Reformed Dogmatika

After Darkness, Light: The Gospel at the Heart of the Reformation

This Reformation Day, we invite you to read our article, After Darkness, Light.

How can sinful people like us find peace with a holy God? Beginning with Luther’s troubled conscience, the article returns to justification by faith alone and the righteousness God freely gives us in Christ. It considers why the Reformers defended this teaching, how good works fit into the Christian life, and what it means when our own conscience accuses us.

We hope you’ll join us in remembering the gospel at the heart of the Reformation.

Read After Darkness, Light →

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Portraits of John Calvin, left, and Michael Servetus, right.

Calvin and Servetus: A Tragic Chapter in the Reformation

I’ve learned much from Calvin, but his part in the death of Michael Servetus is painful to read. It’s wrong to say that Calvin murdered Servetus. Geneva’s civil council tried him and ordered his execution, though Calvin supported it. Calvin wanted Servetus to repent. He believed persistent heresy endangered souls and could warrant execution by the civil authorities. In this article, I look at the letters, the trial, and the judgment of historians who have studied the case. I also explain why I believe the execution was wrong. My hope is that this history will help us answer a familiar accusation honestly and keep reading Calvin with gratitude and discernment.

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Luther at the Diet of Worms, by Anton von Werner, 1877.

The True Treasure of the Church

I love reading Luther because he keeps bringing me back to the gospel I need today. For Reformation Week, I’ve gathered five resources I’d love you to read. Luther’s call to daily repentance has always struck me, and his insistence that we look to Christ still gives me comfort. In this post, I share what I love about each work and why I’m excited to put them before you. I hope you’ll find time for all five.

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A shadowed corridor with daylight through windows at the far end.

Can a Christian Be Demon-Possessed?

Can a Christian be demon-possessed? I’ve asked that question myself, and I know how unsettling it can become when fear is joined to a repeated struggle with sin. In this article, I turn to Scripture to distinguish demonic possession from temptation, suffering, and the corruption that remains within us. Along the way, we’ll consider Christ’s ownership of the whole believer, James’s account of how sin grows, and the assurance that gives us courage to fight sin honestly.

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Mourners gathered beneath trees at a graveside service, with flowers across the cemetery lawn.

When a Christian Is Asked to Speak at a Funeral

I recently had to speak at the funeral of a family member I loved. I wanted to remember her kindness, but I also wanted those listening to hear why we can have hope in the face of death. Finding the words was difficult, especially with people from so many different backgrounds gathered together. I’ve written down a few things that helped me prepare, along with some of what I shared that day. I hope you won’t need this anytime soon, but perhaps it will help when someone asks you to speak.

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