Eschatology, the doctrine of the “last things,” is one of the most divisive topics among evangelical Protestants today. While today there is Amillennialism, Postmillennialism, Theonomic Postmillennialism, Historic Premillennialism, Dispensational Premillennialism, Progressive Dispensationalism, and Preterism, whether Partial or Consistent, the early Protestants all agreed in their Confessions of Faith that this life was one of suffering […]
In my introduction to the biblical teaching about the “signs of the times” I suggested, following the lead of Anthony Hoekema, that these signs can be divided into three groups. The first group of signs bespeaks the present working and triumph of God’s grace in Christ. Here we considered the signs of the preaching of […]
Many of us are probably familiar with the saying, “there is nothing more certain than death and taxes.” Not only does this saying reveal an almost universal distaste for paying taxes, but it also reveals a grudging recognition that life, at least life in this body, eventually comes to an end. Though people are adept […]
WHO AND WHAT WILL BE JUDGED? The fact that believers need not fear the final judgment because it will vindicate their faith and service to the Lord, does not mean that the final judgment will only be of those who are unbelieving and impenitent. The Scriptures teach that all will be judged, the just and […]
For the last several months, my column in The Outlook has been devoted to a series of articles on the life and legacy of Abraham Kuyper. Some readers may remember that, prior to this series, I had been writing a rather lengthy series on the Bible’s teaching regarding the future. With this article, I hope, […]
A REWARD OF GRACE, NOT MERIT If the kinds of passages I have considered, teach not only that Christ will reward the righteous at the final judgment for their works, but also that this reward will vary in degree, depending upon the nature and quality of the works in question, then there are several questions […]
A tsunami snuffs out the lives of hundreds of thousands in Asia in a matter of moments. A string of hurricanes wreaks havoc upon the southeastern states. Tornadoes twist through the Midwest, leaving hundreds homeless. Earthquakes shake the West Coast. Fire rages along the plains of the West. Torrential downpours flood many homes, with mudslides […]
As we mentioned in our study of the Belgic Confession’s articles on justification, our Lord Jesus Christ won for us two great benefits (what the Reformer’s called the duplex beneficium), justification (arts. 2223) and sanctification (arts. 24-25). Justification deals with the guilt of sin and sanctification with the pollution of sin. This, from the outset, […]
Whenever a disaster like Hurricane Katrina strikes us, people always ask the question, “Where was God?” or “How could God allow this?” One very wrong answer is that God did not do it. It is wrong for us to think that this was brought about simply by natural forces or the devil. No. The Bible […]
“When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10 The Reformed Churches in New Zealand are more similar to the Canadian churches in terms of their demographics and history. They were established […]