WCF 10: Of Effectual Calling
Salvation is like a treasure that becomes more precious to us the better we understand it. One way of better understanding our salvation is to study what theologians call the…
William Boekestein
William Boekestein (M.Div., Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary) is the pastor of Covenant Reformed Church in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. He has authored several books including Ulrich Zwingli, and Why Christ Came.
WCF 9: Of Free Will
It’s a common objection to the doctrine of particular redeeming grace: What about free will? With a free will can’t we desire God, and decide to follow him on our…
WCF 8: Of Christ the Mediator
One complaint against theology is that it complicates simple matters. Do we really need doctrine if we believe the Bible and trust Jesus? Might we not lose our first love…
WCF 7 | Of God’s Covenant with Man
Every relationship needs definition. Without clear terms we are unsure how to interact with each other. Marriage is a good example of how definitions aid relationships. Upon marriage an otherwise…
WCF 6: Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof
One of the first questions friends ask parents of newborns is, “Does she look like mom or dad?” Often it’s hard to say; kids inherit traits from both their parents.…
WCF Chapter 5 | Of Providence
God “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11). We study God’s decree—his eternal plan—to grapple with his sovereign foreknowledge. We reflect on God’s providence—his working…
WCF Chapter 4 | Of Creation
Have you ever told someone, “I must have missed the first part of your story. I don’t understand”? Without a context most stories lose meaning. So it is with the…
WCF Chapter 3: Of God’s Eternal Decree
When studying God one quickly has to answer challenging questions. How far does God’s authority extend? How much of what happens in this world is God responsible for? For those…
WCF Chapter 2 | Of God, and of the Holy Trinity
Most theological and moral failures can be traced back to a wrong view of God. We charge God with being unfair only if we think he must submit to our…
WCF Chapter 1 | Of the Holy Scripture
If you were going to introduce Christianity to someone where would you begin? You might start with God and his holiness. The first fact is that “there is one simple…
The Westminster Confession: Learning from the Past
Is there any use in studying a summary of Scripture that is pushing 400 years of age? Before answering that question let’s think about what the question supposes and what…
Six Benefits of Studying Church History
Many of us may struggle with the feeling that the church is already too old-fashioned. If so, why should we study church history? Shouldn’t we stop looking backward to the…