Quotable Quote - A. W. Pink on Justification and Sanctification

In his book on the Doctrine of Justification A. W. Pink had this to say about the connection between Justification and Sanctification:

It is therefore the bounden duty of those who profess to have been justified by God to diligently and impartially examine themselves, to ascertain whether or not they have in them those spiritual graces which always accompany justification. It is by our sanctification, and that alone, that we may discover our justification. Would you know whether Christ fulfilled the law for you, that His obedience has been imputed to your account? Then search your heart and life and see whether a spirit of obedience to Him is daily working in you. The righteousness of the law is fulfilled only in those who "walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:4). God never designed that the obedience of His Son should be imputed to those who live a life of worldliness, self-pleasing, and gratifying the lusts of the flesh. Far from it: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).

Protest Service against Sunday Football

The crowd as it gathered outside Tyndale Free Presbyterian Church for the protest meeting. While the protest service was taking place others gave out Gospel tracks and a leaflet explaining the importance of upholding the sanctity of the Sabbath day.

Sunday Football - Sabbath Desecration

Sadly, tomorrow [Lord's day 29th March 2015] will witness a further decline in the acknowledgement and upholding of the law of God respecting the Sabbath day. A new low in departure from God will take place in Northern Ireland. This is the first time that a home international football match will be played on the Lord's day. It is part of the Euro 2016 qualifying competition.

Representatives from The Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, Government & Morals Committee, met with the Irish Football Association some weeks ago to express our opposition to this football match going ahead, and also to make known the inconvenience it will cause to one of our local Free Presbyterian congregations. Tyndale Memorial congregation, on Donegall Avenue in Belfast, is situated a few hundred yards away from one of the main entrances to Windsor Park, where the football match will be played. 

A. W. Pink on whether Justification brings about a change in man's moral nature

A. W. Pink wrote on the Doctrine of Justification. In chapter two of his work upon this subject he deals with the meaning of Justification. Here is what he says regarding whether a moral change is made in man's nature and explaining the difference between Justification and Sanctification:

Sanctification is moral or experimental, justification is legal or judicial. Sanctification results from the operation of the Spirit in me, justification is based upon what Christ has done for me. The one is gradual and progressive, the other is instantaneous and immutable. The one admits of degrees, and is never perfect in this life; the other is complete and admits of no addition. The one concerns my state, the other has to do with my standing before God. Sanctification produces a moral transformation of character, justification is a change of legal status: it is a change from guilt and condemnation to forgiveness and acceptance, and this solely by a gratuitous act of God, founded upon the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, through the instrument of faith alone. Though justification is quite separate from sanctification, yet sanctification ever accompanies it.

To read the whole chapter use this link - The Meaning of Justification To read the whole book online use this link - A. W. Pink: The Doctrine of Justification

Quotable Quote - John Bunyan on Justification

But if you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the Man Christ without, and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, teaching believers their duty to their God for his love in giving Christ, you are not able to divide the word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the word of God, and cast stumbling-blocks before the people, and will certainly one day most deeply smart for your folly, except you repent. John Bunyan

Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible wrongly teaches that Justification brings about a "change of man's moral nature"

There is at best a most unfortunate mistake in the Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible concerning the vital doctrine of Justification. At worse, it is the incorporation of false teaching, even Roman Catholic teaching, into this Study Bible regarding the important truth of Justification.

Either way it surely needs, and deserves, an immediate, public clarification and correction!

There are a number of Christians, including young believers, who have purchased hard printed copies of this Study Bible, who will be unaware of the erroneous nature of this statement. They will accept the content of this footnote as being accurate, believing it to be indeed the truth about the great doctrine of Justification. After all, it is contained in this Study Bible and no clarification or correction has been publicised, even though the publishers know about the error.

Over 3,000 people support the Ashers' Bakery owners

A special meeting had been arranged by the Christian Institute to show support for the owners of the Ashers Bakery. Over 3,000 people attended. There were 2,500 people in the main hall, 300 in an overflow hall and 500 people outside. Typically the BBC said there was only over 2,000. Those within the main auditorium gave Daniel McArthur, the bakery's general manager, a standing ovation before he spoke and again when he had finished speaking.

See the following reports:

Belfast Newsletter - Waterfront overflows with ‘gay cake’ bakery supporters

Belfast Telegraph - Christian Institute rally for Ashers Baking Company held at the Waterfront Hall Belfast

BBC News - Ashers Baking Company: Show of support for County Antrim firm's stance in 'gay cake' row

Ashers Bakery owners in Court this incoming week

The owners of Ashers Baking Company are due in court this incoming week, in Belfast, accused of discrimination against sodomites.

The Ashers Baking Company refused to make a cake with the pro-gay marriage slogan ‘Support gay marriage’ emblazoned upon it, along with pictures of two characters from Sesame Street and the name of the group, Queerspace. Interestingly, Gay/sodomite marriage is presently illegal in Northern Ireland. The impression created in many minds is that the Bakery was targeted by those who knew the Christian beliefs of the owners.

The Bakery owners are being taken to court by the Stormont funded Equality Commission. This unelected quango wrote to the Bakery last July threatening legal action if it did not apologise and pay compensation for refusing service. The owners rightly refused and in November the Equality Commission decided to press ahead with the case.

Dr Paisley on who was the 'rock' upon which the Church was built

This quote is taken from Dr Paisley's Concise Guide to Bible Christianity and Romanism. It was in the form of questions and answers:

Question 27: What text in Matthew's Gospel does the Church of Rome use to support her claims for St. Peter being the first Pope?

Answer - Matthew chapter 16 and verse 18: 'And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' The meaning of this text is obvious. Jesus having heard from the disciples the various notions which were entertained of Him, asked them: 'But whom say ye that I am?' and Peter, always more forward than the rest, replied: 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' 

The Church Fathers didn't even all believe that Peter was the 'rock', but The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible does!

The Church of Rome has a major problem with the claim that the words of Matthew 16:18, teach Peter to be the rock upon which the Church is built: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

It is a fundamental tenet of Roman Catholic Bible interpretation that you cannot interpret any passage of Scripture but by the "unanimous consent of the Church Fathers". That Roman Catholic principle of Bible interpretation immediately creates a dilemma for Romanism and leaves Romanism totally unable to substantiate her own interpretation of this passage of Scripture. 

As someone once said: the only thing that the Church Fathers were unanimous about, was that they continually disagreed. The "unanimous consent of the Church Fathers" is a myth. It is impossible to find any difficult passage to explain where they were in complete agreement with one another. It is most certainly a myth in respect to Peter being the rock upon which the church is built.

Peter is the Rock upon which the Church is built. So teaches The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible!

Strange to observe that the "Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible" teaches in its footnotes that Peter is the Rock upon which the church is built, in Matthew 16:18: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The "Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible" notes at the foot of the page against this verse read:

Peter. Jesus makes a play on Peter's name, which literally means "rock." The rock that Jesus builds His Church upon is most naturally understood as Peter, together with the other apostles in their Spirit-given testimony of Him (Eph. 2:20; Rev 21:14).

The Cruel Mercies of the Wicked

Richard Dawkins has been in the news again in recent days. This time being challenged about comments he made last year [August 2014] about children with Down Syndrome.

Dawkins became embroiled in Twitter row, when responding to another user who said she would be faced with "a real ethical dilemma" if she became pregnant and learned that the baby would be born with Down Syndrome.

Dawkins tweeted in response: "Abort it and try again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice." A strange sense of morality indeed!

Mistaken and Misguided Priorities

Two stories on the BBC illustrate the mistaken and misguided priorities of the days in which we live

BBC - Science 'squeezed out of primary schools'

BBC - Government plans sex consent lessons for 11-year-olds

No more hardly needs to be said about the present day lunacy that is abroad among those who are responsible for raising the next generation.

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