For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing. – Acts 17:21 We live in an age when there is a great desire for that which is novel and different. The trend seems to be that what is old […]
Tag Archives: Sanctification
Reverence
posted by Joel Taylor
God, revealing Himself through Scripture, puts a holy fear in my heart. It is a reverence that makes me bow my head, sometimes cry, out of love for His grace shown to me, and yet, still knowing He is all-powerful, all knowing, omni-everything. I love Him, and fear Him. My Lord is both my greatest […]
By the Spirit
posted by Joel Taylor
I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is […]
The Primary Business of the Christian
posted by Joel Taylor
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”– I Peter 1:14-16 (NASB) Neither church planting, discipleship, apologetics, missionary […]
Preaching & the Spiritual Growth of Church Members
posted by Joel Taylor
In my 51 years, of all the types and styles of preaching and teaching I have witnessed, there is none that so promotes and sustains the spiritual growth of local church members than expository preaching. It simply cannot be beat. While God does indeed work in various ways and means to strengthen our lives toward […]
The Pursuit of Blessedness
posted by Joel Taylor
The blessedness which is thus set before us we must aim at, but we must not think to obtain it without earnest effort… The way of perfect obedience is not learned in a day; there must be precept upon precept, line upon line, and after efforts long enough to be compared with the 176 verses […]
The Cross Did Not Glorify God–Jesus Did.
posted by Joel Taylor
But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. – Galatians 6:14 (NASB) The cross, used by early Rome, was an instrument of death. It was made of wood. It was […]
20 Statements Characteristic of Antinomianism
posted by Joel Taylor
A most excellent post from SoundChurch.org: There is only one heresy, and that is Antinomianism. – Rabbi Duncan The following is taken from the article “Antinomianism” as found in The Encyclopedia of Christianity, edited by Edwin H. Palmer. As a part of the longer article, William Young seeks to provide a definition for antinomianism and […]
The Heresy of Tullian Tchividjian & the New Calvinists
posted by Joel Taylor
If there was any doubt about the greatest error in the teachings of new Calvinists, this should put it to rest. Here’s a tweet from Tullian Tchividjian today: "Just as I am without one plea" is just as true for sanctification as it is for justification.— Tullian Tchividjian (@PastorTullian) August 28, 2012 Think about it. […]
3 Words of Advice for New Deacons
posted by Joel Taylor
I had the blessing of growing up as a PK – preacher’s kid. It was a blessing, but also an occasional tough spotlight to live in. The expectations placed on children of preachers is rarely a gray area. At least that was my experience. It seemed my siblings and I were either expected to […]
From Victory to Victory
posted by Joel Taylor
What do you need that God has not provided, and will not provide? And what has God provided, that you do not need—even the temptations? “Ignorance of the providence of God is the cause of all impatience.” If we can just keep before our eyes, in our present knowledge, this truth—that God our Father provides […]
The Abiding Impression of God’s Holiness
posted by Joel Taylor
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he […]
The Confusion Over Justification in Church History
posted by Joel Taylor
We now know that our current New Calvinists were (are) not the first in church history to have confounded justification and sanctification. Their error is from long, long ago. Louis Berkhof: "The doctrine of justification was not always clearly understood. Some of the earliest church fathers already speak of justification by faith, but it is […]
Nettleton & Finney
posted by Joel Taylor
by David Leach Asahel Nettleton (1783 – 1841) an influential figure in his day, is largely now unknown in evangelical Christianity. Even among reformed folk he is not well known. Curiously (and pathetically!), the great evangelist of his day is often thought to be Charles Finney: a man who understood neither the nature of God […]
Just Stop It
posted by Joel Taylor
Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. – I Peter 2:1-3 (NASB) We come up with […]
After You’re Saved
posted by Joel Taylor
“After God has saved you by grace alone, then your first duty is to dedicate yourself to his service, to give your heart to him, to be used by him as he wills and where he wills and when he wills, and to realize that you are no longer your own but the purchased property […]
When Pastoral Counseling is A Waste of Time
posted by Joel Taylor
I’ve got a problem, I don’t want to change, please help! Some time back, Dr. Lanny Johnson shared with me the conclusion he had reached after years of providing counsel to people seeking his help. Ostensibly they were seeking solid advice in various matters; however, in reality most were foraging for magical solutions that conveniently […]
Are You A Baby?
posted by Joel Taylor
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he […]
Fully Co-operating with the Holy Spirit
posted by Joel Taylor
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:2 The verb transformed is packed with spiritual truths, particularly when one looks carefully at the original […]
Double Imputation–The True and the False
posted by Joel Taylor
True: Our sins are imputed to the account of Christ, and His righteousness is imputed to our account. We are declared justified (in conformity with God’s law), but we are not made righteous. That is sanctification, a process never completed in our stay on earth. This is the biblical testimony. False: The righteousness of Jesus […]
