Theological Term of the Week

ordinary means of grace
The elements of corporate worship which God uses to build his church, namely, the reading and preaching of the Word, prayer, baptism and the Lord’s supper; “the things God, in the Bible, says are central to the spiritual health and growth of His people”;1 also called the outward means of grace.

• From scripture:

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receivethe gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:38-42, ESV)

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47, ESV)

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This Week in Housekeeping

I recently updated this theological term.

definite (or limited) atonement

• Tweaked the definition.
• Updated the formatting.
• Updated the link to R. Scott Clark’s Limited Atonement.
• Removed a dead link.
• Updated link to John Piper’s For Whom Did Christ Taste Death?
• Added a link to Robert Raymond’s Ten Lines of Evidence for the Doctrine of Particular Redemption.
• Added a link to Dan Phillips’ Particular Redemption, Evangelism, and the Eternal Counsel of God.
• Added a link to David Gibson’s and Jonathan Gibson’s: Mapping the Doctrine of Definite Atonement (Intro to From Heaven He Came and Sought Her).
• Fixed Theopedia link.

Heidelberg Catechism

Question 23. What are these articles [of our catholic and undoubted Christian faith]?

Answer: 

1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. 
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; 
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; 
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. 
5. The third day he rose again from the dead.
6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; 
7. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Spirit; 
9. I believe a holy catholic church, the communion of saints; 
10. The forgiveness of sins;
11. The resurrection of the body;
12. And the life everlasting.