Theological term
Polemical Theology
3 sermons · All terms
Genesis 1:1-2
Genesis 1:1–2 demands that the people of God hold tenaciously to the doctrine of creation, because what is affirmed or denied there reverberates through the whole of Scripture and Christian ethics. This study surveys the doctrine of creation through the lens of 1689 LBCF chapter 4, paragraph 1, examining the time, author, purpose, and scope of God's creative act, before turning to the precise structure of Genesis 1:1–2 and the arguments for six-day creation. The session closes with two applications: maintaining the aseity and immutability of God, and preserving the Creator-creature distinction against any notion that God is merely the most excellent member of a chain of being.
The Defense of the Faith
Jude 3 issues a universal call—addressed not to clergy alone but to every believer, the 'beloved'—to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. The sermon works through three movements: the exhortation itself and its five implications, the reason for that exhortation in the apostates of verse 4, and the practical preparedness of the contender outlined in verses 20 and 21. Doctrinal fidelity is not optional maintenance for specialists; it is the privilege and duty of every member of the covenant community, sustained by Scripture reading, prayer, and a constant looking to Christ. The sermon closes with a direct call to the unconverted to flee to the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom alone forgiveness of sins and the imputation of his righteousness are received by faith alone.
The Necessity of Contending for the Faith
Jude 3 commands every believer — not merely theologians or specialists — to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. This sermon expounds the command itself, the reason Jude gives (the covert infiltration of ungodly apostates who pervert grace and deny Christ), and the threefold means of defense in verses 20–21: building oneself up in the holy faith through Scripture, praying in the Holy Spirit, and living in hopeful expectation of Christ's return. The sermon closes by urging that contention be conducted with Christian charity, humility, and freedom from pride, in keeping with the pattern of the apostles and the Lord Jesus himself.