Theological Treatises

  Be Satan's Worst Nightmare One of the privileges of the true (regenerate) saints of the church, is that we get to frustrate the devil's designs against us--and hence, make his existence even  more  miserable than it already is (because of his rebellion against God). A principal way we do this, is by sincerely giving our Heavenly Father thanks for *everything* that happens to us, through Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, (cf. 1 Thess. 5:18).  When we do this via sovereign gospel grace, it is  extremely  frustrating for Lucifer--because even his  worst  deeds foisted against us cannot wrench us from our love for God through our Blessed Redeemer. Another way we become the old snake's headache, is through sincerely loving our enemies--even when they, at Satan's bidding--come to murder us or torture us or persecute us (in any way). We recognize  who  is behind this undeserved ill-treatment; and we recall that  we  ...

  The Visible Church As a "Corpus Per Mixtum" "Corpus per mixtum,"  is Latin, and it means,  "mixed body."   The term was popularized by the great Augustine, Bishop of Hippo (354-430 AD).  In this paper, I will be largely depending on two amazing geniuses: the aforementioned Augustine and Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758 AD).  The point of my abbreviated thesis is this: the  visible  church, i.e. that body of those baptized in the Trinitarian formula in credally-faithful Christian communions, constitute  all  kinds of people--from a "spiritual" point of view.  I do wish to make  this  one preliminary comment, however, and it is this: in fact, ultimately (and most-importantly) there are only  two  categories of persons in the visible church, (or in the world, for that matter); and they are: the  regenerate  in Christ, and all the rest (who are all  not  regenerate).   Both A...

  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...

  The  Always-Uncomfortability  of the Saint's Life On Earth The church's true children of God, those who are born again to a vital hope in the Lord Jesus Christ--always, in a certain sense, bear about in their souls an  uncomfortable feeling  while living in this world.  Our Heavenly Father makes sure that this will be the case--and He does this for our good.  It is in  this  sense, perhaps more than in  any  other, that the regenerate Christians are "aliens and strangers" in this world, (cf. 1 Pet. 2:11).  It is  not  so much that we do not "belong" here,  as  it is that our hearts are  not  fully and passionately "here."  Instead, they (our redeemed and Spirit-filled) souls are (really) in heaven, with Jesus.   The world can (and does sometimes) show us its splendor and glory--and our response (done respectfully within ourselves), is, "Ho-hum. This is nice; but it i...

  Secure Church Women One of the glories of the gospel's influence in the church, is to see believers become  so  secure in Jesus, that they, in time, become almost "immune" to all the outside pressures to compromise themselves, pollute themselves, and hurt themselves.   This is especially beautiful, when it is witnessed in the true and regenerate church's women.  They are so happy to be who they are in Jesus, they would not want to  be  anyone (or anything) else. . . . The world--especially the religious world--comes to them, and says, "Become like a man; you can be as bad and vile as any male. You can be 'empowered' with all the things that the world offers. Come, be part of it."  The secure, Christ-loving churched woman says, "No way. You can keep your alleged 'power' to yourself.  Mine  (in Jesus) is much  greater  than yours. Nothing you can offer me can make me happier than I am right now."   . . . And corr...

  How the Pastor Shepherds the Church Session For you non-Presbyterians out there, by "session," we mean, the currently-serving elders of a church congregation. . . . And though this little paper is designed to assist ministers and (lay) elders, everyone else should feel free to "listen in."   First of all, the pastor is the "least" among "servants" on the session.  He is there to minister to his fellow-elders.  Typically, the pastor, especially if he has had some years of experience, is "used to" the slings and arrows, darts and rocks that get hurled at church leaders.  Because of this, he is usually more in the position of being able to shield his brothers from the same.  Also, the pastor, being called by God to be an undershepherd of Jesus, the Great Shepherd, is endowed with a large measure of the blessed Holy Spirit; and he is also blessed to be able to spend an inordinate amount of time in prayer and in the reading and study of th...

  The Amazing Richard Sibbes The Puritan pastor Rev. Richard Sibbes (1577-1635), was very-appropriately referred to as, "the heavenly Doctor."  Sometimes his books and sermons seem to lift the souls of the church's saints right into glory, (even while we are still down here on Earth).   A sermon Sibbes preached on Song of Solomon 5:2 & 3, in a series entitled, "The Love of Christ," will prove the point.  Check out these remarkable words, as I quote him, (and all the  italics  are my emphases): "Thus [Christ] looks on us, and thus faith looks upon Him too, and  together  with the sight and sense of  sin,  at the  same  time it apprehends righteousness,  perfect  righteousness, and so is  undefiled . This is the main point in religion, and the comfort of Christians, to see  their  perfection  in  Christ Jesus, and to be  lost  in  themselves,  as it were, and to...