God’s Election [Thawed out Thursday]

An old post from my five part series on David and Goliath: Five Smooth Stones.  Through the lens of this story I looked at preaching, grace, faith and reward.  Here I look at the subject of election, trying as always to keep the Anointed King at the centre. Israel did not elect David.  Not even his [...]

Read Full Post »

How do I preach Genesis? How do I preach election?

Like this. Rich ‘Bugsy’ Owen has outdone himself with this sermon on Genesis 27.  Highly recommended! .

Read Full Post »

Jesus must be born again

Yesterday I posted a quotation by TF Torrance on the new birth.  Essentially Torrance said he was born again when Jesus was born from the virgin womb and rose from the virgin tomb.  What do you make of that? As Dave commented, it only highlights the objective side of the new birth, and you’ve got [...]

Read Full Post »

Exodus 19

Read Exodus 19 “Watch out for the LORD on the mountain!” said the LORD on the mountain. “When the LORD comes to this mountain,” continued the LORD on the mountain, “you won’t even be able to touch the mountain.”  (v10ff) Of course these kinds of statements would be absurd if we assumed a uni-personal God [...]

Read Full Post »

Exodus 12:1-30 – Luke Ijaz

Luke Ijaz is a minister at Holy Trinity, Wallington. He recently preached this cracker of a sermon -  “Do not worry” – at Farm Fellowship. . Read Exodus 12:1-30 The plagues had threatened the unravelling of creation (10:21), and in their wake a mighty empire had been brought to its knees.  There could not have [...]

Read Full Post »

Exodus 6:28 – 7:13 – Jacky Lam

Jacky has his christological commentary of the whole bible here.  He’s up to to 2 Samuel at the moment.  His collected posts on the Pentateuch are here. …………………………………………. Read the verses here “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?” Moses’ words ring true of his temporary role as the mediator [...]

Read Full Post »

Christ is God’s election in human flesh

Athanasius… declares that Christ the eternal Son is the “living will” of the Father, and as such His Advent is the advent of the decree, God’s choice, in human flesh.  (Peter Leithart) Is God’s election secret or revealed?  Both.  It’s hidden.  But hidden in Christ – Matthew 11:25-28: 25At that time Jesus said, “I praise [...]

Read Full Post »

Election results – latest

Ok so the title’s a lame attempt to get Google hits.  But really this post is about the results of our election. In the first post on freedom we thought about the blasphemy and bondage of modern, individualistic accounts of freedom. Next we considered Jesus – especially Jesus in Gethsemane – as the proper starting [...]

Read Full Post »

Freed will

Previously on Christ the Truth… We discussed the impossiblility of a humanistic account of freedom. To say ‘I am who I am / I will be who I will be’ is both idolatrous and, ironically, makes us slaves of our own desires.  Such “freedom” enthrones the self and simultaneously locks the self off from the [...]

Read Full Post »

Five Smooth Stones – Election

Israel did not elect David.  Not even his nearest and dearest wanted David as king. In 1 Samuel 16 we see the choosing of this king.  Yet it is not man’s choice but God’s.  The LORD said… “I have chosen one of [Jesse's] sons to be king…” Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed [...]

Read Full Post »

Assurance in the Reformed Tradition

Over at White to Harvest there are some very stimulating discussions of election and assurance going on – see here and the comments here.   But just to stick up for the reformed tradition, here are (very selective!) quotations from three of the greats.  Not to say that these are consistently followed by each theologian or their [...]

Read Full Post »