"We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore that we are justified by faith only is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort" - The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Article XI) (Anglican/Church of England) "we are justified "freely" or "by grace" through … [Read more...]
Mormons, Mennonites, Roman Catholics and the IKEA Gospel of Fairness
"With repentance we can steadily improve in our capacity to live the celestial law, for we recognize that “he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory” (D&C 88:22)." (Mormon) "Salvation is variously expressed, sometimes as 'justification by faith', in which case it means that the just person has accepted the offer of a … [Read more...]
Russian Arrest of Hooligans and Counter-Revolution
Historically Russia has had a long tradition of government repression of liberalism. The Tsars crushed the first democratic rebels at the turn of the century, and one of the priests leading them allegedly lost his faith when he saw the Tsar's forces attack the poor, shouting 'there is no Tsar, there is no God'. The two were firmly linked in the Russian consciousness. Orlando … [Read more...]
Not What These Hands Have Done (Horatius Bonar)
Hymn 567 in the Lutheran Service Book was written by a Free Kirk Presbyterian by the name of Horatius Bonar. (This hymn is a great expression of the doctrine of justification which was taught by the Reformation, and hardly recognizable when compared to the Pelagian love songs one shudders at today. It's strange how the meaning of 'Free Church' changed from being more to less … [Read more...]
Devotion to Christ the Worker
While studying Christian Socialism in England for my Master's paper, I found an interesting devotion that was spoken of amidst the working class and the defenders of the worker. One Christian Socialist wrote during the First World War: "Your scented and curled and comfortable little god on a nicely gilt crucifix is not the God of butchered soldiers and broken women and … [Read more...]