[First published in May 2010 edition of Beacon Lights, a monthly magazine for young people published by the Protestant Reformed Churches]
“Whether
therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1. Cor. 10:31)
Whatsoever
we do? Really? Including eating and drinking? What about after a hard day's
work helping my parents, surely a few hours in the evening I can just please
myself?
The inspired Apostle teaches us, that in everything
we are to have the glory of God as our first and primary aim. This includes
eating, sleeping, laughing, playing, doing homework and cleaning our rooms. As
a preacher once said in all seriousness, it even includes “drinking a glass of
orange juice”.
[First published in January 2010 edition of Beacon Lights, a monthly magazine for young people published by the Protestant Reformed Churches]
“The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance
and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel; my reins also instruct me in
the night seasons.”
Psalm 16:5-7.
Don Fortner is a Baptist preacher from the United States. Apart from
his erroneous Baptistic views, he holds to the historic Five Points of
Calvinism, including a denial of the "Free Offer of the Gospel" and
"Common Grace". I have listened to some of his sermons on the Atonement
which I thoroughly enjoyed.
However, a sermon which
Fortner preached in 1997, entitled "Five Subtle
Heresies of Reformed Doctrine", was recently brought to my attention
by a friend on Facebook. Fortner takes these supposed "heresies" from
the Westminster Confession (with which we would agree nearly 100%) and
the 1689 Baptist Confession.
I wrote the below review
and refutation of Fortner's charges for that friend on Facebook.
However, considering that Fortner is a famous enough preacher, the LRF
decided to publish this article for the good of all His children
everywhere and for the glory of His Name.
The "Five
Subtle Heresies of Reformed Doctrine" are as follows, with refutations
beneath each heading.
[Erik
Guichelaar is originally from Wingham PRC in Canada, and has just begun
his first year in the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary. This essay was one of the prize-winning entries announced at the recent Calvin Conference held in celebration of the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth.]
It is
in vain for any to reason as philosophers on the workmanship of the
world, except
those who, having been first humbled by the preaching of the Gospel, have
learned to submit the whole of their intellectual wisdom (as Paul
expresses it) to the
foolishness of the cross, (1 Cor. i. 21).
–
John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Argument –
Men see
every day the heavens and the stars; but who
is there that thinks about their Author?
We are a group of Reformed Christians who meet together in Limerick
City, Ireland, to worship the LORD according to the biblical and
Reformed faith as summarised in the historic confessions of faith,
namely the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dort. To read more, please click here.
