"Thomas Reid and His Common Sense Philosophy" -- (Part One)

Here's the audio from the Academy lecture on Thomas Reid (the first in a two part series).

I cover Reid's life and history, the role of first principles and his understanding of "common sense," and also the differences between Reid, Hume, and Kant, and Reid's critique of what he identifies as the "ideal theory."

I also discuss how Reid's "realism" undergirds the Old Princeton evidential apologetic, and how Kant's views on perception have influenced Kuyper and Van Til.

The Common Sense Philosophy of Thomas Reid -- Part One

Apologetics in a Post Christian Age (Audio) -- Making the Case for Christianity (Van Til's Two Step Method)

Here's the audio from the Wednesday night Bible Study: Van Til's Two Step Method

"Walk By the Spirit" -- Galatians 5:16-26

The Eleventh in a Series of Sermons on Galatians

In face of attacks made upon the gospel by the Judaizers, Paul exhorted the Galatians to stand firm in the freedom won for them by Jesus Christ.  Taking up a discussion of the Christian life in the fifth chapter of Galatians, Paul tells his hearers that although they are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone, the faith through which they are justified is also a faith that works in love.  Paul also says, the Law–obedience to which cannot justify–is fulfilled through obedience to the command to love one another.  But the power to fulfill the law is not our own.  It must be given to us through the indwelling Holy Spirit, so that we “walk by the Spirit.”

Paul’s critics in Galatia accused him of preaching one gospel of “faith alone” to the Gentiles and another of “faith plus circumcision” to the Jews.  But if Paul were doing such a thing, why was he being persecuted?  The Judaizers have told the Galatians repeatedly that Paul’s doctrine of justification is positively dangerous, since supposedly it leads to license–which is why the Judaizers were snooping around in the Galatian churches spying on Gentile liberty.  The Judaizers accused Paul of being an antinomian–slandering the apostle by claiming he had no regard for circumcision, the Law, or the traditions of the fathers.  In Galatians 5, Paul must correct a number of the ways in which he and the gospel have been misrepresented.  He takes great care in setting out just how it is, since we are justified by grace, alone through faith alone, on account of Christ alone, that we are to live our lives in light of Jesus Christ’s saving work. The life which springs from faith in Jesus is “walking by the Spirit.”

In verses 16-18 of Galatians 5, Paul draws a contrast between the Holy Spirit producing the fruit of the Spirit (characteristic of the Christian), with the works brought forth from the flesh (our sinful nature, apart from Christ).  Paul describes the Christian’s intense struggle with sin as a war between what we were in Adam and what we are presently in Christ.  Paul tells the Galatians they were called by God to be free, but they were not to use this freedom as an excuse to indulge the sinful nature (flesh).  Instead they were to use their freedom in Christ to serve one another in love (5:13-15) and not devour each other as wild animals.  As is his custom, Paul follows these comments with an imperative [command] in verse 16 (which opens our passage).  “But I say, walk by the Spirit.”  “To walk” is an Old Testament figure of speech descriptive of how one lives one’s life.  The one who walks in the Spirit “will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”  Paul exhorts us to walk by the Spirit as a habit of life because in doing so we will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

There is a loud Old Testament echo here.  The notion of life in the Spirit was a central blessing of the coming messianic age and the new covenant yet to dawn, and a major theme in the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31-34 of the new covenant (as in our Old Testament lesson).  Under the old covenant, the law was an eternal code of conduct (i.e., a list of rules).  But when the Holy Spirit is given to all of God’s people in the new covenant era, the law is said to be written on our hearts as an inward principle through the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.

To read the rest of this sermon, Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (January 21-January 27)

Sunday Morning, January 27:  As we work our way through the Book of Zechariah, we come to chapter 11:1-17, and the prophecy of YHWH's shepherd who saves his flock, but is rejected by his people.  Our worship service begins at 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Afternoon:  We begin a study of the Heidelberg Catechism.  We'll introduce the catechism and explain why it plays such an important role in Reformed piety.  Our afternoon service begins at 1:15 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study: (January 23 @ 7:30 p.m.).  As we continue to "make the case for Christianity," how does a presuppositional apologetic work in practice?  

Friday Night Academy: (Friday, January 25).  Our lecture is entitled, "Thomas Reid and His Common Sense Philosophy"

For more information on Christ Reformed Church you can always find us here Christ Reformed Church, or Christ Reformed on Facebook.

"They Shall Remember Me" -- Zechariah 10:1-12

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon on Zechariah from our series on the Minor Prophets:  Click Here

Apologetics in a Post Christian Age (Audio) -- Making the Case for Christianity (Part Two)

Here's the audio from the Wednesday night Bible study:  Making the Case for Christianity: Part Two

"Through Love Serve One Another" -- Galatians 5:7-15

The Tenth in a Series of Sermons on Galatians

Christ has set us free, which is why Paul exhorts the Galatians to stand firm in the face of those who seek to re-enslave them to the basic principles of the world.  The freedom purchased for us (at the cost of the blood and sweat of Jesus) is a precious gift, and is therefore not to be wasted by indulging the sins of the flesh.  Our freedom is to be manifest in love and service of our neighbors.  For Paul, the choice is clear.  Either we place our trust in the cross of Jesus Christ to find freedom–though it be a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks–or else we fall prey to the Judaizers who would abolish the offence of the cross in order to preach a false gospel of human merit, enslaving us under the guise of restraining human sinfulness and earning favor with God.

In Galatians 5:1, Paul’s emphasis begins to shift to more practical matters–specifically the nature of the Christian life.  Paul opens with an emphatic assertion; the purpose of the death of Jesus was to set believers free from the elementary principles of the world.  Christ’s merits provide us with what we need to be found “right” before God (“justified”).  To add the merit of human works (the basic principles of the world) to the merit earned for us by Christ is an affront to God.  Our liberty in Christ is the basis for the Christian life because, as Christians, we have clean consciences before God because the guilt of our sin has been washed away by the blood of Christ.  Since we are now in Christ, we are not bound by the Law as a means of earning a right standing with God.  Once justified, we are free to obey the Law of God since we are no longer slaves to sin.  This freedom is the basis for the Christian life.  

Christian liberty ensures that we are no longer bound by “things indifferent”– those things which are not expressly prohibited in Holy Scripture, summed up in the prohibitions, “do not taste,” “do not handle,” “do not touch” (cf. Colossians 2:20-23).  All those who have a right standing before God through faith in Christ are free from the elemental things which once enslaved us.  Unless we are clear about this, we will not be clear about how to live the Christian life.  The Judaizers in Galatia were having much success because they caused great confusion about the gospel, deceiving people to return them to slavery.

Given the fact that Christ died to set Christians free from the very things to which the Judaizers were trying to re-enslave them, Paul exhorts the Galatians, both at the beginning and end of this section, to stand firm against these false teachers, and not allow themselves to again bear the “yoke of slavery” (likely a Rabbinic phrase for obedience to the law of Moses).  If anyone does return to law-keeping as a means of earning favor with God, Paul says, they will fall from grace and be severed from Christ (Gal. 5:4).  This is no intermural debate.  Paul tells us that justification produces freedom in Christ.  Yet, the false gospel proclaimed by the Judaizers brings about slavery and bondage to the very things for which Christ died to free us.  If we don’t resist them we’ll end up re-enslaved back to basic principles.

But Paul is no libertine as the Judaizers were falsely contending.  You can just hear them telling the Galatians in Paul’s absence, “if Paul teaches that we are justified by faith alone and not by works, what place does that leave for good works?”  “If people really believe Paul, they will live lives characterized by sin and self indulgence, not good works.”  You can just imagine the Judaizers pointing out to everyone who will listen those immature individuals who use the gospel as an excuse to sin, as supposed proof that Paul’s gospel is dangerous.  Paul does not take the bait.  Instead, he preaches the gospel of free grace, justification by faith alone, and Christian liberty louder and longer.  This epistle is proof.  

The problem is not that the gospel leads to license, but that those who live in such fashion do not understand, or (in certain cases) truly do not believe the gospel.  Paul’s doctrine is that the faith which justifies, is also a faith which works in love, not so that we can be justified, but because we are already justified.  One who trusts in the merits of Christ is set free to strive to obey the Law of God.  But the religion of the Judaizers, on the other hand, is a religion of fear, doubt, and slavery.

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (January 14-January 20)

Sunday Morning, January 20:  Our text this coming Lord's Day is Zechariah 10:1-12, which includes God's promise to gather his exiled people.  Our worship service begins at 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Afternoon:  As we come to the end of our time in the Belgic Confession, we take up the matter of Christ's return (Article 37).  Our afternoon service begins at 1:15 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study: (January 16 @ 7:30 p.m.).  We are discussing "making the case for Christianity."  What is the nature of the Christian truth claim?  

Friday Night Academy:  Resumes on Friday, January 25 (note: new start date, due to Winter conference at WSC)

For more information on Christ Reformed Church you can always find us here Christ Reformed Church, or Christ Reformed on Facebook.

"On That Day, Their God Will Save Them" -- Zechariah 9:1-27

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon on Zechariah 9, as part of our series on the Minor Prophets:  Zechariah 9:1-17

Apologetics in a Post Christian Age (Audio) -- Making the Case for Christianity (Part One)

Here's the audio from the Wednesday night Bible Study: 

"Making the Case for Christianity" -- Part One