Puritan Quote of the Month

“If men call service to God slavery, I desire to be such a bondslave
forever and gladly be branded with my Master’s name.”
- Charles Spurgeon, Strengthen My Spirit, pg 157

Monday, January 21, 2013

The Puritans & Judgment Day

Judgment Day is not something many people think about, much less look forward to.  Even among Christians themselves, Judgment Day is often a topic that is glanced over in the Bible and ignored in many pulpits, conferences and seminars.  There are even some Christians who don't think that as Christians, they will even be required to take part in Judgment Day.  However, the Bible repeatedly declares a coming Day of Judgment in which every single person who has ever lived will stand before Jesus Christ (who will take up His rightful office as "Judge of the living and the dead" - 2 Timothy 4:1) and give account for their lives.  This multitude that is to be judged includes every single Christian as well.  The only difference between the Christian and the non-Christian on that day will be "what" they are judged for.

Non-Christians will be judged for their sins as they lived their own lives without a Savior to cleanse them from their sins, as the Apostle Paul wrote "because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed" - Romans 2:5.  Each Christian will have to stand before God on Judgment Day as well, however they will not be judged regarding if they have salvation or not, because Jesus has been their Mediator throughout their lives and their Advocate on Judgment Day.  But Christians will indeed be judged for the works that they did while living as followers of Christ during their earthly lives, as the Apostle Paul also wrote "Fire will test the quality of each person's work.  If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.  If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved - even though only as one escaping through the flames" - 1 Corinthians 3:13-15.

Judgment Day will be a day attended by all, regardless of whether they are in Christ or outside of Christ.  And because of its universal inclusion, I put together a video of quotes from various writers regarding the reality of the coming Day of Judgment.  All the writers I quoted from are Puritans (with the once exception of A.W. Pink, who lived after the age of Puritanism, although he was himself a great admirer of their writings).  I will link that video below, which I hope will be a wake up call to those who are currently living without Jesus as their future Advocate for that terrible day of wrath, and I hope it will make Christians themselves more sober and sensitive to the fact that they will not themselves be exempt from that day, but will give account for both their words (Matthew 12:36) and their deeds (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).



Tuesday, January 1, 2013

The Westminster Confession of Faith

Of The Holy Scriptures - Chapter 1 Section 7

"All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all: yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them."