When I became a minister five years ago I was asked if I would be willing to promote and defend the confessions of faith that we as Christian Reformed Church adopted. I expressed my desire to do so by signing the Form of Subscription in the church to which I was called. Since that time […]

Last month we began looking at some common statements in our day that indicate a sense of confessional indifference. This month we continue with another one of those statements:               2. “IT IS ALL A MATTER OF INTERPRETATION” This statement comes in other forms: “That’s just your opinion,” or […]

(This article is taken from an address given at the “Growing Reformational Churches” conference held December 7–9, 1995 at First Christian Reformed Church in Chino, CA and jointly sponsored by that church and Westminster Theological Seminary in California.) Americans are forward-looking. Their interests are in the future and in progress. They tend to agree with […]

We have been spending time the past couple of months reflecting on common statements made pertaining to issues within the church that reveal a sense of confessional indifference. Here is another one. THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO WORSHIP Much time is spent discussing women in office and the entire homosexual question in the […]

Ask any true believer in Jesus Christ if they believe evangelism to be an important dimension of the Christian life and of the life of the church and they will say “of course.” However, ask a follow-up question like, “How effective are you in evangelizing unbelieving acquaintances?” or “how effective is your church in reaching […]

While attending the organizing meeting of the World Reformed Fellowship, I was reminded of the ancient confession of the church, “I believe … one holy, catholic church” (Apostles’ Creed). When enjoying fellowship with representatives of Reformed and Presbyterian denominations, churches, institutions, and seminaries from throughout the world, the catholicity of the church strikes one as […]

What does it mean to be Reformed? Yes, I know. This has been asked and answered a hundred and one times. Books have been written, lectures delivered, and nice audio albums produced all in the hopes of answering this one question—what does it mean to be Reformed? But if that’s the case, then why does […]