Wednesday, January 24, 2018

God the Holy Spirit and the Real Gospel of Sovereign Grace for You

God not only ordains the ends, but also the means to accomplish his ends. In this talk I plan to look at matters like the rearing of covenant children in relation to God’s promises versus the commands he makes to parents and children to accomplish those promises. I plan to look at how, in the church, we deal with different types of conversions, as well as the reality that some of our children never undergo a conversion experience, but nevertheless are Spirit-led (Rom 8:14) Christians. The doctrine of grace, and what that means for how we live in the church, will also be discussed, especially as many Christians have to learn not only that they are saved by grace, but that others are as well and so we need patience, love, and gentleness as evidence of our own gracious attitude towards others who are not at the same place we are.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

What’s the Problem with Arminianism, and Who Are the Arminians Anyway?

I will give a brief history of the Remonstrants, but will focus in on a couple of key areas in their theology, such as their controversial doctrine of justification by faith. Most assume the Arminians were basically (in)famous for their free will doctrine, but I want to show how one error leads to several. That said, I will also discuss how Arminians are still Christians and how salvation is found by believing in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. I will also highlight the evolution of Arminianism over the centuries, what it can look like today, and the potential pastoral difficulties one has in dealing with modern-day Arminian thought.