Listen to Calvin.

I discovered this in Calvin's second published sermon in his Acts series.

"For many will be found who will say they have faith, but of they look into their hearts, they will find they foolishly believe they have that faith which they truly believe they have simply because they think they do.  Just let some slight hint of testing arise, and they are overwhelmed," (pp.14,15).

How many there are who are exactly like that!  Because they think they have faith, they must therefore have it!  Because someone else, some religious official, accepts they have faith, they must have it.  The applications are many.  And those who fall into this category are so overwhelmed by the realisation that they do not have the faith they thought they had that they then take it out on the minister.

Cheap profession-ism is killing the church, but few seem to care about this departure either.

The more I read Calvin, the more timely are his thoughts and expositions.  He is so contemporary despite having preached these sermons in the mid 1550s.  The seeds of application just jump out at you. he is a delight to read and be ministered to by.

"Think on these things."

See also my book on Calvin's Gospel Preaching by clicking here. 

Another book that might be of interest to you is here.  Please buy your copy and tell your friends to get themselves their copy.

Owenism Under The Microscope

Despite the many good things that Owen has written, I am afraid that his influence within the churches has been pernicious rather than helpful.  Owenism cuts the umbilical cord of biblical evangelism.  It could be argued that this is because these men have not understood the essence of Owen's theology; or it might also be that they have, and it is now like a noose around their necks with the attendant fear that the non-elect might be saved under Gospel preaching!  How ridiculous can things become!  I think also that Owenism is so focussed on predestination and election that there is really no need for Gospel preaching at all!  

I am also convinced that only those who adopt an Owenite position on matters relating to the Gospel will be welcome to preach to many of their congregations.  I think Owenism allows unbelievers to remain undetected within the church as visible and only the spiritually discerning can identify this. 

That is why I love John Calvin, the reformed evangelist, so much.  He yearns for souls to be saved, longs to see sinners come to Christ and pleads with them to leave their life of sin and trust the only Saviour of the world.  He knows the Gospel so well, and refuses to complicate it with the clogging influences of medieval scholasticism.  He allows the Scripture to speak out its own plain message to the perishing world.  He holds out the only life-line there is to all the world, begging them to come in.  Owenites appear to believe that the Gospel and Gospel preaching is unnecessary - as some of your people have told you, and the same impression is given by many ministers.  The Owenite Gospel is essentially 'another Gospel,' (Gal.1:6, 7), which is not another.  If we are to return anywhere, it must be to the Gospel as preached by Calvin and Baxter, and the faithful followers of Christ.

Maybe I am rambling here, but do you see any merit in what I am saying?  Will a return to authentic Calvinism save the churches and the Gospel in the churches?  I am convinced it will!  And how we need such a return, and need it urgently!

How sad and frightening is our church situation in Ulster!  What a judgement awaits those who have failed so dramatically to present Christ alone as the means and ground of salvation for all repenting sinners!  Unless God intervenes, Ulster churches will decline even further.  Members are being fed a diet of clinically detached and sanitised Bible Studies which are passed off as sermons and messages from God.  If the true saving Gospel is not everywhere apparent in our sermons, they do not honour God or glorify Christ.

I leave these few rambling thoughts with you for your consideration and to be reflected upon.  If we can see what our theology is doing, and the negative effect it has had on the churches, then I think we may have hit upon the one thing that will improve the spiritual condition of many within the church and the whole church as well; it will re-focus our minds and hearts on true and rigorous evangelism; it will lead to the conversion of 'covenant children;' and it will be instrumental in the reformation and reviving of the church as she is today. 

May God bless you all abundantly in all you do in His holy service.

For further examples of Calvin's Gospel preaching, please visit here.  This paper was delivered at the 2011 Amyraldian Association Conference in Attleborough, NORFOLK.  It expounds Calvin's evangelistic approach and the content of the Gospel he so powerfully declared.  Here is authentic Calvinistic evangelistic preaching.

Owen's Negative Influence on the Churches

Having reflected on the influence of Owen within the reformed churches in Northern Ireland with their inordinate emphasis on covenant children, there is surely a reason why this is the case.  The reason might not be obvious to many people in the churches, but I think a stab at understanding this unfortunate state of affairs must be made.  The fact that there is so little Gospel preaching within the denominations would suggest to me a possible explanation, and its this.  Because the great Puritan theologian, Dr John Owen, did not have any reported conversions from his ministry but was deemed to be faithful to the Word/Gospel, that in some way justifies non-Gospel preaching that is clear and pointed and direct in those churches that have adopted Owen as their mentor, because God will bring the covenant children to faith in His own time.  For them, being a covenant child equals being a Christian.  Therefore, covenant children are not urged to come to Christ, to repent, to trust the Saviour, and the need to be 'born again' is not emphasised, nor is it welcome in many  congregations - pure and mixed alike.

Because the great John Owen was not a 'successful' evangelist like Baxter et al, the position seems to be that so long as a man is faithful to the Word of God, conversions do not matter (really).  Good, mature and spiritual Christians are leaving their churches because the Gospel is not being preached with clarity and conviction, the emphasis being on the covenant children, an idea that is substituted for the Gospel of Grace.  Many hearts are broken by this retrograde development within evangelical and reformed churches. How can any church claim to be a reformed church if it does not preach the mighty Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes?  Is it because the preachers do not believe in their hearts the message they are preaching, therefore it comes across as a cold lecture of sorts?  Or is it because they do not see the eternal danger of covenant children who die without Christ that they decline to make the Gospel clear?  Perhaps it could be termed in another way: these 'reformed' preachers have not themselves been gripped by the awfulness of the hell that awaits every unconverted sinner.  In this way they are buttressing the old theological liberalism of the major denominations which they rightly criticise.

How sad and frightening is the church situation in Ulster!  What a judgement awaits those who have failed so dramatically to present Christ alone as the means and ground of salvation for all repenting sinners!  Unless God intervenes, Ulster churches will decline even further, and be lost.  Members are being fed a diet of clinically detached Bible Studies which are passed off as sermons and messages from God.  If the true saving Gospel is not everywhere apparent in our sermons, they do not honour God or glorify Christ. 

The question arises: is the Gospel absolutely dispensable for the salvation of sinners?  Is there another way of salvation apart from, and beside, the Gospel of God?  Reformed evangelicals and Arminians are convinced that there is no other way of reconciliation with God except through faith in Christ alone.  But the 'neo-reformed' men, why, they hold to a different Gospel which is no Gospel at all.  They believe that the covenant alone, and membership in it, saves the sinner. There is no need for this 'new birth' business that Jesus and Peter and Paul preach. 

For further information on issues that are germane to this subject, please visit here.

A PRAYER FOR HER MAJESTY ON THE OCCASION OF HER DIAMOND JUBILEE

A PRAYER FOR HER MAJESTY ON THE OCCASION OF HER DIAMOND JUBILEE

For use in churches
ALMIGHTY, Eternal and ever-gracious God, grant Your protection to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, that She might continue faithful to Her coronation oath to maintain the Protestant Reformed Religion established by Law. May She do all in Her power to maintain the sovereignty and unity of the United Kingdom. Thus may She be delivered from every appearance of treachery and the mischievous endeavours and alien cultures of foreign powers such as the Pope of Rome and the Islamic ideology. May Her Majesty and Her ministers be granted wise discernment, just and faithful policies and continuing felicity for the remainder of Her reign, until She at length renders an account to the King of kings and only Saviour of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ when He returns to judge the world in righteousness. Amen.
_____________________________________________________________________
The Revd Alan C. Clifford, BA, MLitt, PhD
Norwich Reformed Church
"http://www.nrchurch.co.nr"

Worldly Worship

It appears that none of the major denominations in Northern Ireland is free of worldly worship, made to masquerade as contemporary Christian worship.  The world is steadily infiltrating the evangelical church with a force that seems to be unstoppable.  How can this be?  There is only one answer: the Church has admitted into membership people of a worldly disposition, and they bring with them their worldly ambitions.  What better place can the gifted find to promote their talents than in the Christian church!  And the church not only allows such to happen but actually encourages such a travesty within the hallowed precincts of God's House. 

And do you know happens also?  The preaching of the Word has to be curtailled in order to facilitate the performing musicians.  How sad. How unacceptable. When will the church's teaching elders see what is happening and call an immediate halt to this perversion?  When will church leaders take a clear and uncompromising stand against all such transgressions of biblical norms?

Is there anyone out there who is concerned enough to take a stand against this rot that is blighting otherwise good ministries?

Reconciliation - A Study In Greek.

Apokatallasso is regarded by scholar as the strongest Greek word for 'reconciliation.'  The prefix, apo, means from, indicating the state to be left behind; and katallasso, to reconcile.  In this compound word, there is explicitly and clearly something to be left behind before a restored relationship can be created.  In other words, for reconciliation to be brought about, there must be a separation from what was before to what is now new.  A man cannot bring that which caused the estrangement in the first place with him into the new relationship.  It could be argued that the crime or sin committed must be placed on the table and then left behind decisively and deliberately before a renewed relationship can be established. 

Katallage refers to a change that is brought about by the death of Christ.  The blood of Christ satisfied God's justice, and , through faith, this death of Christ changes a man, making him a friend with whom God can now have fellowship without any compromise of God's justice or holiness.

Diallassonai is another Greek word that bears on the meaning of reconciliation.  Here, dia denotes transition and movement, and allassomai mean to change.  It is to change ones feelings towards something or someone; to reconcile oneself to an otherwise problematic situation, and/or become reconciled.  The term applies to a quarrel where the fault may be two-sided or one-sided. The context usually always shows which it is, and where the enmity lies.

James Denney - A Study Abstract

Scottish theologian James Denney, DD, made a significant contribution to New Testament scholarship with his books, numerous articles, lectures and correspondence.  Study reveals that his theology has been influenced by philosophy, not least in the place he has given to empiricism.  It can be demonstrated how, overall,  this has had a negative impact on his theology, resulting in his practice being superior to his theory (theology) in some places, notably, in his doctrine of the Scriptures, revelation, and the Holy Spirit.  Nor has his understanding of eschatology escaped this influence.

Given the historical climate in which he grew up and taught, it is not surprising that he imbibed the humanism that emanated from Germany scholarship.  His tendency towards existentialism and his criticisms of theological liberalism were noted, especially that promoted by Albrecht Ritschl. 

Denney’s doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture is examined along with his understanding of the Holy Spirit, Whom he does not think is a Person in the same way as the Father and the Son are Persons.   One conclusion drawn from this discovery is that much more attention must be paid to the work of the Holy Spirit in formulations of the doctrine of Scripture.  This lack has adversely affected Denney’s doctrine of Scripture. 

Research recognises and demonstrates that Denney’s handling of Scripture is superior to his doctrine of Scripture, a fact for which we must be grateful.  

Calvin And Lloyd-Jones Unwelcome!

There is such an antipathy to the authentic Gospel within reformed evangelicalism today that it is doubtful whether men like John Calvin, Richard Baxter, Edmund Calamy, Jonathan Edwards, Joseph Bellamy, John or Charles Wesley, Robert Murray McCheyne, J. C. Ryle, Thomas Chalmers, or even Dr Lloyd-Jones himself would be welcome in their pulpits.  There is such a antipathy to true and vigorous evangelism that many in today's compromised church prefer to lull their people to sleep rather than awaken them with the alarming sound of the Gospel.  They want peace in the church at all costs - and I mean 'at all costs!'  If this is to be maintained by a watered-down message, so be it.  A good minister is one who can keep all church members on board, whether or not they are regenerate. 

But here's the issue: if a preacher in the mould of Calvin and Lloyd-Jones were to come into their pulpits - and all in between - and preach a searching and disturbing message, there would  be a riot.  That's what happened when George Whitefield or John Wesley preached the Gospel.  Our congregations will not have such preaching!  They want to be left alone in their spiritual doldrums, and not be made to think seriously about spiritual matters, and definitely not those spiritual matters that relate to their own souls and relationship with Christ.  People who do not want to meet with God in His Word cannot on any supposition be regarded as Christians.  They want away as far as they can get from God.

But a truly authentic gospel ministry disturbs the peace, such as was preached by the men mentioned above, and the churches simply do not want that. 

The New Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones Book

There is controversy brewing around the publication of my new book on Dr D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, controversy that is based on nothing but preconceived ideas about the Doctor.  This is nothing uncommon in Northern Ireland when controversy arises, of course.  And sadly, it is not uncommon even in evangelical circles, either.  

For the sake of clarity, let me explain the breakdown of the book.  The first half is a narrative of what the doctor's ministry meant to me personally - and it is a personal reflection and appreciation.  The second half is made up of extracts from his own sermons, over 320 of them, and these tell us what the Doctor believed about the Gospel and other Gospel issues.  What most people do not know is that DMLJ himself stated that he never believed in limited atonement, nor did he preach it ("only once on Rom.5:15, and I was in great difficulty when I did") - nor did the other Dr Lloyd-Jones, his wife, Bethan, so it is impossible how the impression could possibly be arrived at that he was, as some describe him, "a committed TULIP Calvinist," whatever that is. 

It would be profitable if those who seem to be exercised by this matter did as I did and extracted every statement the Doctor made that indicates that he believed in limited atonement.  This would clear up the matter once and for all. I wish them well! 

Having neither seen nor read the book, some people have already made up their minds that the book as well as the Doctor's theology/soteriology is unsound.  That is regrettable, because until the contents of the book are actually read and the accuracy of the references checked out from the original sources, people cannot possibly come to such an unwarranted conclusion.  Basic integrity demands that the book is read first before coming to any conclusion about it's contents. 

I think there is a great tendency within evangelicalism for Christians not to do their own thinking or to carry out their own research.  There is an incipient Roman Catholicism abroad within reformed evangelicalism in which Christians simply take as true whatever the "bishops" within that constituency say is the truth.  

So what will this book achieve?  It will provide possibly a stepping stone for evangelicals who are interested in discovering the truth about what DMLJ believed, taught and preached about the Gospel's content, and that can only be good for our precious faith.  

I have been appalled at the way reformed evangelicals have resorted to what could be termed 'dishonesty' to maintain and promote their faith.  The view that confessions can usurp the supreme place in the life of the Church was confirmed in a old edition of the Banner of Truth magazine when the writer lamented the fact that some reformed men, while affirming that they held the Scriptures to be the supreme standard of faith and conduct, and confessional formulations to be subordinate, actually and in practice made what is subordinate into the supreme.  For such men, it mattered only secondarily what Scripture plainly taught, while what the confessions said was paramount.  This is precisely my position.

I think reformed evangelicals need to return to the position where in actual fact and practice the Scriptures are our supreme and only final authority in all matters of faith and worship, not any man-made formulations.  Confessions have their place, undoubtedly, but they are NOT Scripture.

This was DMLJ's often repeated position, and it's mine, too.

If anyone reading this post wants to review the book, available at this site, I would ask that they check my extracts from DMLJ's own writings/sermons, my use of which I trust they will find to be accurate, and then if they disagree with what the Doctor said, so be it and then say so in their review.