All Articles For I Believe

Previous article in this series: November 1, 2022, p. 69. Sex and gender are one  The teaching of Scripture is that gender is inextricably  bound to one’s biological sex. The proper relation  between sex and gender is that gender is the proper  social expression of one’s sex. The Scriptures know  of two genders, and both are determined not by one’s  feelings but by one’s sex. That God created gender  to be an expression of one’s sex is implied in what we  saw in the previous article, “male and female created  He them.” Yet, the Scriptures go on to draw out...

Previous article in this series: October 15, 2022, p. 45. “Male and female created he them” So much of our learning is distinguishing things from other things. As children, we learn what things are in part by learning what they are not. My first grader had a hard time reading the word “where,” but it became easier for her when she learned to distinguish it from “wear.” Who knew that there were three types of fire trucks? But when a fireman distinguishes a fire engine from a fire truck, and both of those from a fire rescue vehicle, you understand...

Previous article in this series: October 1, 2022, p. 13. The diagnosis of gender dysphoria Back to your co-worker. Does she really have feelings of being a boy though she was born a girl? As we will see in future articles, it is not the case that everyone who presents themselves as another gender does so because of genuine (clinical) gender dysphoria. There are other reasons. However, there is no doubt that feelings of gender dysphoria exist for some people. It does not help anyone, including the church, to attempt to deny this. It is important to note though, that...

Introduction Hello everyone, this is Jane. Ze’s a senior here [not a typo, pronounced zee], and will be taking you on your campus tour today. Let’s all welcome hir [not a typo, pronounced heer] as your tour guide!1 We have a new waiter joining our team tonight. Sam could you introduce yourself and give us your pronouns? Hi! My name is Sam…used to be Sheila. My pronouns are he/him, and I am excited to be working here. Mom?—tugging on shirt—why does it seem like that lady has to shave?2 The children and youth of the church are growing up in...

Purpose of this series Since it has been some time since I have written an  article for this series, it is worthwhile to remember the  main point of these articles. (If you want to catch up  or remember more thoroughly, the series may be found  in these issues of the SB: November 15, 2020, p. 93;  December 15, 2020, p. 132; February 15, 2021, p.  236; April 1, 2021, p. 302; June 2021, p. 400.) The  main point of these articles has been to show God’s  graciousness to us in His good use of our synods in  recent years. God...

Previous article in this series: April 1, 2021, p. 302. Review articles 1 and 2 This article is number five in a series. It is time to reflect a bit. The first two articles in this series were written to explain the importance of maintaining faith as the lone instrument in all our salvation. In order to show how important that is, I backed up a bit to give some history behind the Reformed faith’s use of the word “instrument.” The word was used to describe Scriptures’ teaching that salvation is by, through, and out of faith. Faith is the...

Previous article in this series: February 15, 2021, p. 236. Review All our salvation is stored up in Jesus Christ. And all of it—justification, sanctification, blessings, fellowship, heaven—comes to us through the lone instrument of faith. Faith is the pipeline that unites us to Christ, bringing to us all the blessings Christ has earned for us. Scripture, nonetheless, speaks of blessings that regularly come to us through that instrument of faith after certain Godworked obediences we perform. This is our experience as well. Because it is, it brings the question to mind, What is the relation between those activities and...

Previous article in this series: December 15, 2020, p. 132. Review We have been considering the instrumental cause of our salvation. In the first article I pointed out what the Reformers, and Calvin in particular, meant by the instrumental cause of salvation. Calvin referred to four “causes” of salvation. The first was the efficient cause, which Calvin said points to the author of salvation, the triune God of grace. The second was the material cause, describing the substance of our salvation, Christ and His righteousness. Next, Calvin spoke of the instrumental cause of our salvation, referring to faith, the sole...

However, to speak more clearly, we do not mean, that faith itself justifies us, for it is only an instrument with which we embrace Christ our righteousness. But Jesus Christ, imputing to us all His merits and so many holy works which He has done for us and in our stead, is our righteousness. And faith is an instrument that keeps us in communion with Him in all His benefits, which, when become ours, are more than sufficient to acquit us of our sins. —Belgic Confession, Article 22 Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the...

Previous article in this series: June 2020, p. 400. Introduction In this series of articles, we have covered two ways God speaks in Scripture that let us know this book can only be from Him. As He reveals Himself, God speaks about the future before it occurs, and He brings a diversity into unity that is so great no human or collection of humans could accomplish it. We have also examined two aspects of the content of the Bible, to see that what the Bible says also reveals its origin is from God. Here, we took note of the excellence...