Keep sharing good news without ads.
June 3, 2019:
DR. JAMES M. RENIHAN, President & Professor of Historical Theology at the IRBS Theological Seminary in Mansfield, Texas, who will address: “The BIBLICAL NATURE of CONFESSIONALISM”
Live from the historic parsonage of the 19th century Gospel Minister George Norcross in downtown Carwile, Pennsylvania, it's Iron Sharpens Iron. This is a radio platform in which pastors, Christian scholars, and theologians address the burning issues facing the Church and the world today.
Proverbs 27 .17 tells us, Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Matthew Henry said that in this passage, we are cautioned to take heed with whom we converse and directed to have a view in conversation to make one another wiser and better.
It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next two hours, and we hope to hear from you, the listener, with your own questions. And now, here's your host, Chris Arnzen.
Good afternoon, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Lake City, Florida, and the rest of humanity living on the planet Earth, who are listening via live streaming at ironsharpensironradio .com. This is Chris Arnzen, your host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, wishing you all a happy Monday on this third day of June 2019.
And I'm thrilled to have a returning guest to Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, who has not only become a friend and one of my favorite guests, but he is involved with an organization that is a primary sponsor of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
And I'm speaking of Dr. James M. Renahan, the President and Professor of Historical Theology at the IRBS Theological Seminary in Mansfield, Texas. Today, Dr. Renahan and I will be addressing the theme, The Biblical Nature of Confessionalism.
And it's my honor and privilege to welcome you back to Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, Dr. Jim Renahan.
Hi, Chris. Thanks very much. Nice to be here.
Oh, it's great to have you back. And first of all, for our listeners who are hearing you for the very first time on this program, why don't you let them know something about IRBS Theological Seminary.
Sure. We just last week completed our first academic year here in Mansfield, Texas. We are focusing on training men for the Gospel ministry with both a Master of Divinity and a diploma program that is intended to be a traditionally...
Praise God. Well, it might be also helpful, believe it or not, there are some people who listen to Iron Sharpens Iron Radio who are not theologically reformed. In fact, we even have listeners on occasion who are not even Christians.
Sometimes we have Muslim listeners that send in questions and those outside of the Christian faith. We have Roman Catholic listeners that on occasion chime in with a question. So why don't you explain to our listeners the concept of what a Reformed Baptist is in summary form.
Whenever I think of this, I chuckle because I remember years ago, many years ago, in the 1990s, when my friend Dr. James R. White of Alpha Omega Ministries, and I know he's a friend of yours as well, he was coming out to Long Island to be involved in a theological debate that I had organized with a Roman Catholic apologist.
And a friend of mine who hosted his own radio program, a lot shorter than this one, but he was not Reformed and really didn't know the buzz phrases and so on of Reformed theology. And he did not know what a Reformed Baptist was, so it was kind of humorous when he introduced Dr. White with the first question.
You say that you're a Reformed Baptist. What are you now? He thought that he had reformed out of being a Baptist. But if you could tell our listeners, what exactly does that mean?
Sure, that's a good question. People who don't know who he was, baptism?
Yes, and of course I know that you want to emphasize that the Catholic connection is with a small c, nothing to do with an affiliation with Roman Catholicism at all. In fact, I'm sure that you would agree that soteriologically, there is no theological system of faith within Protestantism that is more unlike the Roman Catholic Church than those who are theologically Reformed or Calvinistic, as they have been nicknamed.
Yeah, that's an important point to make. You know, I was watching a church history video that Ligonier Ministries puts out with Dr. Bob Godfrey, and he was making the point that many of the Reformers...
Yes, we who are theologically Reformed believe that we, unlike other brothers and sisters in Christ that we have, who may readily disagree with us when I say this, but I don't think that they could really be logically consistent in agreeing with this statement.
We actually believe that God is to receive 100 of the credit and the praise and the honor and the glory for our salvation. Anything that men do involving our Christianity is a response that we give to God by what He has already done on our behalf.
Am I right?
Yeah, all that we contribute is our sin. We invoke the wrath of God because we are born as sinners. Salvation is God saving us from His own wrath by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die. The death of a sinner hanging upon the cross to satisfy the wrath of God.
If He hadn't done that, we would be sort of dead in their fists.
And when we believe, when we follow Christ, when we obey Him, and when we repent of our sin, all those things that we do are things that He enables us to do. For instance, even the faith that we possess is a gift from Him.
And we can do nothing that is good and pleasing in His sight without Him first bringing us the gift of regeneration and giving us the gift of faith and preserving us as we walk on this earth in our journey of faith.
And even though all of us sin daily more numerous times than we can count or care to admit, but He always brings us, if we are truly regenerate, to a state of repentance.
Yeah, that's right. You know, you've heard that phrase, and I'm sure everybody who's listening has heard that phrase, God helps those that evil so that no one can take even that half-step.
Amen. And if anybody would like to hear a more exhaustive and more detailed explanation of Calvinism or Reformed theology, if you go to the archive of ironsharpensironradio .com where it says Past Programs Podcast or Past Shows Podcast.
If you type in Calvinism or Reformed theology, you'll have a number of programs that dedicated their entire two-hour length to an in-depth discussion on this issue. Now, let me also give our email address.
If anybody wants to join us on the air with a question of your own, for Dr. Renahan, our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com. C-H-R-I-S-A-R-N-Z-E-N at gmail .com. Please, as always, give us at least your first name, your city and state, and your country of residence if you live outside the USA, and only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter.
Let's say you are starting to reconsider some beliefs that you hold to that perhaps you are being taught at the church where you are a member. First of all, I would not want you to identify the name of your pastor or your congregation, so even if you don't remain anonymous, I'll make you anonymous.
But things like that, perhaps you're even a pastor and you're starting to reconsider your own denomination's position on things we're addressing today. There could be a number of reasons why you would want to remain anonymous, and we will grant you that request.
But if it's just a general question on theology, please at least give us your first name, city and state, and country of residence. The theme that you have picked for our discussion is quite fascinating to me because to many Christians, even many Baptists, the biblical nature of confessionalism would sound oxymoronic to them because they think that there is no biblical nature to confessionalism.
They have a wrong idea that we are elevating, just as Rome does, the traditions and thoughts and teachings of men to the same level of authority as the Scripture, and obviously even our confession, right off the bat, says that that is exactly not what those confessions or our confession is intended to do at all.
So let's start even with the word confessionalism. Some people who are unexperienced with confessional Protestantism, they may immediately have their minds transported to a little booth with a curtain where somebody confesses their sins to a Roman Catholic priest.
That obviously has nothing to do with what we're talking about.
Yeah, that's right.
Tell us, what does that mean, a confessionalism?
Yeah, confessionalism, you're right to identify that. It has nothing to do with the common in what we all believe. We hide that in the fourth confession, and you literally transfer the temptation.
Perhaps if I miss something here, you can include it in this list, but those confessions that Reformed Christians typically look to as biblically faithful and primary confessions would be the Westminster Confession of Faith that the Presbyterians adhere to, the Three Forms of Unity, which would be the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dort, which our Dutch Reformed brethren would be primarily using as a summary of their statement of faith, of their belief.
The Savoy Declaration, which is a Congregationalist Confession of Faith. The 39 Articles of Religion, which is a Reformed Anglican Confession of Faith. And then, of course, we have the First Baptist and the Second Baptist Confession, or the First and Second London Baptist Confession of Faith.
And the second is the one that primarily Reformed Baptists worldwide adhere to. And it also has a cousin confession appearing on the scene much more recently in church history, the Philadelphia Confession of Faith.
And there's even a New Hampshire Confession of Faith, which is a more, I think, reduced confession in the specific aspects of Reformed theology. But would that be pretty much the major list?
Yeah, that would be the major list. And the odds of it would be, if you could somehow take those, all of those confessions, overlay them one on top of another, there would be a massive amount of agreement.
Now, there would be differences. Not all of them have exactly the same statement.
Yes, I absolutely love to tell some of my Episcopalian and Anglican friends who are not Reformed that I am more Anglican than they are, because I actually believe more in the 39 Articles of Religion than they do.
Yeah, you know J .C. Ryle, of course. And it's kind of interesting, and I also get a kick out of reminding my Anglican friends this,.
Is that their confession, the 39 Articles, although Anglicans have always baptized infants, the 39 Articles just says that we should not forbid children from being baptized. And I always say to them, we don't either, when they repent and believe upon Christ.
We baptize children, too. Let me take, before we go to our first break, we do have a listener in a thigh in Ireland, in County Kildare, Ireland, Joe. And he says, Dear Brother Chris, please greet Professor Renahan for me.
We were discussing how he was the originator of the bow-tie trend amongst our Reformed Baptist ministers when he was at a conference on the 1689 Confession at Dundalk Baptist Church over a month ago.
I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly.
That's right, that's right.
And he says, On a serious note, though, I have a question for your guest. I have observed amongst many fellow Calvinists today a tendency to recoil at adopting the label Calvinist or even Reformed in some cases.
Some don't want to be associated with some aspects of John Calvin's theology that they disagree with and also refer to the Apostle Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 1, verses 10 -15 about some following Paul, Cephas, and others, and Apollos.
What is Professor Renahan's take on this? Is there wisdom in using or setting aside such labels?
Yeah, hi, Joe. Joe and I had an opportunity to talk back in April and really enjoyed that. I think that we have to be careful. We don't want to be sectarian. Someone wants to call their liberty. That's not what it's like.
Yeah, in fact, you no doubt know who Amrish Simarath is. Mm-hmm, yeah, I do. And he has a church where he pastors in Trinidad. I'm assuming he's still pastoring. And they specifically did not call their congregation a Baptist church because in Trinidad there are many animist groups and other heretical sects that call themselves Baptists.
Mm-hmm, yeah. Yeah, that's a good example. You may not want to use it. So if somebody wants to use the word Reformed or they want to use the word Calvinist or they don't, let's give each other liberty to do that.
Right, one thing that I have warned a couple of my friends about, though, I have a couple of friends, at least a couple, who agree with me nearly identically on theology. And if someone asks them, Are you a Calvinist?
They will say, No, my teachings are from the Bible. And I have told them, I believe that that is an incorrect response because you might be labeled as a liar if you say something like that. I think it's best just to say, Well, I have a lot in common with those brothers in Christ who call themselves Calvinists, but I prefer not to use that label because I attribute what I believe to God, not to any man.
And I told them, I should say, that that is a far more honest way of answering that question. Would you agree with that?
Yeah, I think about it a little bit before I answer the question to somebody that way myself. But I see...
Yeah, because if you say, I'm not a Calvinist, and then somebody finds out, Wait a minute, this guy believes in unconditional election. He believes in limited atonement. He's lying to me. That's what I'm really referring to, is that we have to be careful not to be making some kind of claim.
Then upon further investigation, somebody is looking at perhaps a church bulletin that you have where you list out primary doctrines, and they are identical with what would be historically labeled Calvinism or Reformed theology.
The other side of that argument is three cults.
Yeah, in fact, I jokingly said to a friend of mine who is theologically a believer in the doctrines of sovereign grace, as they are nicknamed, and he said, I prefer to call myself a Biblicist. And I said, that's interesting.
When you preach from your pulpit, do you wear T-shirts and shorts and sneakers, and do you have rock music playing in the worship service? And he said, absolutely not. I said, well, a Calvary Chapel pastor just told me he was not a Calvinist, but he was a Biblicist.
So no matter what kind of label you choose to use, it can be a confusing label to those who are hearing you identify yourself or describe yourself.
Well, we're going to our first advertisement right now, or station break, I should say. If anybody would like to join us on the air, as I said before, with a question for Dr. Jim Renahan on Reformed theology, or specifically confessionalism, our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com, chrisarnson at gmail .com.
And as always, please give us your first name, city and state, and country of residence if you live outside the USA. Don't go away. We will be right back with Dr. Jim Renahan and our discussion on confessionalism.
Hello, my name is James Renahan, and I'm the president of IRVS Theological Seminary in Mansfield, Texas. The Word of God says, If a man desires the office of an overseer, he desires a good thing. Do you have the desire to serve Jesus Christ in pastoral ministry?
Twenty years ago, the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies at Westminster Seminary, California was born. For those two decades, these institutions worked together to train men for ministry in Reformed Baptist churches.
It has been a wonderful partnership. Now we have advanced our school into an independent seminary offering a full program of courses leading to the Master of Divinity degree. This is IRVS Theological Seminary.
We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired and inerrant Word of God, that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh who came to save sinners by His life, death, and resurrection, and that the task of the church is to honor and serve the Triune God in all things.
IRVS Theological Seminary is dedicated by God's grace to preparing godly ministers who will be committed to these doctrines. Do you sense a call to serve Jesus Christ and His church as a pastor? Why not consider IRVS Theological Seminary?
You'll find more information at irvsseminary .org. That's irvsseminary .org. Two S's in the middle. I hope to hear from you soon. God bless you.
Chris Arnsen, host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, announcing a new website with an exciting offer from World Magazine, my trusted source for news from a Christian perspective. Try World Now at no charge for 90 days by going to getworldnow .com.
That's getworldnow .com. I rely on World because I trust the reporting. I gain insight from the analysis, and World provides clarity to the news stories that really matter. I believe you'll also find World to be an invaluable resource to better understand critical topics with a depth that's simply not found in other media outlets.
Armed with this coverage, World can help you to be a voice of wisdom in your family and your community. This trial includes biweekly issues of World Magazine, on-scene reporting from World Radio, and the fully shareable content of World Digital.
There's no obligation and no credit card required. Visit getworldnow .com today. Also check out World News Group's podcast, The World and Everything in It, at wng .org forward slash podcast. That's W for World, N for News, G for Group, dot org forward slash podcast.
My name is Steve Lawson, founder and president of One Passion Ministries, as well as teaching fellow for Ligonier Ministries. I serve as professor of preaching and oversee the Doctor of Ministry program at the Master's Seminary in Los Angeles.
I would like to recommend the church where one of my preaching students, Andy Woodard, serves as the pastor. It's called New Covenant Church, NYC. They are a Reformed Baptist church that meets in midtown Manhattan.
You can find their service times and location on their website, which is www .ncc .nyc. They believe in a sovereign God who commands all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel. If you're looking for a church that believes in expository preaching, which is simply biblical preaching, in New York City, I'd like to recommend that you visit New Covenant Church, NYC.
Again, their information can be found at www .ncc .nyc. Have a great day.
Iron Sharpens Iron welcomes Solid Rock Remodeling to our family of sponsors. Serving South Central Pennsylvania, Solid Rock Remodeling is focused on discovering, understanding, and exceeding your expectations.
They deliver personalized project solutions with exceptional results. Solid Rock Remodeling offers a full range of home renovations, including kitchen and bath remodeling, decks, porches, windows and doors, roof and siding, and more.
For a clear, detailed professional estimate, call this trustworthy team of problem solvers who provide superior results that stand the test of time. Call Solid Rock Remodeling at 717 -697 -1981, 717 -697 -1981, or visit SolidRockRemodeling .com.
That's SolidRockRemodeling .com. Solid Rock Remodeling, bringing new life to your home.
Did you know that all believers are priests? In 1 Peter 2, verse 9, the Apostle Peter describes Christ's church as comprising a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
So if you're a Christian, you're also a priest. Now you can find the newest styles in Reformed and Protestant apparel at CitizenPriest .com. CitizenPriest .com specializes in Christian-themed t-shirts and clothing, especially for Reformed Christians.
CitizenPriest .com's merchandise is purposefully Scripture-based and meant for the edification of the saints and the furtherance of the gospel. Let everyone know that you stand firm on the doctrines of the Reformed faith by wearing apparel from CitizenPriest .com.
Visit CitizenPriest .com today.
Tired of box-store Christianity? Of doing church in a warehouse with all the trappings of a rock concert? Do you long for a more traditional and reverent style of worship? And how about the preaching?
Perhaps you've begun to think that in-depth biblical exposition has vanished from Long Island. Well, there's good news. Wedding River Baptist Church exists to provide believers with a meaningful and reverent worship experience featuring the systematic exposition of God's Word.
And this loving congregation looks forward to meeting you. Call them at 631 -929 -3512 for service times. 631 -929 -3512 or check out their website at wrbc .us. That's wrbc .us.
I'm James White of Alpha Omega Ministries. The New American Standard Bible is perfect for daily reading or in-depth study. Used by pastors, scholars, and everyday readers, the NASV is widely embraced and trusted as a literal and readable Bible translation.
The NASV offers clarity and readability while maintaining high accuracy to the original languages which the NASV is known for. The NASV is available in many editions like a topical reference Bible. Researched and prepared by biblical scholars devoted to accuracy, the new topical reference Bible includes contemporary topics relevant to today's issues.
From compact to giant print Bibles, find an NASV that fits your needs very affordably at nasbible .com. Whichever edition you choose, trust, discover, and enjoy the NASV for yourself today. Go to nasbible .com.
That's nasbible .com.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said,.
Give yourself unto reading. The man who never reads will never be read. He who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves that he has no brains of his own.
You need to read.
Solid Ground Christian Books is a publisher and book distributor who takes these words of the Prince of Preachers to heart. The mission of Solid Ground Christian Books is to bring back treasures of the past to minister to Christians in the present and future and to publish new titles that address burning issues in the church and the world.
Since its beginning in 2001, Solid Ground has been committed to publish God-centered, Christ-exalting books for all ages. We invite you to go treasure hunting at solid-ground-books .com. That's solid-ground-books .com and see what priceless literary gems from the past to present you can unearth from Solid Ground.
Solid Ground Christian Books is honored to be a weekly sponsor of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
And please remember solid-ground-books .com for all your gift-giving needs. There's a lot of wedding anniversaries coming up in the summer and all kinds of special occasions where a gift is appropriate.
Please give a gift that contains information that God may use to bring a lost person to eternal life and also to give further equipment to true Christians that they may be even more ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within them.
Solid-ground-books .com is the website. And remember, every time you purchase a book from Solid Ground Christian Books, you enable Iron Sharpens Iron Radio to remain on the air because we depend upon the funding from Solid Ground Christian Books and other advertisers who sponsor this program.
We depend upon these finances to exist. So please go to solid-ground-books .com as often as you can for all, not only your gift-giving needs, but your own personal needs when it comes to the best in Christian literature.
And I know that my guest today, Dr. Jim Renahan of I .R .B .S. Theological Seminary is also a mutual friend of Mike Gaydosh, the founder of Solid Ground Christian Books, and I know that he holds him in that book ministry in high regard.
Appreciate that very much.
Yes. If anybody would like to join us on the air, we are discussing the biblical nature of confessionalism with Dr. Jim Renahan today. And our email address is chrisarnsen at gmail dot com. And Dr. Renahan, now if you could explain what exactly you mean by the biblical nature of confessionalism.
Yeah. Okay. That's a good question. I teach a course that's called Prison Confession. I think for, well I don't know how much it is, I think it's 50. Let me try to summarize in the Old Testament. That's where I got the word.
For example, that is, Jesus is... Then I would argue that in the rest of the time that there are various things, in relationship to that...
We have John in Bangor, Maine who has a question. And John says, Would you agree that those that are vehemently anti-confessional are not really being consistent with their own rhetoric unless their pastors merely get up to the pulpit and read the Bible rather than exegeting it?
And any time you explain the Bible you are really doing something more in alignment with confessionalism rather than some kind of a mutation of sola scriptura.
Well John, you know it's funny because that's exactly what I had in mind. Exactly that.
Praise God. And my friend John Thornberry, the brilliant church historian, I remember years ago, back in the... I think it was the late 1980s, I saw him at a conference where he was defending confessionalism.
And he said... He was responding to an article in the American Baptist Association magazine, the denomination to which John once belonged before he had to withdraw because of their liberalism. But there was an article in the magazine that said that we as Baptists do not believe in creeds and confessions.
We only believe in the Word of God. And John wrote a rebuttal to that saying, that is a confessional statement. That's right.
Yeah, it is. It's interesting.
Yeah, and every church has a confession that's either biblical or unbiblical or good or bad or a combination of good and bad.
Yeah, exactly.
Let's see here. We have... We have Arnie in Perry County, Pennsylvania who asks, historically, would the predominant number of Baptists throughout history be confessional or non-confessional? Hmm.
Yeah, that's a good...
Yeah, in fact, I interviewed both of those brothers.
Okay, yeah. Well, when you get to the 19th...
A somewhat humorous occurrence just popped into my head. I remember years ago, I was in attendance at a Bible conference being hosted by a Church of Christ congregation. And the speaker said the Churches of Christ historically have not been a church that have used creeds and confessions.
We believe the Bible to be our only creed and confession. And I raised my hand and I said, just out of curiosity, I'm looking at a tract that I found in the lobby of your church, in the tract rack. And it said, we are the Churches of Christ.
Our ministers do not wear clerical robes or different types of clothing other than the average man. We wear business suits and so on. And we believe in baptism by immersion only, by a repentant believer for the forgiveness of sins.
We only believe in exclusively male headship in the church. And we do not use musical instruments. And the list went on and on. And I said, you know, this is your confession of faith. That's right.
That's exactly right.
So it's ironic that people would make those claims when they clearly violate the claim. But we have to go to our midway break. This is a break that is longer than our normal breaks because Grace Life Radio 90 .1 FM in Lake City, Florida requires of us a longer break in the middle of our show because they, well, we air our own commercials which are heard globally.
Grace Life Radio airs local commercials and public service announcements to the Lake City, Florida area because they, according to FCC regulations, they have to localize their programming to their local area.
So while they air their commercials, we are airing ours. And it's a longer break. So please use this time wisely. Please write down the information provided by our advertisers so that you can more frequently and successfully patronize them because, as I said earlier, we depend on the advertising dollars from our sponsors in order to exist.
And they are more likely going to remain our advertisers if you patronize them. So please write down this information and also write down questions for our guests, Dr. Jim Renahan at chrisarnson at gmail .com.
Chrisarnson at gmail .com. And please give us your first name at least, your city and state of residence, and your country of residence if you live outside the USA. Only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter.
Don't go away. We'll be right back with Dr. Jim Renahan right after this station break. God bless.
Hi, I'm Stephan Lindblad, Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at IRBS Theological Seminary in Mansfield, Texas. I accepted this call to teach at the seminary because I'm firmly convinced that the people of God in the churches of our Lord Jesus Christ need to be firmly grounded in the truth of Holy Scripture.
I'm excited to be teaching such subjects as the nature of theology and the doctrine of Scripture, and even the doctrine of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Our churches and our people need to be well-grounded in these truths.
Indeed, future ministers of the gospel need to understand these truths in order to proclaim them to all of God's people. If you want to learn more about our program, visit us online at irbsseminary .org.
Chris Sorensen, host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, here. I want to tell you about a man I have personally known for many years. His name is Dan Buttafuoco. Dan is a personal injury and medical malpractice lawyer but not the type that typically comes to mind.
Dan cares about people and is a theologian himself. Recently, he wrote a book titled Consider the Evidence for the Bible. Ravi Zacharias wrote the foreword. Dan also has a master's degree in theology.
Dan handles serious injury and medical malpractice cases in all 50 states. He represents many Christians in serious injury matters all over the country. Dan is an exceptional trial lawyer. He wrote the test for the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
And currently, his firm has over 100 cases that have settled for $1 million or more and in approximately 10 different states. In Illinois, his lawyers had the fourth largest settlement in the state's history.
In New York, his case involving a paralyzed police officer made the front page of the Law Journal. If you have a serious personal injury or medical malpractice claim in any state, I recommend that you call Dan.
Consultations are free. There is no fee unless you win. Dan Buttafuoco's number is 1 -800 -669 -4878. 1 -800 -669 -4878. Or email me for Dan's contact information at chrisarnson at gmail dot com. That's chrisarnson at gmail dot com.
Hey, this is Pete Orta, former guitar player for the Grammy Award winning Christian rock band, Petra. I'd like to invite you to my new podcast called Christian Conversations Unfiltered. This channel is much different than my sermon podcast.
The episodes are intimate conversations with people who I enjoy about topics that I can't really unbox from the pulpit. Each episode is unproduced, unedited, and unapologetic. Conversations that might not only help you answer some relevant questions you might be struggling with, but also help create some questions in your head that you might not have even ever thought of.
The purpose of this podcast is to help people apply their theology while broadening their biblical worldview. So go to peteorta .com, that's p-e-t-e-o-r-t-a dot com, and click subscribe to podcast and then choose what podcast you'd like to hear, if not both, and what platform works best for you.
Can't wait for you to join us. God bless.
One sure way all Iron Sharpens Iron radio listeners can help keep my show on the air is to support my advertisers. I know you all use batteries every day, so I'm urging you all from now on to exclusively use batterydepot .com for all your battery needs.
At batterydepot .com, they're changing the status quo. They're flipping the script. They're sticking it to the man. In other words, they'd like to change the battery industry for good by providing an extensive inventory of top-of-the-line batteries that are uniformly new, dependable, and affordable.
Ordering from batterydepot .com ensures you'll always get fresh, out-of-the-box batteries you can count on to work properly at competitive prices. Whether you need batteries for cordless phones, cell phones, radios, PCs, laptops, tablets, baby monitors, hearing aids, smoke detectors, credit card readers, digital cameras, electronic cigarettes, GPSs, MP3 players, watches, or nearly anything else you own that needs batteries.
Go to batterydepot .com. Next day shipping available. All products protected by 30-day guarantees and 6-month warranties. Call 866 -403 -3768. That's 866 -403 -3768. Or go to batterydepot .com. That's batterydepot .com.
I'm Dr. Gary Kimbrough, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Laurel, Mississippi. God tells us in James 127 that pure and undefiled religion is a visit to fatherless and widows in their affliction. In the providence of God three years ago, I discovered a poor, small church outside Lusaka, Zambia in a township called Kabanana who were taking care of 24 orphans.
I found them just at the time when they had lost all their funding. What was I to do? Could I just say, God bless you and walk away? The situation of the children set heavily upon me. As I was praying concerning this need, it came to me, I trust from the Lord, to tell the orphans' plight to a broader audience.
The entire need for their clothing, food, education, and some medical services is $73 per month per child. If just 50 of us would give $35 a month, we could meet the need. Bethlehem Baptist Church will pay the fee to get the funds there, so if you give a dollar, a dollar will get to the orphans.
In this season of hope and giving, will you consider giving hope to 24 orphans? Please send your gift of any amount to Bethlehem Baptist Church, 838 Reed Road, Laurel, Mississippi, 39443, or donate through our website, bbclaurel .com.
Again, the address is Bethlehem Baptist Church, 838 Reed Road, Laurel, Mississippi, 39443, or bbclaurel .com. Thank you.
Iron Sharpens Iron Radio is sponsored by Harvey Cedars, a year-round Bible conference and retreat center nestled on the Jersey Shore. Harvey Cedars offers a wide range of accommodations to suit groups up to 400.
For generations, Christians have enjoyed gathering and growing at Harvey Cedars. Each year, thousands of high school and college students come and learn more about God's Word. An additional 9 ,000 come annually to Harvey Cedars as families, couples, singles, men, women, pastors, seniors, and missionaries.
90 miles from New York City, 70 miles from Philly, and 95 miles from Wilmington, and easily accessible, scores of notable Christian groups frequently plan conferences at Harvey Cedars, like The Navigators, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Campus Crusade, and the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.
Find Harvey Cedars on Facebook or at hcbible .org, hcbible .org. Call 609 -494 -5689. 609 -494 -5689. Harvey Cedars, where Christ finds people and changes lives.
Did you know that all believers are priests? In 1 Peter 2 verse 9, the Apostle Peter describes Christ's church as comprising a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Hi, I'm Buzz Taylor, frequent co-host with Chris Arnzen on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio. I would like to introduce you to my good friends Todd and Patty Jennings at CVBBS, which stands for Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service.
Todd and Patty specialize in supplying Reformed and Puritan books and Bibles at discount prices that make them affordable to everyone. Since 1987, the family-owned and operated book service has sought to bring you the best available Christian books and Bibles at the best possible prices.
Unlike other book sites, they make no effort to provide every book that is available because, frankly, much of what is being printed is not worth your time. That means you can get to the good stuff faster.
It also means that you don't have to worry about being assaulted by the pornographic, heretical, and otherwise faith-insulting material promoted by the secular book vendors. Their website is www .cvbbs .com.
Browse the pages at ease, shop at your leisure, and purchase with confidence as Todd and Patty work in service to you, the Church, and to Christ. That's Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service at www .cvbbs .com.
That's www .cvbbs .com. Let Todd and Patty know that you heard about them on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
And you can also call www .cvbbs .com at 800 -656 -0231 800 -656 -0231 Monday through Friday between 10 a .m. and 4 .30 p .m. Eastern Standard Time if you prefer ordering by phone as opposed to on the Internet.
And they have some excellent offers for those of you listening who mention Iron Sharpens Iron Radio. The first involves a book written by our guest today, Dr. James N. Runahan, True Love, Understanding the Real Meaning of Christian Love, published by Evangelical Press.
They are going to give anybody who orders books from them for any amount. I mean, you can order one book. You can order one CD of music or whatever it is you're ordering. Any order that you place, as long as you put in the comments section on www .cvbbs .com or verbally tell them on the phone that you heard about them from Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, they will send you this book absolutely free of charge, True Love, Understanding the Real Meaning of Christian Love, by James M. Runahan.
And if you order a minimum of $50 or more, you will also get a book that I have been raving about on this show for quite some time. It's my favorite biography of all biographies by my friend that I just mentioned earlier, John Thornberry.
It is called A Pastor in New York, The Life and Times of Spencer Cohn. This is also an Evangelical Press publication. Beautiful hardcover. This is about the life of a man who unfortunately and tragically is hardly known to anyone today.
And thankfully, John Thornberry has brought this person back to the attention of the body of Christ in the 21st century. Spencer Cohn lived such a remarkable life. I truly believe that his life should be made into a major motion picture or at least a documentary.
He was a particular Baptist pastor in New York City, specifically at the First Baptist Church of New York City in the 19th century. I use the phrase particular Baptist. Today, that would be typically described as a Reformed Baptist.
He was a school teacher. He was an attorney. He was a theater actor, a stage actor in the 19th century until he was convicted that as a Christian, he could no longer participate in theater acting. He had a very strict view of that as opposed to many, if not most Christians today.
He was a member of the American Bible Society. He was just a fascinating man. He was a war hero in the War of 1812. I could go on and on. Phenomenal biography. As I said, it's my favorite biography of all biographies.
It's a very moving account personally to me since I am a widower. A very moving account in the book of how the loss of Spencer Cone's wife affected him, how he was able to manage his pastoral duties without letting the public know too much about his deep grief.
But when he was in the privacy of his own home, it was a very sorrow-filled existence for this dear brother. But if you want to get this book also for free, this book you need to purchase at least a minimum of $50 worth of merchandise.
And you have to enter the coupon code IRONSHARPENSIRON. All capital letters, all one word. So remember, you'll be getting two books for free. The first that I mentioned, True Love by Jim Renahan is free for any purchase.
And the larger book, Pastor in New York, The Life and Times of Spencer Cone, that is free to you with a minimum purchase of $50. And of course, as I said, you could tell them this verbally if you call them.
And if you're having any difficulties, you can send me an email to chrisarnson at gmail .com if what I am saying to you is too confusing for you to remember. Chrisarnson at gmail .com. And just ask about ordering these two free books with a purchase from cbbbs .com.
Before I return to Dr. Renahan on our discussion on the biblical nature of confessionalism, I just have a couple of special announcements to make regarding events that I hope that you all can attend. This December, Thursday and Friday, December 19th and 20th, I am heading back to my old stomping grounds in Manhattan to attend the Foundations Conference, which is a conference hosted by sermonaudio .com.
And this is going to be a phenomenal conference, I'm sure, judging from the roster of speakers they have lined up. Dr. Stephen J. Lawson, whose voice you have been hearing every day, promoting New Covenant Church NYC, a church that sponsors Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
Dr. Lawson is one of the finest preachers alive today, and he is the founder of One Passion Ministries. Paul Washer, also an extraordinary preacher on the roster at this conference. My friend, Rev. Jeff Thomas, everybody who is a Reformed Baptist, at least I am very confident that everybody who is a Reformed Baptist listening is fully aware of this dear brother, recently retired from the pastoral ministry at Alfred Place Baptist Church in Everest with Wales, now an itinerant evangelist.
And he is an author and a really extraordinary preacher as well. In fact, he is my guest this Friday, God willing, June 7th, 4 -6 p .m. Eastern, here on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio. He is going to be discussing the Ministry of Encouragement.
That is Rev. Jeff Thomas' subject this Friday. My friend Armin Tamasian, he is a really profound and powerful preacher. He is a young man, a young pastor, but with gifts and abilities and wisdom far beyond his youth.
I believe he is going to be a household name amongst Reformed Christians over the next decade. Richard Caldwell Jr. and Andrew Quigley are also on the lineup. I do not know these brethren and I have never heard them preach, but since Sermon Audio selected them, I am very confident they are also magnificent preachers and teachers of God's Word.
If you want to attend this conference, once again, I said it is Thursday and Friday, December 19th and 20th, go to thefoundationsconference .com thefoundationsconference .com and all the information that you need will be there.
Then, the month after that, January of 2020, I am going to be packing up my bags again and heading out to Atlanta, Georgia, more specifically College Park, Georgia, to the Georgia International Convention Center for the 2020 G3 Conference.
G3 stands for Gospel, Grace, and Glory and they always have an absolutely extraordinary lineup of speakers. This is going to be held Thursday, January 16th through Saturday, January 18th and the speakers include Kosti Hinn, a very extraordinary speaker and brother.
He, believe it or not, is the nephew of the notorious charlatan Benny Hinn and Kosti has renounced the Word of Faith heresies that he was raised in. He is not only a Reformed Baptist today, but he is a Reformed Baptist pastor and a cessationist and he is going to be speaking on this lineup.
David Miller, who is among the dying breed of old-style fire and brimstone preachers, but with excellent biblical theological content, a really remarkable man. I always love hearing David Miller preach and teach.
Somebody who is also a very recognizable name amongst Reformed Christians, Derek Thomas is on the lineup. Dr. James R. White of Alpha Omega Ministries, my longtime friend since the 1990s, a mutual friend of my guest, Dr. Jim Renahan, he is on the roster.
Joel Beakey, another friend of mine since the 1990s, he is president of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. Josh Bice, who is the founder of the G3 Conference. Again, we have Dr. Stephen J. Lawson and Paul Washer on the roster at this conference.
My friend Dr. Tom Askell, who is the executive director of Founders Ministry, the Calvinistic ministry within the Southern Baptist Convention. And Votie Balcombe, another man, if you haven't heard Votie preach, you've got to hear him preach.
What a remarkable man of God he is. If you are interested in registering for this conference, go to g3conference .com, g3conference .com. Click on the G3 Conference 2020 and you will have all the information that you need.
And I would strongly urge you that if you have a parachurch organization or a business or some other organization that you want to promote, I would register for an exhibitor's booth, just like I will be manning, because they are expecting, as they do every year, over 5 ,000 people in attendance.
So that is an ideal place to have an exhibitor's booth. So go to g3conference .com, register to attend, and also register for an exhibitor's booth while they still have room. Please always tell any advertiser of ours that you heard about them from Chris Arnzen on Iron Sherpa and Zion Radio.
Last but not least, if you love Iron Sherpa and Zion Radio, you love sharing the free downloadable MP3s with friends, family, and loved ones, you love the guests and topics that we feature on this show that very often are never heard anywhere else, well then please go to ironsherpanzionradio .com, click support, then click, click to donate now.
You can donate instantly with a debit or credit card, and an address will appear on the screen when you click support at ironsherpanzionradio .com if you prefer snail mail. You just send us a check made out to Iron Sherpa and Zion Radio to the address that you will see on your screen.
Please never siphon money away from your regular giving that you're accustomed to to your local church where you are a member in order to give to Iron Sherpa and Zion Radio. Never do that, and never put your family in financial jeopardy by giving to Iron Sherpa and Zion Radio.
Those two things are commands of God in the Holy Scriptures. Supporting my radio show is obviously not a command of God, but if you are financially blessed above and beyond your ability to obey those two commands, you have extra money to use for benevolent purposes, please, if you love the show and you don't want us to go away, go to ironsherpanzionradio .com, click support, then click to donate now.
If you want to advertise with us, we could surely use your advertising dollars, so send me an email to chrisarnson at gmail .com and put advertising in the subject line. As long as whatever it is you are promoting is compatible with what we believe, we would love to help you launch an ad campaign because we are in urgent need of your advertising dollars as well.
And also, if you are not a member of a local Bible-believing church and you're not prayerfully looking for one, you are living in rebellion against God. If you need help finding a good, solid church, I have lists of biblically faithful churches all over the world and I've already helped quite a number of people listening to Ironsherpanzionradio and all parts of the world find churches near them, whether they need a church to join and become a member, or even if they're vacationing somewhere, people have asked for recommendations, send me an email to chrisarnson at gmail .com and put something like I need a church home or I need a church while I'm on vacation, whatever it is that you want to put in that subject line that accurately describes your situation.
I'd love to help you find a church and, God willing, I will be able to do so. And, by the way, that's also the email address where you can send in a question to our guest, Dr. Jim Renahan, on the biblical nature of confessionalism.
That's chrisarnson at gmail .com, chrisarnson at gmail .com and, as always, give us your first name, city and state, and country of residence if you live outside the USA. We got two emails, providentially, both from North Carolina, and what makes it very interesting is that one of these emails is from Sterling Vanderwerker, a very faithful listener to Iron Trip and Zion Radio, who is going to be a new advertiser with us.
Stay tuned to hear commercials for his jewelry business, Diadem Jewelers, in Greensboro, North Carolina. But it's interesting, I was having a conversation with him earlier today, and he mentioned, oh, I hear a person named Grady Adams who contacts you very frequently, and he lives in Ashboro, North Carolina, and that's very close to Greensboro, so tell Grady about Diadem Jewelers.
So now I have both of them providentially submitting questions to our guest, Jim Moynihan, which is interesting. And let me give a plug to Diadem Jewelers. Their website is royaldiadem .com. That's royaldiadem .com.
But let me read Sterling Vanderwerker's question for our guest today. He says, At Shepard's Fellowship of Greensboro, we talked through each segment of the First London Baptist Confession and its history.
What, if any, effect did the work in England of our historic Anglican and Presbyterian brothers have on the Second London Confession of Faith? Dr. Renahan?
Yeah.
I said that the moment I first became aware of him.
Yeah, that's really good. I like that.
He says, At Shepard's Fellowship of Greensboro, we talked through each segment of the First London Baptist Confession and its history. What, if any, effect did the work in England of our historic Anglican and Presbyterian brothers have on the Second London Confession of Faith?
Amen. And to further clarify, lest anyone think that the framers of the Second London Baptist Confession were plagiarizing the Westminster, this was done intentionally. Was it not to show much camaraderie between the Baptists and the Presbyterians to further reveal to our Presbyterian brothers that this was not some kind of bizarre cult that we had a lot in common with them?
Am I somewhere in the right neighborhood there on that?
In the neighborhood, at least. When we met in London, in that letter, many years ago,.
And it's available in leather, too?
Yeah, it is. I've got a nice sock padded in my hand right now. Great.
And, by the way, thank you again, Sterling, for submitting the excellent question. And I just want to remind our listeners about his website, since he is going to be heard as a regular advertiser coming soon on Iron Trip and Zion Radio.
It's royaldiadem .com. That's the website for Diadem Jewelers. Royaldiadem .com. And the aforementioned Grady in Asheboro, North Carolina, also has a question. And Grady says, Great show, Chris. Dr. Renahan, since you said that the confessions that Chris mentioned earlier could be laid on top of one another and would agree on most things, I take it you're talking about the basic tenets of our faith.
Is this correct?
Yes. That's exactly right. That's why we're using the word Catholic with a lowercase c before all of the doctrines that are common to...
Now, I don't know if you would agree with this distinction, but I've heard that creeds tend to be documents that contain things universally held to by all Christians. They would not include things like the differences on election, predestination, and so on.
And a confession is a more detailed statement that would have more information about what a particular church or fellowship believes about baptism and other issues, perhaps even eschatology. Like, for instance, the Apostles' Creed, interestingly enough, although it has many of the major tenets that all Christians must believe, it really says very little, if anything, about the Gospel.
I mean, obviously, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is of primary concern in the Gospel, but it doesn't really talk about anything that would distinguish even Roman Catholicism from Calvinism, for instance.
Yeah, I think it's a little bit artificial to try to distinguish between a creed and a confession. A creed tends to be briefer, and one way that I have found helpful to distinguish between them, if I have to, and this is not original to me, I don't know where I heard it, I heard it or read it, that a creed helps a confession.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. In fact, I think that very much echoes somewhat what I just said earlier. Yeah. And so, therefore, that's why the confessions were needed, because something like the Apostles' Creed, just as wonderful as it is, it's just, in some ways, inadequate.
Would you agree?
Yeah, you know, that's an interesting question, and in that video series that I talked about before, creeds and...
We have Christopher in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York, who said you mentioned earlier a book written by your guest, True Love, Understanding the Real Meaning of Christian Love. Can you have your guest describe it in more detail?
Sure. They're giving it away. It's a brief, probably 150 pages, I don't think I have one at hand. It's a brief, actually, years ago, you and I did a book.
Yes, we did. Yeah. And so people can go to ironsharpensirenradio .com and go to the archive where it says, Past Shows Podcast, and if you type in Renihan, R-E-N-I-H-A-N, that should come up, among other interviews we've done with Dr. Renihan.
And also, let me read Michael Horton's commendation for the book that's right on the back cover. The part that most people seem to like about Christianity is love, yet love is gravely misunderstood in our culture apart from the wider scope of God's character, commands, and saving work in Christ.
James Renihan deserves our gratitude because he neither sentimentalizes nor intellectualizes love. Here is a rich, vivid, and concrete exploration of this fantastic subject. Sorry for the stilted reading here, but I'm going blind, and the typeface...
That's an exaggeration, brother. The typeface is very small on the back cover, so it was kind of hard for me to read. But once again, you'll get that for free with any purchase from cvbbs .com and just mention in the comment section that you want the free copy of True Love by James M. Renihan.
I want to talk about books. Can I just mention one that I think all of your listeners should get and read?
Absolutely.
The Credo Imperative by Carl Truman.
Great.
It's a really first-rate book.
Well, now I know what to have Carl speak on the next time he comes back to Iron Sharpens Iron. I always love having him as a guest. We are going to our final break right now. It's much more brief than the last break.
So if you have a question, I would send it in now or forever hold your peace, because we're rapidly running out of time. Our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com. Chrisarnson at gmail .com. Please give us your first name at least, your city and state of residence, and your country of residence if you live outside the USA.
Only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter. Once again, that's chrisarnson at gmail .com. Chrisarnson at gmail .com. Don't go away. We'll be right back with Jim Renihan right after these messages.
Tired of bop store Christianity? Of doing church in a warehouse with all the trappings of a rock concert? Do you long for a more traditional and reverent style of worship? And how about the preaching?
And this loving congregation looks forward to meeting you. Call them at 631 -929 -3512 for service times. 631 -929 -3512. Or check out their website at wrbc .us. That's wrbc .us.
I'm James White of Alpha Omega Ministries. The New American Standard Bible is perfect for daily reading or in-depth study. Used by pastors, scholars, and everyday readers, the NASB is widely embraced and trusted as a literal and readable Bible translation.
The NASB offers clarity and readability while maintaining high accuracy to the original languages which the NASB is known for. The NASB is available in many editions like a topical reference Bible. Researched and prepared by biblical scholars devoted to accuracy, the new topical reference Bible includes contemporary topics relevant to today's issues.
From compact to giant print Bibles, find an NASB that fits your needs very affordably at nasbible .com. Whichever edition you choose, trust, discover, and enjoy the NASB for yourself today. Go to nasbible .com.
That's nasbible .com. Or, visit us at sgbcsa .com That's sgbcsa .com.
That's sgbcsa .com.
James White of Alpha Omega Ministries here. If you've watched my Dividing Line webcast often enough, you know I have a great love for getting Bibles and other documents vital to my ministry rebound to preserve and ensure their longevity.
And besides that, they feel so good. I'm so delighted I discovered post-Tenebrous Lux Bible rebinding. No radio ad will be long enough to sing their praises sufficiently, but I'll give it a shot. Jeffrey Rice of Post-Tenebrous Lux is a remarkably gifted craftsman and artisan.
All his work is done by hand from the cutting to the pleating of corners to the perimeter stitching. Jeffrey uses the finest and buttery soft imported leathers in a wide variety of gorgeous colors like the turquoise goatskin tanned in Italy used for my Nestle All-in -28 edition with a navy blue goatskin inside liner and the electric blue goatskin from a French tannery used to rebind a Reformation Study Bible I used as a gift.
The silver gilding he added on the page edges has a stunning mirror finish resembling highly polished chrome. Jeffrey will customize your rebinding to your specifications and even emboss your logo into the leather, making whatever he rebinds a one-of-a-kind work of art.
For more details on post-Tenebrous Lux Bible rebinding, go to www .ptlbiblerebinding .com. Www .ptlbiblerebinding .com.
Www .ptlbiblerebinding .com.
My name is Steve Lawson, founder and president of One Passion Ministries as well as teaching fellow for Ligonier Ministries. I serve as professor of preaching and oversee the Doctor of Ministry program at the Master's Seminary in Los Angeles.
I would like to recommend the church where one of my preaching students Andy Woodard serves as the pastor. It's called New Covenant Church NYC. They are a Reformed Baptist Church that meets in Midtown Manhattan.
You can find their service times and location on their website which is www .ncc .nyc.
Www .ncc .nyc.
Www .ncc .nyc www .ncc .nyc www .ncc .nyc www .ncc .nyc www .ncc .nyc www .ncc .nyc www .ncc .nyc www .ncc .nyc www .ncc .nyc www .ncc .nyc.
Www .ncc .nyc www .ncc .nyc www .ncc .nyc www .ncc .nyc.
Www .ncc .nyc pastoral ministry? Twenty years ago, the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies at Westminster Seminary California was born. For those two decades, these institutions worked together to train men for ministry in Reformed Baptist churches.
It has been a wonderful partnership. Now we have advanced our school into an independent seminary offering a full program of courses leading to the Master of Divinity degree. This is IRBS Theological Seminary.
We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired and inerrant word of God, that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh who came to save sinners by his life, death, and resurrection, and that the task of the church is to honor and serve the triune God in all things.
IRBS Theological Seminary is dedicated by God's grace to preparing godly ministers who will be committed to these doctrines. Do you sense a call to serve Jesus Christ in his church as a pastor? Why not consider IRBS Theological Seminary?
You'll find more information at irbsseminary .org. That's irbsseminary .org, two S's in the middle. I hope to hear from you soon. God bless you. Paul wrote to the church at Galatia, For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?
Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Hi, I'm Mark Lukens, pastor of Providence Baptist Church. We are a Reformed Baptist church and we hold to the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689.
We are in Norfolk, Massachusetts. We strive to reflect Paul's mindset to be much more concerned with how God views what we say and what we do than how men view these things. That's not the best recipe for popularity, but since that wasn't the Apostle's priority, it must not be ours either.
We believe, by God's grace, that we are called to demonstrate love and compassion to our fellow man and to be vessels of Christ's mercy to a lost and hurting community around us, and to build up the body of Christ in truth and love.
If you live near Norfolk, Massachusetts, or plan to visit our area, please come and join us for worship and fellowship. You can call us at 508 -528 -5750, that's 508 -528 -5750, or go to our website to email us, listen to past sermons, worship songs, or watch our TV program entitled Resting in Grace.
You can find us at ProvidenceBaptistChurchMA .org, that's ProvidenceBaptistChurchMA .org. Or even on SermonAudio .com. Providence Baptist Church is delighted to sponsor Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
Did you know that all believers are priests? In 1 Peter 2 verse 9, the Apostle Peter describes Christ's church as comprising a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
So if you're a Christian, you're also a priest. Now you can find the newest styles in Reformed and Protestant apparel at CitizenPriest .com. CitizenPriest .com specializes in Christian-themed t-shirts and clothing especially for Reformed Christians.
CitizenPriest .com's merchandise is purposefully scripture-based and meant for the edification of the saints and the furtherance of the gospel. Let everyone know that you stand firm on the doctrines of the Reformed faith by wearing apparel from CitizenPriest .com.
I'm Pastor Bill Shishko, host of a visit to the pastor's study, and I am so thankful to be part of the advertising family right here on Iron Sharpens Iron. If you live on Long Island or if you're visiting the metropolitan New York area, I invite you to join us for worship at The Haven on Sundays at 4 .30 p .m.
We meet at the Ascension Lutheran Church facility, 33 Bayshore Road in Deer Park, New York. At The Haven, you'll find God-saturated singing, gospel-rich ministry, and great commission opportunities.
Learn more about us at thehavenli .com and join us this Sunday at 4 .30 p .m., 33 Bayshore Road, Deer Park, New York.
Every day at thousands of community centers, high schools, middle schools, juvenile institutions, coffee shops, and local hangouts, Long Island Youth for Christ staff and volunteers meet with young people who need Jesus.
We are rural and urban, and we are always about the message of Jesus. Our mission is to have a noticeable spiritual impact on Long Island, New York by engaging young people in the lifelong journey of following Christ.
Long Island Youth for Christ has been a stalwart bedrock ministry since 1959. We have a world-class staff and a proven track record of bringing consistent love and encouragement to youths in need all over the country and around the world.
Help honor our history by becoming a part of our future. Volunteer, donate, pray, or all of the above. For details, call Long Island Youth for Christ at 631 -385 -8333. That's 631 -385 -8333. Or visit liyfc .org.
That's liyfc .org. Lindbrook Baptist Church on 225 Earl Avenue in Lindbrook, Long Island, is teaching God's timeless truths in the 21st century. Our church is far more than a Sunday worship service.
It's a place of learning where the scriptures are studied and the preaching of the gospel is clear and relevant. It's like a gym where one can exercise their faith through community involvement. It's like a hospital for wounded souls where one can find compassionate people in healing.
We're a diverse family of all ages. Enthusiastically serving our Lord Jesus Christ. In fellowship, play, and together. Hi, I'm Pastor Bob Walderman, and I invite you to come and join us here at Lindbrook Baptist Church and see all that a church can be.
Call Lindbrook Baptist at.
516 -599 -9402. That's 516 -599 -9402. Or visit lindbrookbaptist .org. That's lindbrookbaptist .org.
Have you been blessed by Iron Sharpens Iron Radio? We remain on the air because of our faithful sponsors and because of listeners like you. There are four ways you can help. First, do you know potential sponsors who may wish to advertise their goods or services on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio?
Second, whenever possible, purchase the products or use the services that our sponsors advertise, and then let them know that you heard about them on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio. Thirdly, you can also donate to Iron Sharpens Iron Radio by going to our website at ironsharpensironradio .com and click support at the top of the page.
But most importantly, keep Iron Sharpens Iron Radio in your prayers. We hope that Iron Sharpens Iron Radio blesses you for many years to come.
Listening to Christian radio can be a big gamble spiritually. Even many of the major Christian networks that include excellent, biblically faithful teachers on their lineup sadly often also include the worst of doctrinally dangerous heretics.
If you are a lover of the doctrines of sovereign grace, you need not fear listening 24 hours a day to firstloveradio .org. They feature Christ-centered programming from Reformed pastors and teachers you can rely upon for theological soundness and biblical faithfulness, such as Dr. W .R. Downing, Dr. Peter Masters, Pastor Joe Jackowitz, Pastor Robert Gifford, Al Martin, Edward Delcor, and more.
Firstloveradio .org also live streams my Iron Sharpens Iron Radio program daily. Please stick around on firstloveradio .org after Iron Sharpens Iron Radio is over to continue being blessed by the unwavering proclamation of the gospel of sovereign grace.
Spread the word about firstloveradio .org. Welcome back. This is Chris Arns, and I also want to very quickly plug a new advertiser of ours that's going to be heard daily on this program very soon. That is Hope Reform Baptist Church of Corham, Long Island, New York.
My dear friend of many years, Pastor Rich Jensen, and the folks at Hope Reform Baptist Church love this show, and they want us to remain on the air, so they have put their money where their mouth is, and they have joined us as a new advertiser, and you'll be hearing those commercials, God willing, very shortly.
Their website is hopereformedli .net. Hopereformedli .net. We are now back with Dr. Jim Runahan of IRBS Theological Seminary in Mansfield, Texas, and we are talking about the biblical nature of confessionalism, and if you have a question, do it, send it in immediately because we're rapidly running out of time.
ChrisArnsinitgmail .com. Dr. Runahan, I want you to make sure that you summarize what you most want etched in the hearts and minds of our listeners about the biblical nature of confessionalism.
Before we run out of time today. Yeah, thank you, Chris. I would say that it's important for Chris to speak of the importance of simply reciting. I have mentioned a couple. If anyone is interested, they can go to irbsseminary .org, and that's IRBS, and you can find on that page that I mentioned before, the creedal imperative, very carefully.
We have B .B. in Carmelin County,.
Pennsylvania, who says, don't you think it is important that confessionalist Christians, when they are evangelizing the lost, that they do not appeal to a confession in the way that they would appeal to the Bible and confuse people thinking that there is some extra biblical text where we get the authority of our beliefs from?
I understand that in a congregation or denomination or fellowship where people within that group are straying from the truths that were once agreed upon and held in high esteem, a confession is something that would immediately be referred to to correct those in error, but when we are evangelizing the lost, isn't there a different.
Approach that we need to take? Well, you're right. The approach that we ought to take...
And before we go off the air, I know that you have something that you're conducting I believe on the website of IRBS Seminary. It's called Dr. James Renahan. Live with listeners pass August 22nd through the 23rd.
If you could tell our listeners about that.
Yeah, that's a course that I'll be teaching. There'll be 13 hours of lecture over two days. So this will be live-streamed? Yes, it'll be live-streamed, yeah.
Great. And that's IRBSSeminary .org. IRBSSeminary .org. And as your ad says, two S's in the middle because very often people leave out a letter if they are back-to-back in a website. Yeah. Well, it has been such a joy having you on the program again, Dr. Renahan.
I look forward to your return to Iron Trip and Zion Radio in the near future and often. And I also look forward to interviewing as many of your faculty as desire to be on the program. Please make sure you spread the word to your faculty at IRBS Seminary.
And I want to once again thank our listeners, especially those that took the time to write in questions today. And I want to remind you that this coming Friday, June 7th, we have Jeff Thomas returning to Iron Trip and Zion Radio discussing the Ministry of Encouragement.
Of course, we are on every day, Monday through Friday, but I just thought I'd highlight Jeff Thomas since most Reformed Baptists know exactly who he is. I hope that you all have a safe and blessed evening, and I hope that you all always remember for the rest of your lives that Jesus Christ is a far greater Savior than you are a sinner.
Don't forget about Dr. Renahan's book, True Love, Understanding the Real Meaning of Christian Love, available at CVBBS .com. CVBBS .com available absolutely free if you purchase anything for any amount that will be shipped to you along with your order.
God bless, and thanks again for listening to Iron Trip and Zion Radio.
Thanks, Chris.