Posts by Jeffrey Stivason

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The Logic of Westminster's Confession

Jeffrey Stivason
Jan 4, 2015
Have you ever wondered about the topical and logical order of the Westminster Confession of Faith? Not all of it; just the ordo salutis . After chapter nine lays out man’s fourfold state chapter ten begins with what we might think of as a typical ordering of those blessings which accompany a Spirit...

Divine Simplicity: The Pastoral Side to Simplicity

Jeffrey Stivason
Dec 23, 2014
Brace yourself. I’m about to make quite a claim. Are you ready? What would you say if I told you that the doctrine of immutability, which Francis Turretin says is a proof for the doctrine of simplicity, helps us to understand the nature of God, which it most certainly does, but at least one New...

Lessons for the Journey Home

Jeffrey Stivason
Dec 11, 2014
We love lessons. As parents we wait for and even seek out teaching moments. But even more specifically, we love distilled instruction. We want the ideas boiled down. Give us three easy points and we are happy. You want proof for this mindset? Check out the endless series of books for Dummies and...

The Great Missionary Presupposition

Jeffrey Stivason
Dec 8, 2014
Several years ago I was doing some street evangelism. Cruising around the park and hanging out in the empty lots in the small city where the church was situated was a weekend ritual for the young. So, for several years I made it a practice of engaging these weekend warriors in conversations about...

Adoption: The Security of God's Family

Jeffrey Stivason
Nov 18, 2014
In Isaiah 41:5-13 God was teaching Israel about their spiritual security by contrasting it with the insecurity of the idolater. Let me put it another way, idolaters are like orphans. They are fatherless and helpless. But the people of God having been adopted into the family of God enjoy a loving...

Apologetics: Spiritual Self-Defense

Jeffrey Stivason
Nov 14, 2014
In his first epistle, Peter has been talking about believers living in a world hostile to the faith. In chapter 3 of verse 13, we read this question, “ Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good ?” You can imagine the looks that must have floated around the room when this was...

Antinomianism: A Better View of the Father

Jeffrey Stivason
Oct 28, 2014
Luther once said, “Whoever knows well this art of distinguishing between the Law and the gospel, him place at the head and call him a doctor of Holy Scripture.” John Newton wrote something similar, “The correct understanding of the harmony between law and grace is to preserve oneself from being...

The Tale of Two Trees

Jeffrey Stivason
Oct 7, 2014
PlaceForTruth.org has started a new podcast ! This week's podcast features an interview with Dr. Nick Needham about the Fall. This article is also geared toward the theme of the Fall. Keep an eye out for more material related to the podcast, and make sure to follow along with the conversation !...