From the Desk of the Elders

On these pages you’ll find some excerpts and extended thoughts on various topics such as church life, theology, biblical living, and much more.

John Owen: ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES AGAINST THE FANATICS OF THIS TIME FOUR APOLOGETIC EXERCISES

John Owen in, Exercise IV, distinguishes the uncreated light of God, the remaining natural light of reason and conscience, and the saving illumination bestowed by Christ through the Holy Spirit. His controlling concern is not to oppose the Spirit’s inward work, but to deny that any inward impression possesses authority apart from, or equal to, the written Word. True illumination enables the believer to understand and obey Scripture; it never renders Scripture unnecessary.

John Owen: ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES AGAINST THE FANATICS OF THIS TIME FOUR APOLOGETIC EXERCISES

These two exercises, 2 of 4 from a pamphlet John Owen published in the 17th century to help Christians defend the faith, form a closely joined polemical and theological argument. Owen’s purpose is to defend Holy Scripture as God’s complete and sufficient rule for faith, worship, and obedience against appeals to ecclesiastical tradition, new revelation, enthusiasm, or an autonomous “inner light.” In Exercise III, he defines Scripture’s perfection in relation to its God-appointed end and argues that no additional revelation is necessary to bring sinners to the saving knowledge and worship of God. In Exercise IV (see other blog post), he distinguishes the uncreated light of God, the remaining natural light of reason and conscience, and the saving illumination bestowed by Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Prayerful Dependence on God: Faith’s Remedy for Unbelief

“I cannot think that they ever pray aright who never pray for the pardon of unbelief, for the removal of it, and for the increase of faith. If unbelief be the greatest of sins, and if faith be the greatest of the gifts of God, we are not Christians if these things are not one principal part of the matter of our prayers.”

~ John Owen ~

Quality Over Quantity: Biblical Ethics, Salvation, and the Essence of True Faith

Scripture and the 1689 London Baptist Confession teach that salvation is grounded not in religious quantity, but in regeneration, union with Christ, and faith that produces living obedience. This article examines the biblical distinction between outward activity and inward life, calling readers to self-examination in light of eternity.

Gospel of Matthew Sermon Series Bibliography

Now that we are at the end of our Matthew sermon series, it is time again for publishing the bibliography of works cited. I wrote about the usefulness of a good list of references in Love the Bibliography, and know that fellow bibliophiles appreciate such a resource. It also serves to be a tool by which people can get a better sense…

Why do you cite other men when preaching and teaching?

If you attend Cornerstone, or listen to our sermons online, surely you have noticed that we cite other men, theologians, other preachers, commentators and historians, at least two or three times, sometimes five to ten times, in almost every sermon. Some Christians have problems with this, but often, these problems stem from misunderstandings of how…

1 & 2 Samuel Sermon Series Bibliography

Now that we are coming to the end of the Samuel sermon series, it is time for publishing our bibliography of works cited. I’ve mentioned before how I love research, books, and study. Part of that love is the usefulness of a good list of references. I wrote about this in Love the Bibliography, and know…