Theological Treatises

  Bearing Reproach With Jesus Here is what we read, in Hebrews 13:13:  "Therefore let us go to him [Jesus] outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured,"  (ESV).  We are to do this because our Savior  "suffered outside the gate,"  (v. 12a).  Our  "altar,"  (v. 10a), is not in  any  city in this world.  Instead, it is in the  "city that is to come,"  (v. 14b), from heaven. . . .   Because  of all this, the true saints of the faithful church are viewed with scorn and derision by all who seek to find their "altar," their "atonement," their "righteousness" in the people, institutions, works, and performances of this world.  The people of the world  do  not and  cannot  understand us.  They view us with suspicion and disdain--as those who are "too good" for them, too weird in our outlook, and too "anti-social" in our behavior.   But nonetheless--despite ...

  "Does This Glorify The Lord Jesus Christ, Or Not?" The question (above, in the Title), is the  only  query that matters in life.  No other ultimate question has any relevance or importance.   All  that  matters  is, "Will what I do/think/believe/act on/cogitate  glorify  the Lord  Jesus  Christ, or will it not?"   The reason we say,  "The Lord Jesus Christ,"  is because  to  simply say,  "God,"  is  not  good enough.  There are too many  false  conceptions of "God," to make this word useful (in  this  respect and regard). . . . If the question was, "Will this action/etc. glorify  me  or someone  else  or  something  else or some  false  god?"--then, obviously, this is the  wrong  question to ask.  Still, it is better to *face* the fact of actually  making  this inquiry-- th...

  The Devil Thinks That We Are Idiots* Have you ever considered Satan's opinion of us fallen sinners--especially with regard to our foolhardy rejection of the love and glory of God in Jesus Christ?  Remember: the devil himself has good experience of this.  There was a time (before  his  Fall), that he enjoyed and relished the presence, glory, and (even) love of God.  But then he Fell (cf. Lk. 10:18).  Richard Sibbes once well-said that no one suffers more from the Fall from grace than those who once knew and enjoyed it with unalloyed glory.  Such  was  the case with Adam and Eve; and such  is  the case also with Satan.  But, whereas Adam and Eve were elect unto restored glory in Jesus--there was no probation (at all) offered to Lucifer and his fellow reprobate angels (who have now become demons).   If any of you remember the "Lord of The Rings" trilogy--you might recall that Tolkien's Sa...

  How Reliable Is  Man's  Wisdom?/How About  God's? Paul's words of 1 Corinthians 1:21 form the basis of this treatise.  Here they are:  "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe,"  (ESV).  My thesis is this: With regard to life's most  important  question--the  knowledge  of God, or  justification  before Him--God  assures  that man's wisdom will  fail;  and that  His  [God's] wisdom will  succeed  only through the  preaching  of the  Crucified  Christ.   What  is  the basic core essence of  man's  wisdom with regard to the knowledge of God, or justification before Him?  Does it not always devolve down to fallen humans' works, performances, deeds, activities; and their (vain) speculations about the being...

  The "Philosopher"-Pastor This little treatise is probably going to be a bit autobiographical--so, if you would rather not peruse it, here is your early "warning"(!)  Just very recently, I have come to more-fully realize that I myself fit into this category of a "philosopher"-pastor.  From the very outset, I wish to emphasize that the word "pastor" takes  absolute precedence  over the descriptor "philosopher."   . . . In my opinion, in many cases, the "philosopher"-pastor  never  intended to  be  a church minister of the gospel.  Instead, he envisioned his life as one of quiet study and writing--with perhaps some teaching mixed-in.  (Just how he was going to pull this off, is anyone's guess[!])  But, in time, God clearly calls these "philosopher"-pastors into the church's formal gospel ministry.  When this call happens, they go.   In the history of the church, I would include the fo...

  Objections To Christianity/To The Gospel In my judgment, it  is  possible for fallen sinners to have  honest  objections to "Christianity"; but that it is  impossible  for anyone to have  honest  objections to the true church's  faithful  preaching of the Gospel of Christ and His grace.   What passes off for "Christianity" is sometimes  so  absurd--that it is the responsible thing, to object to it.  Just to use one instance: the popish teaching that if you enter a certain door of a particular church building in Santiago, Spain, on the right day of the correct year--all your sins will be forgiven.  Only the most ignorant of wretched fools could  actually  believe this (with integrity); and even the Jesuits would probably seek to concoct some "disclaimer," to save themselves from becoming laughingstocks. . . . But, unfortunately, many of the same things could be said about so-called "prot...