Having discussed God’s promises and personal evidences of grace as sources of our assurance, Dr. Joel Beeke now examines the third foundation for assurance: the testimony of the Holy Spirit. In this lesson, we will learn how the Spirit can apply God’s Word directly to the soul, resulting in great assurance. We will also learn how to test whether this experience is truly from God.

Watch the video here: https://bit.ly/3dume7k

God’s promises, inward evidences in the Christian’s life, and the work of the Holy Spirit are the three sources of assurance outlined in Westminster Confession of Faith 18.2. Previously, Dr. Beeke examined the first—God’s promises. In this lesson, he looks at the second—evidences of grace in us—and the Puritan beliefs about the necessity of these subjective evidence as marks of faith in God’s objective promises.

Watch the video here: https://bit.ly/2Wc4Dey

According to The Westminster Confession of Faith 18.2, our assurance comes from three foundational truths: God’s promises, inward evidences in the Christian’s life, and the work of the Holy Spirit. In this lesson, Dr. Joel Beeke examines the divine promises of God and how they provide the Christian with assurance. Watch the video here: https://bit.ly/35F4m6Z

In order to study more fully into the doctrine assurance of faith, we must consider the profound and biblically nuanced way the Puritans dealt with the topic of assurance. In this lesson, Dr. Joel Beeke examines Westminster Confession of Faith 18.1, which many people consider the greatest statement ever written on the subject of assurance. Through this section of the confession and the history behind it, we will further examine the subjects of false assurance and true assurance: https://bit.ly/2L6Wce8

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

The Puritan Conference hosted by Dr. John MacArthur and Dr. Joel Beeke has been rescheduled for October 5-7, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA. Updated conference details to follow soon at http://www.puritanconference.com.

Recently, the world has been turned upside-down due to COVID-19 and the measures taken by governments everywhere to slow the spread of the virus. By all indications, the economic impact on Christian colleges and seminaries throughout North America, in the wake of this pandemic, will be significant and in some cases devastating.

In light of this, the seminary’s executive committee recently assessed the situation and concluded that PRTS is in need of your help. By the grace of God, PRTS has no debt and is able to meet its immediate financial obligations. However, the seminary will need your ongoing support with the Operations Fund, and especially the Scholarship Fund. We need to raise $190,000 for the Scholarship Fund over the next month.

The committee has requested that all departments scrutinize expenditures, limiting them to the bare essentials. The committee will also continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as needed. In an effort to help raise future funds needed to keep the seminary operating, it has just hired Mr. Jeff Holcomb, who resonates with the Reformed experiential emphasis of the seminary and has considerable experience in fund-raising for a Reformed Christian school, as Development Assistant to the President. (We will introduce him in more detail in the next PRTS Update, D.V.)  Mr. Holcomb will work part-time, alongside Dr. Beeke and the Director of Development and Marketing, Mr. Chris Hanna.

The committee would also like to thank its donors and supporting churches for their ongoing partnership in training our students to serve Christ and His church throughout the world. Together, with the Lord’s help, we pray that we may be able to weather the uncertainties associated with this crisis. Your prayers are deeply appreciated.

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After defining assurance and communicating its importance, Dr. Beeke now looks at the reasons why many Christians lack assurance. This lesson breaks down the common misunderstandings about the character of God, His gospel, and salvation. It lists ten reasons why believers question their faith and shows how these reasons run counter to God’s truth. https://bit.ly/2YqP1p3

Last night was PRTS’ graduation. We had 17 graduates from 13 denominations, 7 countries, and 4 continents. It was a good class. Dr. David McWilliams gave a powerful commencement address from Romans 10, exalting the ministry and its centrality in the coming of Christ’s kingdom. I gave a personal charge on faith, hope, and love (1 Cor. 13), and spoke personal words to each graduate—the 8 present for the occasion and 9 listening in who could not attend. It felt odd having only 8 students and 3 faculty present, with hundreds listening via live-streaming, but these are the days in which we live. Pray for these graduates that everyone of them may live godly and fruitful lives, and preach/teach as dying men to dying people of the living Lord of glory.

Many Christians—true followers of Jesus—are missing out on the robust fullness of their faith. This fullness, and all its accompanying fruit, comes from having full assurance of faith. In this lesson, Dr. Beeke defines assurance and explains why it is a crucial part of the Christian life.

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/daily-video/2020/04/23/assurance-defined/#