This book sets forth and defends the Reformed doctrine of the call of the gospel against the hyper-Calvinistic restriction of the call, on the one hand, and the Arminian universalizing of grace in a “well-meant offer,” on the other hand. This issue is very much alive in Calvinistic circles today. “In eight closely reasoned chapters, Engelsma presents his case by covering such things as hyper-Calvinism (which he correctly defines as a denial of human responsibility); the well-meant offer of the gospel (which he points out is not to be confused with the promiscuous call of the gospel to sinners to repent and believe, which he favors); Calvin’s doctrine of the call of the gospel; Turretin’s doctrine of the will of God; Kuyper’s doctrine of particular grace,...and the so-called universalistic texts...”—Vox Reformata

Hyper-Calvinism and the Call of the Gospel: An Examination of the Well-Meant Gospel Offer

Engelsma, David J.

Reformed Free Pub. Association

Addressing the great apostasy of the Reformed churches in the area of public worship, this book demonstrates that worship is to regulated by the word of God. The issue in the contemporary worship-wars in Reformed and Presbyterian churches is the second commandment. Reformed Worship proves its case from Scripture, the Reformed creeds, and the Reformed tradition. 
God has not left the manner of his worship to the whims of worship committees or the fancies of the worshipping congregation. 
There is a right worship of the one, true God. There is also a sinful way of worshipping the true God. 
Invariably diminished, and eventually lost, in all forms of "progressive" worship is the preaching of the gospel, which God has ordained as the heart of his worship and the chief means of grace to his worshiping people. 
The book responds to the charge that "traditional" Reformed worship leaves the congregation passive. Since Reformed worship is covenantal, it necessarily calls the congregation to intense activity. But what is this activity? 
In the course of its examination of biblical, covenantal worship, the work considers such controversal matters as the observance of the Christian holidays, the use of instrumental accompaniment, and exclusive psalmody. 
Three ministers in the Protestant Reformed Churches in America cooperate in this fresh, informative, and provocative study of the supreme calling of the church: to worship the God and Father of Jesus Christ rightly.

Reformed Worship

Gritters, Barry

Terpstra, Charles

Reformed Free Publishing Association

One of the most powerful temptations of the believer is to doubt God's goodness to him in time of trouble--earthly trouble including family distress, sickness, and financial hardship. Lending force to the temptation is God's apparent goodness to the wicked in their prosperity--earthly prosperity including a peaceful home, health, and economic success. Every Christian struggles with this temptation at some time in his life. Every Christian knows by experience that, especially when his trouble is great, or continues without relief, the temptation threatens his very faith in God and thus his salvation. The words of the psalmist in Psalm 73:2 are his own: My feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. This temptation and this struggle regarding earthly troubles, as well as the overcoming of the temptation and victory in the struggle by every child of God are the profound and grand themes of Psalm 73. Prosperous Wicked and Plagued Saints is a commentary on this precious psalm that applies to stumbling believers and their children, in a practical way, that gospel-truth which alone holds them up and restores them. This is the truth of God's goodness to his people in their trouble, as it is also the truth of God's curse of the wicked in their prosperity. In light of the teaching of Psalm 73, the book takes issue with a theory about earthly prosperity and earthly woe that, for all its strange popularity with Reformed and evangelical Christians, only intensifies the believer's temptation to doubt in the hour of trouble: the theory of common grace.

Prosperous Wicked and Plagued Saints: An Exposition of Psalm 73

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

The truth central to all eschatology is the second coming of Jesus Christ itself, what the Greek of the New Testament promises as the parousia , literally the presence (of Jesus Christ). All the other aspects of the biblical doctrine of the coming of Jesus are subordinate to this coming, either as leading to it, accompanying it, or proceeding from it. Therefore, the proper subtitle of this second volume of The Church's The Reformed Doctrine of the End is The Coming of Christ . 
The coming of Christ Jesus, with all that is related to it, will be the "end." Such is Jesus' own description of his coming in Matthew 24:14: "And then shall the end come;" which might be "And then shall the goal be reached." The coming of Christ, with all that precedes and follows, is the goal of God, not only with the events of the last days but also of all history. All the events belonging strictly to the last things, all the history of the New Testament church, all the history of the world beginning with its creation, and all the doctrines of the Christian faith have the coming, or presence, of Jesus Christ as their goal. 
This is the importance of the content of this volume. 
This is why the outstanding promise of the gospel is that uttered by Jesus himself, "I come quickly" (Rev. 22:12). This is why the fundamental prayer of the church is, in response, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20).

The Church's Hope: The Reformed Doctrine of the End: Volume 2: The Coming of Christ

Educación Reformada: La Escuela Cristiana Como Demanda del Pacto (Spanish Edition)

Education & Teaching

Schools & Teaching

Some professing Christians deny the necessity of church membership. Others join a church for unsubstantial reasons or leave a church for trivial, often selfish reasons. Many remain members of apostatizing churches because of family or traditional ties. Some Christians find themselves in areas or countries where no true church exists or can be formed. They ask, sometimes in anguish, What must we do? Seemingly forgotten today is the truth that Jesus Christ institutes his catholic church in organized congregations that are clearly identified by objective marks. These are true churches, in distinction from false and apostatizing churches. In the form of letters to an inquiring (though not always appreciative) European audience, this book addresses the issue of church membership in the twenty-first century. This instruction is applicable to all believers and is based on Scripture, the Belgic Confession, and the important, but little known, controversy of John Calvin with the Nicodemites.

Bound to Join: Letters on Church Membership

Many of the conservative Reformed and Presbyterian churches in North America have been, and still are, troubled by the heretical theology that calls itself the federal vision, which has arisen within the bosom of these churches.
 The federal vision denies the central doctrine of the sixteenth-century Reformation of the church and a cardinal truth of the biblical gospel: justification by faith alone.
 Some of these churches have responded by reaffirming justification by faith alone. This response is not enough, because it does not touch the root of the heresy. The root remains in the churches.
 The root is the particular doctrine of the covenant that the federal vision is developing -- a covenant of conditions. This book uncovers -- and intends to destroy -- this root of one of the most deadly and dangerous heresies to seduce the Reformed churches since the condemnation of Arminianism by the Synod of Dordt in 1618-19.
 Federal Vision: Heresy at the Root also sets forth and defends the doctrine of the covenant that honors and proclaims the Reformation s gospel of salvation by (sovereign) grace along: the unconditional covenant -- the covenant of grace.

Federal Vision: Heresy at the Root

The statement in Article 28 of the Reformed creed, the Belgic Confession, that all believers are in duty bound to join and unite themselves with an instituted church that has the three marks of a true church has proved to be controversial in Europe and in North America.  The book that has recently occasioned this controversy over sound, creedal, Reformed doctrine and practice regarding the church is the RFPA publication, Bound to Join, authored by Prof. David J. Engelsma.  A Defense of the Church Institute responds to the critics of Bound to Join and the despisers of the church institute. It defends the doctrine and practice of the church authoritatively confessed in Articles 27-29 of the Belgic Confession, demonstrating that love for the universal, invisible church of election will invariably express itself by love for the manifestation of this church in the true institute -- local congregation and denomination.  This book also examines the growing movement that proposes and practices house church, finding the movement wanting.  In the last chapter the book exposes the related error of the infamous radio Bible teacher, Harold Camping, that the church age has ended.  Without concession or compromise, Engelsma reaffirms against the critics out of the true church institute with the offices of pastor, elder, and deacon there is no salvation. All believers, including the critics who presently sin against the faith by despising and rejecting the church institute, are bound to join.

A Defense of the Church Institute: Response to the Critics of Bound to Join

Published on the sixtieth anniversary of the culmination of the battle - the schism of 1953 - The Battle for Sovereign Grace in the Covenant recounts much of the gripping history of the doctrinal and church struggle. The account includes new, important details that have not been previously published. This book also provides the history of the controversial adoption by the PRCA of the Declaration of Principles, the document that in some ways occasioned the schism of 1953. In the appendices of the book, Engelsma gives a brief, valuable commentary on the Declaration, the first commentary to be written.

Battle for Sovereign Grace in the Covenant: The Declaration of Principles

Is there a "well-meant offer" of salvation to all men? Or is the call of the gospel restricted to the elect only? Is there an alternative to these two extremes? This book sets forth and defends the Reformed position of the gospel call to all mankind.

Hyper-Calvinism and the Call of the Gospel: An Examination of the Well-Meant Offer of the Gospel

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