Scripture and Plain Reason

by Isaiah on May 20, 2009

johnnymacWhen Martin Luther was summoned to the Diet of Worms in 1521 and asked to recant his teaching, he replied, “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason, my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience would be neither right nor safe. God help me. Here I stand, I can do no other.”

Luther’s well-known formulation, “Scripture and plain reason,” is the only basis on which we can properly ground true spiritual discernment.

Scripture isn’t antithetical to sound, rational wisdom, though many today imagine otherwise. Reason is no substitute for Scripture, of course, but when good reason and sound logic are kept subject to the authority of Scripture, they are in no way a threat to the truth. On the contrary, the application of sound, logical thinking to the truth of Scripture is a key aspect of the formula for discernment.

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For God So Loved the World: John Piper on John 3:16

by Isaiah on May 12, 2009

Honestly, when was the last time you heard John 3:16 preached? On the screen while watching a football game where it’s unfurled on a banner? In church? Or as part of the debate on the word ‘world’ as one Calvinist debates an Arminian?

While John 3:16 is perhaps the most popular, most-oft quoted (and might I add, unfortunately, also one of the most-oft misquoted) verse, we usually just pass it by with nary a second thought. Perhaps that’s because familiarity has made us sort of immune to it.

When I heard pastor John Piper preach and exposit this particular verse, I knew I needed to share it with you! To be honest, I’ve never heard it exposited thus, in such detail and in such God-glorifying fashion. If you have some time, do read the transcript of the sermon below, or listen/watch the sermon at DesiringGod.org.

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Revisiting the Reformed Position: The Canons of Dort

May 9, 2009

Charles Spurgeon once said, “You are not such wiseacres as to think or say that you can expound the Scripture without the assistance from the works of divine and learned men who have laboured before you in the field of exposition … It seems odd that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to others.” (Commenting and Commentaries)

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We are the Purchase of His Blood, and the Monuments of His Grace

April 10, 2009

Nowhere in all the Old Testament is it so plainly and fully prophesied, that Christ ought to suffer, and then to enter into His glory, as in this chapter. But to this day few discern, or will acknowledge, that Divine power which goes with the Word. The authentic and most important report of salvation for [...]

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The Fall of Man Part One: Introduction

January 24, 2009

From all angles, the account of the fall of man is fascinating, simply because it presents, in a nutshell, the origin of man’s sin and its consequences, the wiles of the devil and his modus operandi, God’s promise of a savior fulfilled in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and finally, God’s benevolent provision for His creation which, in my opinion, can even be seen as a shadow of how the atonement for our sins will be made.

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Fireproof: A Must-Watch Despite Some Flaws

January 18, 2009

Fireproof makes for great couple time for any married couple or those planning to exchange vows in the near future. And it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been married — I’m quite sure many married couples will identify with at least a handful of situations portrayed.

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