Articles

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 10 Of Effectual Calling (Part  1) This chapter marks the beginning of the Confession’s presentation of an ordo salutis, an order of salvation. In the next few chapters, the writers explain the conversion experience in terms of its various elements and their logical relation to each other. The first item in the ordo salutis is the effectual call. This term refers to the initial operation of God in the heart of a ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 9 Of Free Will (Part  2) III. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation: so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto. The third paragraph deals with the effect of the fall on man’s will. ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 9 Of Free Will (Part  1) Many have a knowledge of Reformed theology that is based on hearsay. One of the issues that is raised routinely by non-Reformed Christians when speaking with a Reformed Christian is the matter of the freedom of the human will. Non-Reformed Christians have “heard” that Reformed theology has no place for man’s free will; they have “heard” that Reformed theology denies freedom of choice to man and ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 8 Of Christ the Mediator (Part  3) VI. Although the work of redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after His incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefits thereof were communicated unto the elect, in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices, wherein He was revealed, and signified to be the seed of the woman which should bruise the serpent’s head; ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 8 Of Christ the Mediator (Part  2) III. The Lord Jesus, in His human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified, and anointed with the Holy Spirit, above measure, having in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell; to the end that, being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, He might be thoroughly furnished to execute ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 8 Of Christ the Mediator (Part  1) Between the chapter that tells us about God’s covenantal contact with man and chapters nine and following, which deal with the doctrine of salvation, comes this chapter covering the mediatorial ministry of Jesus Christ. Chapter VII introduced the covenant of grace whereby God saves His elect and, as just noted, chapters IX-XV deal with the conversion experience. It is natural, therefore, that this particular subject ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 7 Of God's Covenant with Man I. The distance between God and the creature is go great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto Him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of Him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God’s part, which He has been pleased to express by way of covenant. This opening paragraph states an important observation that establishes the ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 6 Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and the Punishment thereof (Part  2) IV. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions. The sins we commit in our lives, whatever their nature, flow from this original corruption. They are called “actual sins.” The nature we inherit from Adam is “inclined to all ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 6 Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and the Punishment thereof (Part  1) I. Our first parents, being seduced by the subtlety and temptations of Satan, sinned, in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin, God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to His own glory. This chapter begins with the statement of the sin of Adam and Eve. This constitutes ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 5 Of Providence (Part 2) V. The most wise, righteous, and gracious God does oftentimes leave, for a season, His own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled; and, to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their ...