'justification' Tagged Posts
Do Protestants believe in the treasury of merit?
The Roman Catholic Church teaches a concept called the “treasury of merit.” The treasury of merit, in simplest of terms, is a heavenly bank account of good works that have been accumulated over time by Christ, martyrs, and saints when their good works have gone above and beyond what their good works required (i.e., supererogation). In theory, if a “good work” represents walking an old lady across the street, and if I walk five old ladies across the street, the…
The Great Exchanges
When I travel to Sierra Leone to equip under-resourced pastors, one thing I have learned is that you get a much better exchange rate “on the street” than you do at the banks or markets. The “street” has very little overhead, so the exchange is great! If you have been attending Grace Community Bible Church for some time, you know that we are passionate about an exchange—not a monetary exchange—but what we call the “great exchange.” Very simply, the “great…
Are Your Prayers Powerful and Effective?
We hear about amazing answers to prayer in history and in our lifetime. These answers to prayer encourage us to pray with new resolve. But when we ourselves pray, nothing happens. It seems God is silent. Over time, we grow cynical about prayer until we are reminded again of a great answer to prayer, which fuels our prayers once again. And the cycle continues. Though answers to prayer are a great encouragement to pray, God has given us a “more…
The Reformation of Marriage
In the grand scheme of things, we view the institution of marriage as a normal part of society. But this wasn’t always the case – especially if you were a monk. The fact is that in the sixteenth century, if you were a religious worker (e.g., pastor, monk, nun), you didn’t marry. Given that marriage was not proper for religious workers, when Martin Luther (a monk) married Katharina von Bora (a nun), he was ferociously ridiculed. In fact, Luther’s opponents…