We hear a lot these days about plu­ralism and multiculturalism. Due to heavy and continual influxes of immigrants from all over the world, North America has become a veritable melting pot of most of the races and cultures the world has produced. Our nations can no longer be considered Protestant or even Christian nations. There was a time when a majority of citizens both in the U.S.A.

"Justification by faith alone" was Martin Luther's great spiritual and theological breakthrough. It did not come easily. He had tried everything from sleeping on hard floors and fasting to climbing a staircase in Rome while kneeling in prayer. Monasteries, masses, disciplines, confessions, absolutions, good works — all proved fruitless. Peace with God eluded him. The thought of the righteousness of God pursued him. He hated the very word righteousness which he believed provided a divine mandate to condemn him.

In past articles, we have considered companionship and its Biblical guidelines. We have considered nega­tives and positives in dating. More recently we examined the necessity of guidance from parents. In this issue we will give answers to four critical questions: where are we going, what are we doing, whom will we meet, when will we be home?

The fourth commandment, as ex­pressed in Exodus 20 and Deutero­nomy 5, is the foundational passage of Scripture in reference to our ob­servance of the Lord's Day. However, God's will concerning His day finds expression in numerous other pas­sages in the Old Testament. One of them is the text for this meditation, in which God conveys His will con­cerning His holy day with equal clarity.

The name of Cornelius Van Til is inseparable from Reformed apolo­getics. Due to the importance of his thinking and of apologetics in gen­eral, this articleI aims to provide in this brief article a few notes on his background and basic thought, as well as a sum­mary of apologetics in commemora­tion of the centenary of his birth.

A holy life ought to be one of joy in the Lord, not negative drudg­ery (Neh. 8:10). The idea that holi­ness requires a gloomy disposition is a tragic distortion of Scripture. On the contrary Scripture asserts that those who cultivate holiness experience true joy. Jesus said, "If ye keep my com­mandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you that your joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" On. 15:10-11).

That believers are called to holi­ness is indisputably clear. But the car­dinal question remains: How does the believer cultivate holiness? Here are seven directions to assist us.

The wicked person, David asserts in Psalm 36, escapes reality espe­cially by means of self-flattery. The wicked man gives himself the respect that is due to God. He sees all of life in his own eyes rather than through God's eyes that is, God's Word and will.

It is well-known that Puritans were lovers of the Word of God. They were not content with the bare affirmation of the infallibility, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture. They read, searched, sang, and heard the Word with delight, al­ways seeking for and relishing the applying power of the Holy Spirit accompanying the Word. They re­garded the sixty-six books of Holy Scripture as the library of the Holy Spirit graciously given to them. For the Puritan, Scripture is God speak­ing to us as a father speaks to his children.

Holiness is a noun that relates to the adjective holy and the verb sanc­tify, which means to "make holy.".The Christian life must be like a cultivated garden in order to produce the fruits of holy living unto God. "Theology," William Ames wrote in the opening words of his classic, The Marrow of Theology, "is the doc­trine or teaching of living to God."

The cultivation of holiness will inevitably meet with numerous ob­stacles. Much impedes holiness. This article discusses five common problems against which we need to be on guard.

When the leaders of the Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation con­vened the Council of Trent (1545­1563), one of their major purposes was to deal with the doctrine of jus­tification by faith. Their goal was to establish a Roman Catholic consen­sus and to condemn the new Protes­tantism by pronouncing anathemas upon the distinctive teachings of Luther and the early Lutheran confes­sions of faith.

Given the meaning of "by faith" in the original Greek, it is more accurate to speak of faith as an instrument rather than as a condition of justifica­tion and salvation, for a condition generally denotes a meritorious qual­ity for the sake of which a benefit is conferred. We are justified not merely by faith, but by faith in Christ; not because of what faith is, but because of what faith receives.

The concept of receiving Christ by faith, hijacked in our day by Arminianism, needs to be recovered for the Re­formed pulpit. Many sincere Reformed Christians are afraid to speak of "receiv­ing Christ" simply because of the false way modem evangelists describe such reception (i.e. as an act of the suppos­edly "free will" of the sinner to fulfil a condition for salvation). Believing that it somehow seems wrong and "Arminian" to receive Christ, their response to the gospel with liberty is inhibited.

If we base our justification on our faith, our works, or anything else of our own, the very foundations of justification must crumble. Inevitably the agonizing, per­plexing, and hopeless questions of hav­ing "enough" would surface: Is my faith strong enough? Are the fruits of grace in my life fruitful enough? Are my experi­ences deep enough, clear enough, per­sistent enough? Every detected inadequacy in my faith is going to shake the very foundations of my spiritual life. My best believing is always defective. I am always too ungodly even in my faith.

The command to give thanks is all-embracive: "In everything give thanks." "Everything" includes all your blessings and prosperity. The command is simple: End in God who never tires of giving. Even when we are not grateful, He gives and gives, and gives again. However, "everything" includes afflictions, cross-providences, and unsolvable riddles.

Much of what Richard Greenham advocated about the reading of Scripture applies to the hearing of the Word as well. Thomas Watson, one of the most well-known and readable Puritans, offers specific help with regard to hearing the preaching of God's Word.1 As we read this list, we would do well to ask after each item: Am I really hearing the Word of God? Am I a good listener of the pro­claimed gospel?

The cultivation of holiness is de­manding. Thomas Watson called it "sweating work." Happily, God pro­vides believers with several motives to holiness in His Word. To encourage us in the pursuit of holiness, we need to keep our eyes focused on the biblical truths discussed in this article.

It is important to briefly summarize Puritan thought on assur­ance by the 1640s. At least twenty-five members of the assembly had written treatises pertinent to the doc­trines of faith and assurance prior to the assembly's convening.1By the 1640s English Puritan thought, not­withstanding various emphases, was nearly unanimous on several distincti with respect to assurance.

The centrality of saving faith, the need for personal trust in God, the Reformers' questions, and biblical tensions relative to faith and assur­ance — all of this and more guaran­tees that assurance of faith will ever remain a contemporary subject. It is paramount that we ask ourselves: How can I experience ever greater measures of personal assurance of faith?

According to God's Word, genuine Christian hope has many and im­portant uses. It does great things for the soul. This article explores some of its uses.

Hope consists of desire and expec­tation. It is the opposite of fear, which is composed of aversion and expecta­tion. Richard Baxter says, "Hope is nothing but a desirous expectation." It is also the opposite of despair, which though it desires, does not expect. When we regard anything as impossi­ble, we cannot hope for it, although we may greatly wish for it. As to the gen­eral nature of hope there is no dispute.

This year represents the 350th anniversary of the commence­ment of the famous Westminster Assembly of divines, whose labors produced the last great set of Reformed confessional state­ments. The following article is excerpted from RTS Ministry, and pro­vides a basic summary of the significance of the Westminster Assembly.

The question, "When does the soul enter the body of the unborn child?", is exceedingly important, especially in this day with the many opinions regard­ing abortion. If the developing child does not receive its soul at conception, then, until the time it does, it is not a human being, for the complete man, as human being, consists of body and soul

Modern evangelism finds its roots in the 1820s under the leadership of Charles Finney (1792-1875), often called "father of modern revivalism." Finney invented the so-called "New Measures" for revivalism. These in­cluded both the "protracted meeting" and the "anxious bench." The pro­tracted meeting was an intensive evan­gelistic campaign lasting three or four days in which Finney preached at least twice each day.

In addressing assurance of faith, we must understand in the very first place that its importance is obviously great since it relates intimately to the central­ity of saving faith. The doctrine of sav­ing faith is of central importance to the Christian faith for numerous reasons.

"We are saved by hope." We are rescued from the dire influences of despair, we are aroused and animated in our whole course, and are finally made victori­ous by the power of hope. This is one of the great bands which holds to­gether the church of God. As "there is one body and one Spirit, . . . one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all," so also "ye are called in one hope of your calling."

Civilization as we know it began on October 31, 1517. In the small east German town of Wittenberg, a thirty-year-old Augustinian priest walked to Castle Church and nailed ninety-five theological proposi­tions for debate on the door. The debate Martin Luther began nearly 500 years ago turned the world upside down. Demo­cracy, civil rights and liberties, consti­tutional government, religious liberty, and the free market all find their roots in the Reformation.

In stressing the need of saving experience, consisting of an ex­periential knowledge of misery, deliver­ance, and gratitude, we must at the same time maintain that only experi­ence which meets the standards of God's Word can be considered saving experience. The very same Spirit, who is the primary author of the Word of God, is also the author of all true, spiri­tual experience. Of necessity, therefore, there will be perfect harmony between the truth of Scripture and the experience of this truth in the hearts of all those sinners in whom the Spirit accomplishes His saving work.

Looking at Psalm 2 within the context of the OT and NT, this article shows how it finds its fulfilment in Christ, as the one who brings salvation for His people, in His relation to the Father. 

This article looks at Isaiah 11, showing that by speaking about the coming seed of David, Isaiah spoke about the work of Immanuel as the Saviour of His people. 

Looking at Isaiah 9, this article shows how Isaiah prophesied about the kingship of Christ; and when Isaiah spoke about the seed of David, the identity of this King, His character, and authority.

This article gives a portrait of a biblical marriage that is by turns, romantic, redemptively significant, and exemplary: the marriage of Boaz and Ruth.

This article shows a real danger to the ideal marriage: adultery!

This article shows that the ideal marriage is one that values the lifestyle prescribed by God, honours the male leadership principle, and lives under the fear of God. 

This article shows how to help Christians who are suffering from illusion, distress, and depression, and how to help them withstand Satan’s devices. 

Looking at Hebrews 11:8, this article shows the relationship between obedience and faith, or, more specifically, how faith results in obedience.

How should Christians view, and react towards, Muslims? This article shows that Christians can react better when they understand Islam. The history and doctrines of Islam are discussed in this article, with a reflection on how Christians should react.

How can Christians, as citizens, gain victory over Satan? This article shows that as citizens of any nation, Christians can defeating Satan through evangelization and showing Christ’s love to the needy and poor. Read on…

This article offers practical guidelines for parenting children, with a focus on helping them to overcome sins through instruction, rebuke, and discipline.

This article offers practical guidelines for parenting children from birth to age six. The focus is on teaching children the principles of the Christian life.

This article offers practical guidelines for parenting children, focusing on helping them to develop a godly character and how children should relate to their parents.

This article gives practical guidelines for parenting younger children, those aged six to twelve. The author promotes teaching children the principles of the Christian life and giving them catechism instruction

Did Christ die for everyone? Arminianism argues that Christ’s atonement is universal, not limited. This article examines the claims of universal redemption and points out that there are eight problems with the claim.

This article is a Bible study on Nehemiah 10.

This article shows that the emerging church in its effort to answer the postmodern challenge has changed worship and Christian spirituality. It has chosen the way of Cain.

This article is a Bible study on Nehemiah 9.

This article is a Bible study on Nehemiah 7:1-7.

This article is a Bible study on Nehemiah 5.

What are the strategies of Satan? This article looks at four strategies of Satan: he entices believers to sin, hinders spiritual disciplines, misrepresents God and his truth, and opposes sanctification. It shows how the believer can withstand them.

This article is a Bible study on Nehemiah 4.

What does Satan use to tempt believers? This article defines the strategies, devices, and skills that Satan uses in tempting believers.

This article is a Bible study on Nehemiah 3.

This article considers Ephesians 6:17-18 and its presenting of three weapons in the battle against Satan: the sword of the Spirit, praying in the Spirit, and watch with perseverance.

Heart religion can be defined as experiential Christianity. This article shows that this is missing in the Christian life today, due to activism, intellectualism, and formalism. The author goes on to discuss what heart religion looks like.

This article is a Bible study on Nehemiah 2.

This article is a Bible study on Nehemiah 1.

This article shows three ways of fighting Satan: retreat, defence, and offence. The author uses Ephesians 6:14-17 to discuss defence armour for spiritual warfare.

This article is a Bible study on Ezra 10.

How is prayer related to mission work? This article shows that God in his wisdom appointed means to accomplish his purposes. Prayer, therefore, is related to how God governs the world and how he changes people through mission work and evangelism.

Does Satan have a future? This article shows that Satan will be cast out forever when Christ returns on judgment day.

This article shows how the resurrection of Jesus is relevant for parenting and teaching. It explains the impact of the resurrection on praying, worship, attitude, and conduct at home and school.

This article is a Bible study on Ezra 9:1-15.

How is Satan working today? This article looks at the work of Satan today, with a focus on demon possession and exorcism. It also looks at how Satan attacks Christians, and how to withstand him in Christ.

This article is a biography on Richard Greenham. Focus is given to his contribution on how a Christian should read Scripture.

This article is a Bible study on Ezra 8:1-36.

Who is your biggest enemy? This article looks at Satan, particularly his work through church history. It points to how he works through heresy, and highlights false views about him.

Who is a true friend? This article offers guidance for seeking and making friends by showing ten qualities of a true friendship.

This article is a biography on Phillip Jacob Spener. Focus is given to the role he played in reviving the Reformation in Germany.

This article is a Bible study on Ezra 7:1-28.

Who is your biggest enemy? This article looks at Satan, his origin, fall, and first temptation within the Old Testament.

Who is your biggest enemy? This article looks at Satan, his names, his work through demon-possession, and his fight against the church in the New Testament.

This article shows how parents and teachers are called to be peacemakers in their parenting and teaching responsibilities.

This article is a Bible study on Ezra 6:1-22.

What is teaching and parenting all about? This article shows that parents and teachers are called to reflect the restoring and redeeming character of Christ to their children.

Christians are involved in a holy war. This article shows the nature of spiritual warfare, that it is fierce, spiritual, and necessary.

This article argues that one must address the root that causes the struggle of self-image. It is the fear of man. Self-hatred is a sign that one is under the fear of man.

This article argues that a biblical marriage can be built through accepting the duties God gave to husband and wife. This article explains the duties of husbands and wives in marriage.

This article looks at the benefits, challenges, and methods of doing a Bible study.

Why did God instruct the building of the tabernacle? This article looks at the curtain in the tabernacle as it is explained in Exodus 26:31-33. It shows how Christ through his suffering opened the way to God.

This article gives eight advantages to prayer meetings.

Preachers are like archers, aiming the arrows of God’s Word at various consciences at different distances, using different sights. This article explains seven marks that must shape the preacher in his preaching that targets different hearers in the church.

What makes us fear others and what they will think? How do we detect our fear of man? This article looks to help us get to the root of the problem by raising a series of questions on the matter.

This article presents something of the Puritans' understanding of marriage, particularly its purpose, the procedures for getting married, and the principles of marriage. The author calls Christians today to emulate this model.

Reformation is a continuous process, until the end of the world. This article reflects on the process, explaining that reformation calls for self-examination, loyalty to the Scriptures, and self-criticism. True reformation seeks God’s honour and truth above all else.

This article is a Bible study on James 5:12-20, focusing on the biblical call to prayer among God’s people.

Why did God instruct the building of the tabernacle? This article looks at the covenant ark in the tabernacle as it is explained in Exodus 25:10-22.

Preachers are like archers, aiming the arrows of God’s Word at various consciences at different distances. This article points to six errors that must be avoided in targeting the audience in preaching.

What is the root of self-image that makes us believe we need to look or act a certain way around certain people? This article gets to the root of the issue, which is the fear of man.

What does God say about our daily work? From Genesis 2:8-15 this article argues that the Christian attitude towards work is different from the world’s view. Christians see their daily work through the eyes of creation and as a calling from God.

Is religion outdated and God an irrelevant myth? Has science removed God? This article tests the answers that science gives to the questions of life, such as the origin of life and purpose of life. It asks the reader to make the judgment as to whether these answers are satisfying.

This article is a Bible study on James 5:1-11. It speaks about God’s judgment and the manner in which it should affect the wicked and the righteous in this life.

Why did God instruct the building of the tabernacle? This article looks at the incense altar in the tabernacle as it is explained in Exodus 30:1-10 and Exodus 37:25-29. Its message is that of prayer and propitiation.

Preachers are like archers, aiming the arrows of God’s Word at various consciences at different distances. What characterizes such preaching that aims at unbelievers and those without hope? This article considers the matter.

God’s Word alone can deal with the problem of self-image. This article explains where our broken self-image began, at the fall into sin.

Why did God create marriage? From Genesis 2:18 this article explains that marriage was created for companionship, it is the gift from God, it brings joy, it is a union, and more.

This article is a Bible study on James 4:13-17. It shows what it means for Christians to live under the will of God on a daily basis.

This article looks at the golden lampstand in the tabernacle as it is explained in Exodus 25:31-39 and Leviticus 24:1-4. It explains that the lampstand pointed to God as the Lightgiver and Lifegiver.

Preachers are like archers, aiming the arrows of the Word of God at various consciences at different distances. What then characterizes preaching that aims at the open-conscience unbeliever? This article discusses the matter.

Which standard are you using to define your self-image? This article discusses the two standards that are used, God’s standard and the worldly standard.