Ordo Salutis: Adoption
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
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: Conversion
Conversion is the process in which a sinner turns from sin to God in repentance and faith, as a result of regeneration. Put even more simply, conversion is “the turning of a sinner to God.”
Ordo Salutis: Regeneration
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
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…”
Dan's "5 Books to have on a Deserted Island"
On the The Gospel Forum podcast we’ve been taking time to discuss what books we'd want to have with us if stranded on a deserted island. The only assumption is that you already have a Bible. Here are my top five books:
Ordo Salutis: Election
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.
Is God's Word only found in the Bible?
The advice given by worldly-wisemen may sound convincing, but if they are not found in the written word “expressly set down or necessarily contained” (explicitly or deduced from Scripture), it is to be rejected.
Salvation from First to Last: A Discussion on the Ordo Salutis
While there remains mystery in the work of salvation, and while our hearts may never fully scan the infinite depth of God’s mercy, he has given us a picture of this magnificent work. God has given us a clear message: good news of salvation through Jesus. This gospel is sufficient to save, even if our understandings fail.
Gender, Pronouns, and What the Bible Says
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”
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
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.
Did the Resurrection Really Happen?
What brought about the change from fainthearted, fair-weather friends to bold heralds of the gospel? They saw the resurrected Jesus!
The Crushed Servant of the Lord
The Servant doesn’t bring a sacrifice; He himself is the sacrifice.
Since God is Sovereign, Why Evangelize?
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.
Burden or Blessing? The Sovereignty of God in Evangelism
To put it simply - who does the saving? Is the eternal soul of the person on your plane flight held in your hands? Will they be lost forever if you don’t open your mouth? The answer is no. The burden is not on you to save them, however the Lord may bless you with the opportunity to speak the truth of the gospel.
Is Sound Doctrine Important for Ministry?
While Calvin’s words can be applied broadly, certainly they can be applied specifically to the life of the Christian minister! Doctrine, rightly understood and rightly lived out in the life of a pastor, brings tremendous blessings to himself and his congregation.
Songs Matter: Doctrinal Discernment in Congregational Singing (Part One)
Brothers and Sisters, we are blessed. Since the mid-1970’s, the western, English-speaking church has been blessed by a plethora of new music. From the simple choruses of Integrity’s Hosanna Music in the 1980’s, to the prolific output of Chris Tomlin, to new hymns written by Keith & Kristyn Getty, we are not in short supply of new songs to sing. The number of songs available multiplies exponentially when you factor in the massive impact of Hillsong, Bethel, and Elevation Music.
Progressive Christianity: Another Round of Falsehood
It’s been interesting to me to read and watch church history, especially over the last 100 years or so. False teaching and bad theology just make their rounds. One round will blow through, then comes another and another. There’s never anything new; it’s just a reiteration of old, bad stuff.
Calm Hearts In a Chaotic World
Christian platitudes fall short in effectively dealing with anxiety: “Let go and let God,” “This too shall pass,” “God never gives you more than you can handle.” While we’d like to think a certain amount of self-determination will keep our hearts in a good place, what if the truth is, we need something outside ourselves to have true peace?