Vol 92 Issue 07

Denominational Activities Pastor Carl and Mary Haak (Georgetown PRC, Hudsonville, MI) left on November 11 for a three-week stay (November 11-30) with the PRC of Vellore, India. Deane and Donna Wassink, also from Georgetown PRC, joined them on November 25, and then Rev. Cory Griess and Rev. Doug Kuiper from the Foreign Mission Committee (FMC) arrived on December 1. The Wassinks and the ministers from the FMC returned home on December 14. In all, a five-week stay was scheduled with the saints of God in the PRC of Vellore. During this time numerous conferences were arranged with area pastors, eight...

Previous article in this series: October 1, 2015, p. 19. The Universality of War against God The universality of sin (and death, for that matter) is undeniable. Wherever man is, moral evil abounds. The Bible declares it (I Kings 8:46; Ps. 14:1-3; Prov. 20:9; Eccl. 7:20; Rom. 3:1-20; Gal. 3:22; I John 1:8, 10). Experience confirms it. Even those who desperately cling to the dream of the essential goodness of man find their own experiences and relationships darkened by sin and sin’s consequences. Sin is wicked war against God and His law. Natural man is not merely separated from God....

A significant tool in teaching the truths of the Reformed faith, and thus a significant part of mission work, is to provide opportunity for questions to be asked and answered. We regularly use this tool after lectures, classes, Bible studies, and so forth. We also do it, at times, after Sunday worship services are finished. On other occasions, we devote the whole of a Bible study to answering questions. These question sessions have been beneficial, under the Lord’s blessing, for myself personally, especially because many of the questions arise from the different backgrounds of the saints here. This forces one...

Previous article in this series: November 15, 2015, p. 84. Councils And in the same order also we place the decrees and canons of councils. Wherefore we do not permit ourselves, in controversies about religion or matters of faith, to urge our case with only the opinions of the fathers or decrees of council; much less by received customs, or by the large number of those who share the same opinion, or by the prescription of a long time. Who is the judge? Therefore, we do not admit any other judge than God himself, who proclaims by the Holy Scriptures...

The most precious substance in the universe is the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ is most precious because it is the only substance in heaven or earth of infinite worth and value (Canons, II.3). You cannot buy it with mountains of gold, or vaults stuffed with cash. Its value surpasses the worth of all the jewels, fine art, business assets, architectural marvels, and national treasuries in the entire world. Only the blood of Jesus Christ is truly priceless. The blood of Jesus Christ is of infinite worth because it alone is intrinsically precious. Preciousness is a derived...

John Piper Stirs Up the “Sanctification Debate” John Piper is a well-known pastor (now retired) and widely thought of as a leader in Reformed circles. Thus, any subtle errors that he teaches are all the more dangerous and in need of exposure. This is even more so when his errors contradict justification by faith alone, one of the cardinal doctrines of Scripture. Those who seek to learn from Piper must be aware that Piper subtly denies the doctrine of justification by faith alone in a way that aligns him with the hardly mentioned but still dangerous heresy of the Federal...

…While I highly respect Rev. Richard Smit and wholeheartedly endorse what he says about “The Role of Reformed Literature on the Mission Field,” he wrote recently (SB, Nov. 15), ”the work of missions is not advanced by [among other things]…medical missions. All these things are the outwardly attractive ways of modern missions, and are simply erroneous.” I cannot agree for several reasons: 1) The Lord’s and His apostles’ ministry was not only preaching the word but also healing the sick, albeit to authenticate their credentials; but those good works complemented and facilitated the preaching and showed they cared for the...

“…the cause of Christ is never, ever advanced by the sword.” The conviction above is expressed in the November 1, 2015 issue of the Standard Bearer, in the editorial “Learning from the Medieval Church’s History.” As I penned that, I was fully aware that many today have a different view of the relationship of the sword and the cause of Christ. At least one reader of the SB took exception to it. Mr. Archie P. Jones sent us a very cordial letter with a lengthy response to that statement. He acknowledged that it was “eight times too long for a...

“Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.” Psalm 119:37 A new year is again upon us. At year’s end many media sources review the so-called highlights of the year gone by. Again there have been amazing accomplishments in science, technology, and medicine. Many of the headlines from 2015 have been tragic, relating calamities, disasters, violence, and horrific acts of terrorism. There are the names and faces of those who have made the news, along with the birth notices and the obituaries. Looking closer to home, we reflect on this last year of our...