Ordo Salutis: Adoption

Ordo Salutis: Adoption

JOSH SHERRELL

This subject is more near and dear to me now than ever before because of how the Lord has blessed my own family. Recently we celebrated the first anniversary of adopting our youngest son. This process was quite difficult for us, and I have written about those difficulties here and here. And I am not the only one of us at The Gospel Forum who can testify to the power of this process in revealing the heart of God and displaying his sovereign grace. For myself, throughout this process, the Lord has taught me more intimately of the importance of this reality of adoption.

Ordo Salutis: Justification

Ordo Salutis: Justification

JOE HAMLIN
Doctrine

In our world today, we often hear the victims of horrible crimes declaring, “We want justice, that’s all we want.” This is understandable, as human beings who have been created in the image of God (Gen.1:27), we have a natural desire for justice to be done. When we witness injustice, we are disgusted, we shake our heads in disbelief. We tend to see the retaliation of victims as justified and deserving of accolades rather than punitive action.

Ordo Salutis: Regeneration

Ordo Salutis: Regeneration

JOE HAMLIN
Doctrine

Biblical regeneration is referring to that supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in which the spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) elect sinner is brought to spiritual life (Ephesians 2:5). In the process, the totally depraved sinner has their heart of stone replaced with a heart of flesh, so that he is washed, born from above (Titus 3:5) and now able to repent and trust in Christ as a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is important to understand that man is entirely passive in this act.

Ordo Salutis: Effectual Calling

Ordo Salutis: Effectual Calling

JOSH SHERRELL

Effectual calling is the outworking of God’s choosing (election) by which the gospel is brought to an individual who then responds in faith. This response of faith, the true mark of effectual calling, is brought about by the work of God’s Spirit in their hearts, bringing regeneration, which is the next logical step in the ordo salutis. So, before we get ahead of ourselves here, the aspect of salvation we are talking about in this article is the part where God calls out his elect and it is in this call that election in eternity past is reveled in the present. In other words, as Paul stated in Romans 8:30, “those whom he predestined [in election] he also called…”

Ordo Salutis: Election

Ordo Salutis: Election

JOSH SHERRELL
Doctrine

God’s own divine intervention in this messy, sin-ridden world by the incarnation of the Son was no Plan B. He did not look down into the future and pick the best among us to represent him. If anything, he has chosen some of the worst. He has chosen the fools and the rejects, the abnormal and the too normal. But if we are honest in ourselves, we are all the same. We are not all as bad as we can be, but we are as bad off as we can be.

Gender, Pronouns, and What the Bible Says

Gender, Pronouns, and What the Bible Says

JOSH SHERRELL
Current Events

In this cultural moment, a shared understanding of who we are and who we were created to be is not the norm. When discussing identity with many of our friends, family, and co-workers we, as Christians, simply cannot assume a common biblical worldview. In fact, one recent revelation in our culture came about when a female Supreme Court nominee was asked to define what a woman is. Her response was that she could not… Her reason? “I am not a biologist,” she said. Unfortunately, this is not the only recent revelation of our current crisis.

Dismantling Faith: A Discussion on “Deconstructionism”

Dismantling Faith: A Discussion on “Deconstructionism”

JOSH SHERRELL
Doctrine, Current Events

All my life I have enjoyed taking things apart to see how they work. I have not always been successful at restoring them to their original configuration, but I could at least get them to function again (most of the time). Besides, as any good shade-tree mechanic knows, there are plenty of extra and unnecessary parts that do not make their way into reassembly. We just cannot always tell you what those parts were intended to do or why they didn’t find their way back!

God's Love for the Unborn

God's Love for the Unborn

SHAWN OTTO
Current Events

In early May 2022 news agencies across America were nonstop abuzz about an unprecedented leak from the United States Supreme Court. A draft opinion (later confirmed to be authentic) seems to suggest that the infamous 1973 Roe v. Wade case which legalized abortion across the United States might be overturned.

Jesus is Risen Indeed!

Jesus is Risen Indeed!

PILGRIM BENHAM
Doctrine

The angels testified to this, His followers corroborated this, His closest followers died declaring this, His unbelieving brothers were forever changed by this, and throughout time - the resurrection of Jesus Christ has transformed the hearts of millions upon millions of people from all over the world as they've placed their faith in Him and repented of their sins. He is risen indeed!

Since God is Sovereign, Why Evangelize?

Since God is Sovereign, Why Evangelize?

JOSH SHERRELL
Doctrine

To put it simply, the apparent contradictions between sovereignty and responsibility in the Scriptures are just that—apparent. Both God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are genuine realities from a biblical standpoint and while seemingly at odds, must be wrestled with as both completely true and bonafide.

Don't Unhitch from the Old Testament

Don't Unhitch from the Old Testament

PILGRIM BENHAM

Steve Lawson says that the Bible is a "him” book - it is a book all about Him - all about the Lord Jesus Christ.
“The Old Testament says He’s coming. The Gospels say He’s here. The book of Acts proclaim Him. The epistles explain Him. And Revelation says He’s coming again. That’s the Bible in a nutshell.”

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