes away the need for veiling as required after Moses was given the law at Sinai. Under the new covenant, our faces are unveiled as we are transformed unto glory in anticipation of being in God’s presence through the work of the Spirit under the new covenant.
To see the show notes or listen to the episode, follow the link below
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Final Fulfillment Awaits
Throughout Hebrews 11, the author uses the phrase “by faith” in reference to the particular individuals singled out for mention in this well-known chapter of the Bible. Those mentioned here–who are found throughout the whole of the Old Testament, prior to the dawn of the messianic age–believed that God would keep his covenant promise.
But for everyone on the list, the fulfillment of that promise was still far off in the distant future. As the author of Hebrews has been pointing out, it was not until the coming of Jesus Christ that the exact nature of God’s covenant promise and the wonderful benefits our Lord secures for us become clear. That for which these Old Testament saints longed, is for us, a glorious and present reality. What God had promised to the Old Testament saints is now fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Last time we took up the closing verses of Hebrews 11, the so-called “hall of faith.” As we have seen throughout our time in this chapter, the author of Hebrews is making the point that there has always been one covenant promise–“I will be your God and you will be my people”–and that this same covenant promise unfolds throughout the pages of the Old Testament.
One Covenant Promise Which All Those Listed Embraced
In Hebrews 11, the author appeals to a litany of well-known people who believed this promise. Although the people mentioned here serve as an example to us of sorts, the author’s primary purpose in this chapter is not to present these Old Testament saints as examples for us to emulate. Rather, his purpose is to remind his Jewish readers that the same promise which these Old Testament saints believed, pointed ahead to the coming of Jesus Christ, in whom the promise has been fulfilled. Therefore, the author’s emphasis falls on the continuity of the covenant promise (God’s promise does not change across time), not so much on the example these saints set for us–some of whom, as we will see, were not very saintly.
To read the rest, follow the link below
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Synod rejects the errors of those . . .
IV. Who teach that unregenerate man is not strictly or totally dead in his sins or deprived of all capacity for spiritual good but is able to hunger and thirst for righteousness or life and to offer the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit which is pleasing to God. For these views are opposed to the plain testimonies of Scripture: “You were dead in your transgressions and sins” (Eph. 2:1, 5); “The imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart is only evil all the time” (Gen. 6:5; 8:21). Besides, to hunger and thirst for deliverance from misery and for life, and to offer God the sacrifice of a broken spirit is characteristic only of the regenerate and of those called blessed (Ps. 51:17; Matt. 5:6).
This article is a summary statement of ground covered previously. Arminians do indeed acknowledge the reality of Adam’s fall into sin, but in order to preserve human freedom, they seek to mitigate the damage done to human nature as a result. Those who teach that people are merely weakened by the fall, yet are still able to do spiritual good (defined in the Canons as “hungering and thirsting after righteousness”), or who chose to follow Christ prior to regeneration, which then results in “life”, find themselves facing a tidal wave of biblical texts which teach the exact opposite. Several such passages are included in the refutation. Of course, there are many more.
Arminians teach that people are “wounded in sin” as a consequence of the Fall, but not “dead in sin.” They concede that human nature has been damaged, but also contend that people still retain the natural ability to come to faith in Jesus Christ. Knowing that Scripture is clear about grace preceding faith, the Arminians reduce grace to an enticement for the sinner to act using their ability to do so retained after the Fall. If they so choose to seek salvation, they receive more grace which God then brings to conclusion—regeneration and a change of nature. But according to Arminians, grace is not tied to prior regeneration (which, the Scriptures teach–John 3:3-6; John 6:44, 65, etc.) and therefore precedes any exercise of faith. Instead, it is taught that grace is merely offered to Adam’s fallen children who must then take advantage of it. In this scheme, fallen sinners must co-operate with such grace, but as a consequence of their operating assumptions, Arminians must overlook or ignore the fact the those “dead in sin” (as the Scriptures so clearly teach) retain neither the power nor the ability to come to faith in Christ apart from prior regeneration.
To read the rest, follow the link below
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Yuval Levin’s American Covenant is an important and timely book. If you are wondering what is wrong with American politics and our government’s ongoing failure to address and attempt to solve pressing political and societal issues, Levin has your answer—our Congress is failing to fulfill its proper function according to the Constitution. Once that domino falls, so too come the downstream consequences which seriously impact both the executive office (Congress has ceded far too much power to the President—hence the constant stream of executive orders) and the judicial branch of government (the federal courts and the Supreme Court) has far too often become a determinative body in disputes over legislative matters which should be addressed and debated in the Congress, but which are not.
Levin calls our attention to something quite easy to overlook but vital to understand. The Constitution was never designed to secure complete national unity and full agreement of the citizens. The Constitution was intended to give America a political framework from which to work through our inevitable disagreements by forcing elected officials (Congress) to negotiate over legislation and then compromise to get such legislation enacted. As Levin puts it, “a more unified society would not disagree less, but would disagree better” (3.)
Levin’s purpose statement is clear and capably unpacked in subsequent chapters. He writes,
I begin from the premises that the self-evident truths to which our country has been often imperfectly dedicated from the start remain as true as ever; that the Constitution has enabled us to work toward governing ourselves accordingly (and increasingly so in some important respects) and that the hard work involved in its preservation, improvement, and repair is, therefore, worth our best efforts (8-9).
The Constitution provides the framework for a renewal of public life since it is the supreme legal authority of the land, providing our nation with a rule of law. It provides the means by which our government can address pressing problems through enacting legislation, not by moralizing, pontificating, and social media peacocking.
To read the rest, follow the link below
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