The Calvinist International
“But this alone we say, There is grace administered by the promises of the gospel, enabling us to perform the obedience of it in that way and manner which God will accept.” – John Owen The Wrong Question When arguing for the necessity of good works for final salvation, not as the meritorious ground […]
The debate over John Piper’s theology of works and salvation has caused a minor stir in the confessional Reformed community. I say minor because, it seems to me, a lot fewer people actually care than we might (wish to) think. Mr. Brad Mason has written a post that a number of people I know are […]
Explaining Question and Answer 91 of the Heidelberg Catechism, Zacharius Ursinus explains why, if we are justified by faith in Christ’s works, we should then also do good works. More than just “should,” he explains why the Reformed maintain that good works are indeed “necessary.” Thus, his question is framed “Why good works are to […]
When we speak of good works being necessary for final salvation we need to make use of words and phrases to explain the meaning of this aspect of our salvation. By far the most common phrase I have come across in Reformation and Post-Reformation dogmatics concerning good works being necessary for final salvation is the […]
Editor’s Note: This post is written by Mark Jones and D. Patrick Ramsey. Charity The Aquila Report and Professor R. Scott Clark continue their onslaught against a foe that doesn’t actually exist. The most depressing thing about the various articles that are supposedly defending the doctrine of justification is the apparent lack of love/charity towards […]
As we’ve seen in the two previous posts, Francis Turretin argues that the works of believers are truly good, first, because they are done “by a special motion and impulse of the Holy Spirit,” and thus he is their primary cause; and, second, because they are said to please God, indicating that they cannot properly […]
John Piper John Piper wrote a post some time ago on justification, good works, and salvation. Most Reformed folks agree with his basic position, but there is a vocal minority who accuse him of compromising the doctrine of justification. The man who took on N.T. Wright to defend justification is himself actually just as bad, […]
In the previous post, we saw that, for Francis Turretin, the good works of believers are truly, though not perfectly, good. That post contained the first argument for why we not only can but must say that they are truly good. In the next section, he gives they second reason why we must say that […]
All Reformed Protestants deny that sanctification will be perfect or complete in this life. Thus even “good works” are performed by those who still must combat abiding sin. Believers, then, cannot be perfectly good. Nor can their works be perfectly good. But does this mean that they cannot be truly good? In other words, are they […]
Many Bible passages speak of God rewarding his people while many others call such redeemed individuals sinners. When you consider who we are by nature (sinners), and who God is in his nature (holy, righteous, just), it seems a little presumptuous – perhaps even delusional? – to speak of God “rewarding” us. Jesus came to […]