Joy and Solemnity
Menu
  • Home
  • Blog
  • The Redemption Creed
The Website of Cameron Shaffer
Browse: Home » Sanctification

Jesus is the Church’s Groom and Bridesmaid

April 27, 2020 · by Cameron Shaffer · in Uncategorized

Andrew Wilson from Think Theology praises PJ Smyth’s analogy of church elders as bridesmaids:

I once took a wedding where it was pouring with rain and muddy outside the church. I was moved watching how the bridesmaids selflessly got wet and muddy to ensure that the Bride didn’t. They were clear in their minds that the day was about the Bride, not them. They were resolute in their endeavour to present a clean, dry beautiful Bride to the Groom, even if they got grubby in the process.

About a week later I preached a message entitled “Elders are Bridesmaids.”

The Bride we serve belongs to Him. We are stewards of the Son of Man’s wife. And, one day we will give an account to God for how we stewarded our responsibility as maids to his Bride (Heb. 13.7).

Last I checked, Jesus is the one who presents the bride to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle, holy and blameless, having sanctified her with his baptism and word.

On Resolving to Control My Tongue, 14-20

July 5, 2018 · by Cameron Shaffer · in Uncategorized

In his Some Pastors and Teachers, Sinclair Ferguson “takes a leaf out of Jonathan Edward’s Resolutions” and writes twenty resolutions on the tongue from James (pages 638-642). They are resolutions I need to better to keep. I will be posting all twenty, and here are six through thirteen. Resolutions 1-5 are here, and 6-13 are here.

(14) Resolved: To never allow anything but total integrity in my speech.

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation (James 5:12)…

On Resolving to Control My Tongue, 6-13

June 15, 2018 · by Cameron Shaffer · in Uncategorized

In his Some Pastors and Teachers, Sinclair Ferguson “takes a leaf out of Jonathan Edward’s Resolutions” and writes twenty resolutions on the tongue from James (pages 638-642). They are resolutions I need to better to keep. I will be posting all twenty, and here are six through thirteen. The first five are here.

(6) Resolved: To speak in the consciousness of the final judgment.

So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty (James 2:12)…

On Resolving to Control My Tongue, 1-5

June 13, 2018 · by Cameron Shaffer · in Uncategorized

In his Some Pastors and Teachers, Sinclair Ferguson “takes a leaf out of Jonathan Edward’s Resolutions” and writes twenty resolutions on the tongue from James (pages 638-642). They are resolutions I need to better to keep. I will be posting all twenty, and here are the first five.

(1) Resolved: To ask God for wisdom to speak and to do so with a single mind.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him. … in faith, with no doubting. … For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything … he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:5-8)…

On the Methodist Addition to the JDDJ

December 4, 2017 · by Cameron Shaffer · in Uncategorized

Christianity Today published a review on Protestant-Catholic relations that focused upon two books, the first written by Protestant-turned Catholic Peter Kreeft, the other co-authored by Protestants Kenneth J. Collins (Catholic converted to Wesleyanism) and Jerry L. Walls, a Baptist. Both books address the JDDJ, with Kreeft calling it, “the greatest ecumenical achievement in the five hundred years since the Reformation.” Collins and Walls dedicate an entire chapter to the JDDJ, in which they echo the concerns of the LCMS and hit the same points that I addressed in my previous post.

The World Methodist Council adopted the JDDJ in August, 2006, with some additions to reflect distinctly Wesleyan understandings of justification. It is interesting that the Methodists constantly cite John Wesley to express their theological points and scriptural interpretation; the Catholics, Lutherans, and Reformed all cite their exegetical tradition or confessional statements, not individual theologians.

The Methodist additions to the JDDJ, like the Lutheran comments, functionally defer to the Catholic structure of understanding justification. Any notable doctrinal difference between the Methodists and the initial JDDJ undercuts the common consensus on the foundational nature of justification that the Lutherans and Catholics are attempting to achieve….

1 2 Next →

RSS Feed Copyright © 2021 Joy and Solemnity

Bible Presbyterian Church

Split from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 1937, one year after its founding, over the issues of abstinence from alcohol and premillennialism.

Members: 3,500
Congregations: 33
Doctrine: Westminster Standards (Premillenial edit)

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

Formed by the Scottish immigrants of the Seceder tradition in 1753, the majority merged with the Covenanters in 1782, and then as the United Presbyterian Church of North America merged with the PCUSA in 1956. The remaining Associate Presbyterians form the ARPC of today.

Members: 39,700
Congregations: 296
Doctrine: Westminster Standards
Affiliations
North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council
World Reformed Fellowship