Friday, July 28, 2006

A Flower Most Sweet and Fragrant

The love of Christians unto Christ is a grace wrought in their hearts by the Spirit. It is a flower most sweet and fragrant, but there is no seed of it in the nature of any man since the fall. It is planted in the soul by the Spirit of God. Love to Christ is a divine spark that comes down from above, a fire which is kindled by the breath of the Lord, Whose essence is love.

The True Christian's Love to the Unseen Christ
by Thomas Vincent

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

The Christian Life: Chapter Four Notes

Chapter Four: Called by God

The Effectual Call

Lesson preparation
Resources Used:

Summary of Christian Doctrine, Chapter 14, by Louis Berkhof

Called with a Holy Calling, Robert Murray M'Cheyne**

Body of Divinity, Chapter 31, The Effectual Calling, by Thomas Watson

The Shorter Catechism Explained
, Chapter 31, Effectual Calling

Grace Unknown, Chapter 9, by R. C. Sproul, The Spirit's Effective Call

From Grace Unknown, pg. 190
Effectual calling is effectual because in it and by it God effects exactly what He intends in the operation: The quickening of spiritually dead souls to spiritual life. Calling refers to the Holy Spirit's inward or secret operation on the soul. . . The grace of regeneration changes the heart or sould from something cold, lifeless, and stony into something living, pulsing, sanguine and responsive. The heart is "made alive" to the things of God.
**a must read

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Monday, July 10, 2006

The Christian Life: Chapter Three Notes

Chapter Three: The Plan of Grace

Ordo Salutis in general terms

Lesson preparation:
Resources Used:

Chain of Grace, by John G. Reisinger
Ordo Salutis, by David Brown
The Ordo Salutis (Order of Salvation) by Sinclair B. Ferguson
The Order of the Application of Salvation
The Plan of Salvation, by B.B. Warfield
Grace Unknown: The Heart of Reformed Theology, Chapter 7, by R.C. Sproul, Sr.
Systematic Theology, Part Four, The Doctrine of the Application of the Work of Redemption, by Louis Berkhof

Romans 8

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Ephesians 1

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

John 1

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

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Monday, July 03, 2006

The Christian Life: Chapter Two Notes


Chapter Two: God's Broken Image

Sin, the Fall, slaves to sin vs. slaves to righteousness

Lesson Preparation:

Resources Used:


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Saturday, July 01, 2006

The Christian Life: Chapter One Notes

Chapter One: Knowing is for Living

Why Study Doctrine?

Lesson Preparation

Resources Used:


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Articles and Sermons X

Induction and Deduction with Reference to Inspiration by Dr. Roger Nicole

Dr. Nicole compares inductive and deductive Bible study and discusses the need for balance and perspective:

Deductive reasoning starts with a principle and/or statement, and analyses its implications (in these terms, to ascertain the meaning of a statement involves primarily deductive activity).

Induction starts with a number of concrete facts or data of observation, and seeks to correlate them in terms of a common principle.
This is the July article of the month on The Highway. You can find more fine articles on various subjects here.

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