The teaching of this final paragraph is an important safeguard against two errors: perfectionism and Pharisaism. It shows that though the standard of Christian behavior remains perfection (1 Pet. 1:15, 16; 2:21, 22; 1 John 2:1), yet no Christian attains that standard in this life.
Preface: Recently I visited a group of folks interested in starting a church. I think what I shared with them...
The 1689 Baptist Confession gives us an extensive doctrine of sola scriptura. This is a glorious inheritance from our Baptist forefathers. We must not truncate its meaning or significance.
The reality of total depravity means that the sins which people commit are not mistakes or glitches in an otherwise good person. No, the Confession draws the opposite conclusion.
It is this solidarity in Adam that explains so much that otherwise would be inexplicable. Why does every human sin? What are the odds of that? Why does the Scripture say that men are born sinful and go from the womb speaking lies?
The first sin consisted in the transgression of law. Adam, according to the Confession, violated both the general obligations of the law written on his heart and the specific and specially revealed command regarding the tree when he fell.
The special object of God’s care in the world is not the nation of Israel. It is not even the good old USA. It is rather the church of Jesus Christ.
It does matter what we do because God’s providence does not ignore or over-ride second causes and conditions but works through them. Certain actions on our part will have certain results.
We may recognize and rest in a divine superintendence of history that controls and directs to a good end every detail of our lives.
We should not even speak of man possessing the image of God. For the image is not something man possesses. It is something man is. Man is the image of God.