Everyone wants to be happy. We all spend our time doing the things we believe will make us happy. The religious person believes he will be happier if he attends worship services and does what is right. The workaholic believes his life will be better if he has financial security. The socialite believes she will … Continue reading Disintegration
Author: Julian Stoltzfus
How to Know if You Are a Christian (2 Corinthians 13:5)
How can you know if your faith is genuine? In this sermon from 2 Corinthians 13:5 we examine how the Apostle Paul instructs his readers to test themselves to see if they are united to Christ. The goals for this sermon are (1) that those who have not found salvation in Christ would run to Him and (2) that those who have would find greater confidence in Him.
Identifying Doctrinal Legalism
What is Legalism? Legalism is a spiritual plague as old as the church. Actually, it’s older than the church because the Pharisees Jesus interacted with during his earthly ministry (before He established the church) were legalists. They had already turned the Mosaic law into a means of salvation. But legalism can take other forms. At … Continue reading Identifying Doctrinal Legalism
What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Ten
In this final article I want to draw your attention to one more aspect of our mission statement. We are committed to the “gospel as revealed in the Holy Scriptures.” We take the Bible as our ultimate authority, over all philosophy and every tradition and system. The Bible defines the gospel we proclaim. It is … Continue reading What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Ten
What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Nine
Our mission statement describes our commitment to defend, promote, and proclaim the gospel. So far, we’ve mostly talked about our approach: How do we defend the gospel? How do we promote the gospel? How do we proclaim the gospel? Now I want us to notice that this approach is focused on a specific set of … Continue reading What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Nine
Why Every Preacher Needs Systematic Theology – Part 2
Recently I came across a definition of systematic theology as “keeping the whole Bible in view when reading any verse.” I find that definition helpful for two reasons. First, because it emphasizes how all the parts of Scripture work together to help us understand the main truths. And second, because it reminds us that the … Continue reading Why Every Preacher Needs Systematic Theology – Part 2
Why Every Preacher Needs Systematic Theology – Part 1
Much of the weakness of today’s preaching can be traced back to the individual preacher’s failure to understand God’s truths as revealed in the whole of Scripture, and particularly how those truths fit together in a cohesive system of truths. He may preach an idea boldly from his given text, not realizing that he is … Continue reading Why Every Preacher Needs Systematic Theology – Part 1
What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Eight
In the previous editorial in this series, I said that the best antidote to false teaching is a steady diet of the real thing. I would like to explore that thought a bit more. We at The Sword and Trumpet aim to promote the health of the church by defending the gospel (as explored in … Continue reading What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Eight
A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part Five
We have one more section to deal with, which will conclude this series. In an addendum, entitled “Substitutionary Atonement and Imputed Righteousness,” Troyer critiques imputed righteousness (i.e., justification by faith). Unfortunately, this section contains the same kinds of misunderstandings present in the rest of the booklet. He does raise genuine concerns, but on the main … Continue reading A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part Five
A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part Four
Second Roadblock The second roadblock is a much shorter section of the booklet and doesn’t require much interaction. Troyer says, “A second roadblock to accepting the substitutionary atonement theory is the law of the leavening process of sin.” He explains that “direct contact with sin equals contamination by sin” and therefore “if sin is ascribed … Continue reading A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part Four