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Imputation of the Active Obedience of Christ in the Westminster Standards, by Alan D. Strange. Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage, 2019, xviii + 158 pages, $7.79, paper. The doctrine of the imputation of the active obedience of Christ in the justification of believers is vital to Reformed pastoral care. It is the desire of my heart that every sheep in my flock come to the assurance “that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (WCF 18.1). Active obedience, correctly understood, is a joy and comfort to the believer, assuring him of his right standing before God. God is righteous and requires that all who come before him be righteous.…
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Course syllabi in a moment. But first a word about calendars. Calendars do more than remind you about upcoming events. They are an essential part of planning and the effective use of time. At RTS, I want you to learn how to make your calendar an ally in completing your studies. A good place to begin is your course syllabi. When you access a syllabus for the first time, review it carefully. Then go to your calendar. Add each class session to your calendar. For example, last spring my Classics of Personal Devotion class of met on these dates: 2/3, 3/2, 3/23, and 4/20. Add all work due on the date it’s due. That includes all quizzes, tests, and…
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32 years ago I was the guest preacher at my Uncle John’s church in Water Valley, Mississippi. I cherish the memory of ministering the word of God with him.
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Today my RTS office is in an attic. 46 years ago my bedroom was. On the evening of April 8, 1974, I sat at my desk doing homework. The radio was on, the volume low, and the Braves-Dodgers game in the background. In the second and the fourth inning, I turned up the volume when one of my boyhood heroes, “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron, came to the plate. And it was in the fourth inning that he smashed his record setting 715th homer off Dodger Al Downing. Braves’ announcer Milo Hamilton called the historic shot. Of the hundreds of Braves games I listened to as a boy, that was by far the most memorable. I recorded the home run on my…
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When I finish a book, I add it to my annual “books read” list. My 2019 list is at the end of this post. I don’t have a detailed reading plan – I select books based on interest and recommendations, as well as a desire to improve my cultural awareness. I also use commentaries, Bible dictionaries, and systematic theologies as I prepare two weekly sermons and lectures. Since I seldom read these cover-to-cover, few are found in my lists. 2019 Reading Highlights What follows are some of my 2019 reading highlights. Several of my comments come from booknotes I wrote earlier in the year. Every year, I read a few substantial volumes in theology. This year I chose Wilhelmus…
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My friend Kirsten was making dinner when she heard about a family at church that was suffering from a sudden crisis. She bundled up half of her supper and delivered it to that family – who were blessed and thankful to have it. The next day, she received a call from a woman who worked with the food ministry committee – not to thank her, but to reprimand her for not going through the proper channels and contacting them first. Now I’m all for order and having systems in place. It’s essential when you’re trying to serve so many people, and you don’t want anyone to get lost in the shuffle. But we cross a line when that system…
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