Making a Christ Out of Our Faithfulness

On this blog before, I've mentioned quite a bit how important it is to distinguish between the law and the gospel.   This was a huge part of the Reformation, from Luther to Calvin to Ursinus to Olevian forward to Turretin and Poole and ahead to Bavinck and others.  What does it look like when you blend the law …

Law/Gospel: A Staple in Reformation Theology

We've posted on this before, but it is something that needs to be said more than a few times: the law/gospel distinction is right there in the fabric of old-school Reformed theology.  Though some people don't like it, won't teach it, and think it is Lutheran, it is undeniable that a sharp law/gospel distinction is …

Calvin on Law and Gospel

In an outstanding section of Calvin's commentary on 2 Corinthians 3.4-11, he makes a great Reformation distinction between the law and the gospel.  Here are a few ways he puts it.  [The context is, of course, the the old (Mosaic) covenant in comparison to the new covenant.  To keep things clear, Calvin is here specifically …

Christian Counseling: Dealing With the Downcast

How does a pastor or fellow Christian help and comfort the Christian who is brokenhearted, downcast, or disoriented? How do you help a person who is struggling in the faith, wondering about salvation, questioning grace? By teaching them the difference between the law and the gospel. Yes, I'm serious: as serious as a 16th century …