Tag Archives: good works

Where’s Waldo Wednesday: The Hidden Life

By D. G. Hart | Published: July 21, 2010

And now we observe . . . that on this fact the Apostle founds an exhortation. “If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above.” The exhortation is simply to an actual life consonant with our change of state. If we have participated in Christ’s death for sin and rising… Read More→

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Two-Kingdom Tuesday: The Gospel Makes the State Liberal

By D. G. Hart | Published: July 6, 2010

I have been kicking around for a while the way that some have kicked around the doctrine of the two kingdoms. (I myself prefer to call it the spirituality of the church, following the Old School Presbyterian tradition, which receives constitutional status, for instance, in the OPC’s Form of Government (3.4), which reads: “All church… Read More→

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Forensic Friday: Calvin on Osiander

By D. G. Hart | Published: June 18, 2010

Osiander objects that is would be insulting to God and contrary to this nature that he should justify those who actually remain wicked. Yet we must bear in mind what I have already said, that the grace of justification is not separated from regeneration, although they are things distinct. But because it is very well… Read More→

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Where’s Waldo Wednesday

By D. G. Hart | Published: June 16, 2010

It is often said that union is key to connecting justification and sanctification, the forensic and the renovative. In that light, Calvin’s discussion of the motivation for good works is surprising for the way that he counts union one among several other biblical grounds for sanctification. [Philosophers], while they wish particularly to exhort us to… Read More→

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Where’s Waldo Wednesday in the Tetrapolitan Confession*

By D. G. Hart | Published: June 9, 2010

Chapter 3 Of Justification and Faith . . . . First, therefore, since for some years we were taught that man’s own works are necessary for his justification, our preachers have taught that this whole justification is to be ascribed to the good pleasure of God and the merit of Christ, and to be received… Read More→

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Where’s Waldo Wednesday: No Getting Around Antinomianism (if you are monergistic)

By D. G. Hart | Published: May 5, 2010

Some union advocates don’t like the theological approach of asking what problem a specific doctrine solves (sorry Matt). But since we are in the arena of salvation, which is supposed to be a remedy for sin, inquiries about effects of certain doctrines, whether doctrinal or personal, seems fair. So as near as I can tell,… Read More→

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Forensic Friday: What Am I Missing?

By D. G. Hart | Published: April 30, 2010

I have made this point in the comments on various posts but do not believe I have done so in a post itself. The point is obviously related to the priority of justification to sanctification specifically with regard to the righteousness we possess by faith in Christ. The doctrine of justification teaches that God accepts… Read More→

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Where’s Waldo Wednesday

By D. G. Hart | Published: April 21, 2010

Chapter 12 – Faith in the Holy Ghost Our faith and its assurance do not proceed from flesh and blood, that is to say, from natural powers within us, but are the inspiration of the Holy Ghost; whom we confess to be God, equal with the Father and with his Son, who sanctifies us, and… Read More→

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Forensic Friday: Anathema

By D. G. Hart | Published: April 16, 2010

CANON XI.-If any one saith, that men are justified, either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ, or by the sole remission of sins, to the exclusion of the grace and the charity which is poured forth in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, and is inherent in them; or even that the… Read More→

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Forensic Friday: Antinomianism, False and True

By D. G. Hart | Published: March 26, 2010

One of the more arresting claims in recent theological discussions is that an emphasis on the forensic nature of justification can nurture antinomianism. This claim looks amazingly unreal given the traction that various forms of transformationalism have among conservative Reformed Protestants – from Doug Wilson’s defense of Constantinianism, the Baylys’ war with Reformed “pacifists” in… Read More→

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