Tag Archives: sanctification

Forensic Friday: Who’s Lutheran Now?

By D. G. Hart | Published: August 19, 2011

From Luther’s sermon for the seventh Sunday after Trinity (1534): Thus St. Paul says: “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey: whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” and this means, as you now through grace are bound to… Read More→

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Where’s Waldo Wednesday: Dazed and Confused

By D. G. Hart | Published: August 17, 2011

Why is it that discussions of the law and sanctification invariably circle back to union with Christ? My own hunch, expressed several times, is that union becomes the way to cement sanctification to justification, especially if neither is prior to the other but union precedes both. This way, supposedly, Protestants can look Roman Catholics straight… Read More→

Posted in Application of Redemption, The Hinge | Also tagged , , , , , | 46 Comments

Where’s Waldo (A Day After) Wednesday: Someone Needs to Call A Union Summit

By D. G. Hart | Published: June 16, 2011

Over at Justin Taylor’s blog comes word that Dane Ortlund has published an article on the relationship between justification and sanctification in the writings of Bavinck and Berkouwer. The summary point is as follows: . . . these two Dutch Reformed thinkers are united in their understanding of justification as the self-conscious means of sanctification.… Read More→

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Edwards Is Not the Answer

By D. G. Hart | Published: April 1, 2011

Paul Helm has posted his assessment of Religious Affections. Here is a longish excerpt: In order to get where he wants to go, to establish that true religion, in great part, consists in holy affections, I think it is fair to say that Edwards is forced to considerably widen the scope of what ‘affection’ means.… Read More→

Posted in Piety without Exuberance | Also tagged , | 135 Comments

Fesko’s Forensic Friday

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

Why does Paul insist upon the imputed active obedience of Christ in our justification? Why is this necessary aside from the fact that the Scriptures teach its necessity? The answer lies in the nature of our justification. We must recognize that the ground of our justification is not our sanctification, or the transformative aspect of… Read More→

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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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Forensic Friday: Dominie Clark on Semi-Pelagianism

By D. G. Hart | Published: July 2, 2010

One of the great misconceptions about the Western church before the Reformation and therefore about the Reformation reaction to it is that the medieval church taught “salvation by works” or, more precisely, “justification by works” whereas the Reformation taught “salvation by grace” or, more precisely, “justification by grace.” There are a couple of reasons why… Read More→

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Forensic Friday: The URCNA’s Nine Points

By D. G. Hart | Published: June 25, 2010

THE NINE POINTS OF (URCNA) SYNOD (SCHERERVILLE) 2007 Synod affirms that the Scriptures and confessions teach the doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone and that nothing that is taught under the rubric of covenant theology in our churches may contradict this fundamental doctrine. Therefore Synod rejects the errors of those: 1. who… Read More→

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Where’s Waldo Wednesday: Too Much of a Good Thing?

By D. G. Hart | Published: June 23, 2010

. . . In the fifth place, is it wise to use the language which is often used in the present day about the doctrine of “Christ in us”? I doubt it. Is not this doctrine often exalted to a position which it does not occupy in Scripture? I am afraid that it is. That… Read More→

Posted in Application of Redemption | Also tagged , , | 2 Comments

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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