mgpcpastor's blog

Last week I quoted a blog post by Ray Ortlund about the danger of falling into the tendency of the Judaisers from the book of Galatians: adding anything to being saved by grace through faith in Christ alone as being necessary to be truly saved and acceptable.
I quoted Ortlund’s piece in full and with approval.
Daryl Hart provides an excellent and balanced response to Ortlund’s piece at his blog ‘Old Life Theological Society’.
I don’t think there is a huge gulf between Hart and Ortlund, but clearly Hart takes issue with the broader characterisation (which is prevalent in much wider circulation that just Ortlund’s post) that confessional reformed folk are judgemental and divisive.
Here’s some quoted material from Mark Driscoll along those lines.
Hart makes the point that confessional reformed theology has a strong heritage of holding forth that Christians are justified by grace through faith in Christ alone and has done so in a more consistent fashion than other strands of evangelicalism. Their doctrinal clarity has enable reformed and presbyterian folks to clearly discern what is gospel obedience and what is legalism.
Offer a glass of red wine to some evangelicals or decline the opportunity to stand up and shout your prayer to God in an unintelligible vocalisation amongst other brethren and you get an idea of where Hart’s coming from.
The reason why Ortlund’s comments resonated with me is because covenantal reformed is where I live, theologically. I know the danger that both he and Hart point out can take root in any Christian expression. Hart’s comments help to balance that and to help me remember that it is not our tradition that feeds legalistic tendencies, but rather our own hearts, and it is there to which we should give heed.
Read: Mike Horton is More Fun Than Mark Dever (though Mark has his moments) at Old Life Theological Society.