All Articles For Gritters M

Relentlessly we have maintained the doctrine of the particular atonement. And rightly so, for it is just as relentlessly being attacked in these present days. It should not be necessary in Reformed circles to have to prove that Christ, according to the intention of God’s decrees, died, not for all, but only for the elect. But it has often become, and gradually more often becomes, necessary to have to maintain that redemption is particular. And therefore we with unabated force have to maintain that the blood of the cross went no further and was intended to reach no further than...

Perplexed, and in despair. Perplexed, but not in despair. That, in short, is the way the lines are being drawn as they mark the difference between the people that have their own god and the people that know the true God. The pressure of the times, with all the anxiety and the fear which follows, the dizzying pace of amazing events, the threats of more horrible and amazing things have brought perplexity upon all of us. How could we escape being perplexed? No matter how sanely we may think on the matters and however cautiously we may feel our way...

Two whole chapters about a collection in the church, chapters 8 and 9 of 2 Corinthians, about an offering of money. That alone is enough to cause us to stop and consider how important that side of our church service is. A general survey of what Paul says in these two chapters must at once convince us that he sees much more in the collection plate than we often do. Although Scripture is full of the importance of offering (our Confessions speak of them too) in this article I would confine myself to 2 Cor. 8 and 9 and show...

Not only is the collection or offering of the saints itself rich and meaningful, but in II Cor. 8 and 9 Paul also goes on to show what great and far-reaching effects of blessing these offerings have, both for them that give as well as for them that receive, and above all what glory to God it arouses. The Givers The Lord certainly does not want us to give liberally with the hope of a rich reward in return for our giving. Beautifully Calvin expresses this when he says: “It is indeed the saying of a heathen—‘what you have given...

Selfishness is so deeply rooted in man’s heart that at the moment it becomes plain that there is no merit of ours in doing good works we stand aghast and say: why must we still do good works? The Heidelberger proposes this question, not because he himself is not plain on the issue, but he is engaged in showing us that we are by nature a very selfish lot. If our good works could merit us something, if they could gain us something, then we would gladly do them, yes we would be eager to do them. But, now, if...

Social evils refer to the principle of evil as it manifests itself in the relations of man to man, in the life of men among men. For “social” or society means a body of persons joined or living together. More particularly social evils refer to evils as they crop up in the community. In one community this evil, in some other community another evil is on the foreground. And the idea of this article will not be to catalogue a series of such evils, but rather to try to show what attitude the professed Christian has to take toward the...

Knocking! Knocking! At the doors of thousands of American homes, a few years ago. Also at the homes of reformed people. It was the RADIO. Might he come in? Might he entertain the family? Might he connect your house with the wide, wide world? The worldly homes hailed him in at once. Into some homes he came secretly, he forced himself into other homes. But many of our reformed homes took a careful look at the stranger. Was it the right thing to do to let him in? It opened the doors to the wide world, it reminded of “garlic...

Jesus frequently used expressions such as, “Have ye not read,” or, “Have ye never read?” or, “Have ye not so much as read?” this or that passage from the writings of God. These passages are explained by that one upbraiding word of the Lord, “Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures.” Have ye not read? The world is full of literature, but “have ye read.” We fairly stumble our way through a jungle of literature, but, “have ye read?” The capacity to read is the work of God whereby He adapts us to as well as confines us to His...

When God created us He set us in the very midst of all the works of His hands and bade us to serve Him withal. We stand today too in the midst of creation. Turn which way we will, we always have to assume an attitude toward the things of God’s hands. That attitude admits of two extremes. The one attitude is that of non-using of creation. Men consider it sin to use creation. Men practice world-flight. With the monks of yore and the Anabaptists of today they see creation as belonging to the lower and baser order of things...

In the September issue of De Heraut, H. V., writing on “Hot Ambt Aller Geloovigen” uses a figure which only too conspicuously describes the Church-life in many of our churches today. H. V. is agitating against the corrupt conception many people entertain in respect to the Church and its function in this world. Here is the figure, an illustration applicable enough to be of value to us and our churches. Says H. V. many church members consider the church a train traveling toward heaven. In that train one may see a variety of passengers. One passenger is taking a nap,...