Reformed Thinking

Deep Dive into The Will of God and the Gospel Offer by Jonathan Edwards God, when considered in an absolute and simple sense, profoundly loves virtue and the happiness of His creature . This means that holiness and the happiness of the creature , viewed in isolation from any broader context or overarching divine plan, are inherently agreeable to the inclination of God's nature and are things H...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Let Your Light Shine before Others That They May Glorify Your Father Who Is in Heaven Jesus's ultimate aim and first passion is the manifest holiness of God , which is synonymous with God's glory . This is revealed in His command to pray, "Hallowed be your name," signifying a desire for God to "show yourself holy."...

Deep Dive into Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Substitution (Romans 6:8-11) by Charles Spurgeon Jesus's ongoing and eternal life after His resurrection provides numerous profound and comforting benefits to believers, serving as a foundational anchor for their faith and offering immense consolation. One of the most significant benefits is His continuous intercession and advocacy . Jesus actively...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Do This in Remembrance of Me - Baptize Disciples and Eat the Lord's Supper When a brother or sister demonstrates persistent, unrepented sin , Jesus provides specific guidelines for how to handle the situation, commonly referred to as church discipline . This process is designed to be a careful, loving, patient discipline that aims to rest...

Deep Dive into Horae Homileticae Vol. 5: Psalms, I–LXXII by Charles Simeon - Psalm 4 The greatest good is identified as the sense of the Divine favor , and this is intrinsically linked to true happiness , which is found in God alone. While humanity universally seeks "good" in diverse worldly pursuits like wealth, power, and sensual gratification, these endeavors are described as "br...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Do This in Remembrance of Me, for I Will Build My Church Jesus, recognizing there would be a significant period between his first and second coming when he would be physically absent from his "flock," made crucial provisions to ensure his church's continued vitality and mission . He explicitly promised, " I will build my ch...

Deep Dive into חזה The concept of "seeing" in these texts, primarily expressed by the Hebrew verb חָזָה (ḥāzâ) , carries profound linguistic and theological implications that extend well beyond mere physical perception. Unlike the more general verb רָאָה (rāʾâ) , ḥāzâ is predominantly poetic and denotes a deeper, more intentional act of beholding, often likened to "schauen." Li...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Render to Caesar the Things That Are Caesar's as an Act of Rendering to God What Is God's Love demands resistance when passive compliance would be unloving, harmful to others, or make one an active accomplice to evil , moving beyond mere personal suffering. While Jesus taught principles of non-resistance like turning the other cheek,...

Deep Dive into The Chaff Driven Away (Psalm 1:4) by Charles Spurgeon Charles Spurgeon's sermon "The Chaff Driven Away" defines the "ungodly" beyond overt sinners or scoffers, including those who are outwardly religious but lack a genuine, constant relationship with God – not trusting, loving, or serving Him in daily life. Spurgeon outlines their grim fate in three parts: A...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Render to Caesar the Things That Are Caesar's and to God the Things That Are God's Jesus possesses absolute and supreme authority , encompassing both heaven and earth, and extending over all earthly powers, including Caesar. This is fundamentally established by his post-resurrection declaration: " All authority in heaven and on e...

Deep Dive into How to Rebuild Ukraine's Economy after War Ukraine faces unprecedented devastation from the full-scale invasion, with a ten-year reconstruction bill estimated at US $524 billion , nearly triple its projected 2024 GDP. Housing, energy, transport, and agriculture have suffered the deepest wounds, with significant infrastructure damage and a severe humanitarian crisis marked by mil...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - What God Has Joined Together Let No Man Separate - One Man, One Woman, by Grace, Till Death Jesus's teachings profoundly redefined expectations surrounding marriage and singleness, challenging traditional views with radical standards. His disciples were bewildered by how strict his standards were for marriage, noting that if there was &qu...

Deep Dive into Verbs in the English Bible Understanding verbs is a ministry multiplier that significantly impacts nearly every aspect of congregational life, weaving grammatical attentiveness into daily rhythms. In pulpit exegesis and sermon preparation , pastors use verb-centric diagrams to identify God’s actions, purposes, human responses, and tones. This approach safeguards sermons from being m...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - What God Has Joined Together Let No Man Separate, for Whoever Divorces and Marries Another Commits Adultery Jesus set a significantly higher standard for marital faithfulness than Moses or the Jewish teachers of his day. He did not affirm the permission for divorce found in Deuteronomy 24, stating that Moses allowed it "owing to the hard...

Deep Dive into Christian Theology by Millard J. Erickson - Conceptions of Salvation Secular theology offers a distinct view of salvation, fundamentally rejecting the traditional understanding that salvation involves removal from the world and supernatural grace from God . It emerged in the twentieth century as cultural views on God's role shifted due to scientific explanations and humanity&#39...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - What God Has Joined Together Let No Man Separate, for Marriage Mirrors God's Covenant with Us The devastation of divorce is depicted as a profoundly painful and far-reaching experience, often causing more emotional distress than the death of a spouse . This suffering is not fleeting; it can be prolonged for "long years" through...

Deep Dive into God as Yahweh-Rapha The concept of "Yahweh-Rapha," meaning "the LORD who heals you," is comprehensively understood as divine healing that extends far beyond mere physical recovery. First revealed at Marah when God transformed bitter water into sweet, it established His ongoing, characteristic role as the only true Physician . The Hebrew verb rāp̱āʾ , meaning &quo...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Do Not Take an Oath - Let What You Say Be Simply Yes or No When the high priest adjured Jesus during his trial, demanding to know if he was the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus responded, "You have said so." This seemingly simple phrase held profound significance, aligning perfectly with his earlier command, "Let what you say be s...

Deep Dive into Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - Two Things To Be Noted in Free Justification Humanity inherently owes God undiminished glory and praise , along with the recognition of His exclusive righteousness and our complete accountability and submission to Him. However, man often glories against God, which is seen as a direct affront. This happens when individuals claim a...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Do Not Take an Oath - Cherish the Truth and Speak It Simply Truth is considered precious beyond imagination because human lives fundamentally depend on it every single day . Whether it's knowing if water is safe to drink, trusting marriage vows, or correctly hearing emergency calls, truth is essential for survival and well-being. Even ind...

Deep Dive into Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards - Secondly, I Proceed to Show, That Christian Practice, Taken in the Sense That Has Been Explained, Is the Chief of All the Evidences of a Saving Sincerity in Religion, to the Consciences of the Professors of It; Much to Be Preferred to the Method of the First Convictions, Enlightenings, and Comforts in Conversion, or Any Immanent Discoveries...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Lay Up for Yourselves Treasures in Heaven - It Is Your Father's Good Pleasure to Give You the Kingdom The phrase "little flock" used by Jesus is a term of affection and care , assuring His followers that despite their smallness or weakness, God's power and love will protect them because they are precious. It also emphasizes...

Deep Dive into Assurance by Charles Spurgeon - Helps to Full Assurance Charles Spurgeon explains that the Apostle John's primary purpose in writing his epistle was to help believers know that they have eternal life . John's style is simple and practical, not designed for speculation, but to lead "all those who believe on the name of the Son of God" into the assured knowledge of t...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Lay Up for Yourselves Treasures in Heaven and Increase Your Joy in Jesus Jesus's teachings present two significant claims regarding wealth and eternal destiny. First, a selfish spirit will keep individuals out of heaven . This is demonstrated through several parables and encounters. For example, the rich ruler's inability to part with...

Deep Dive into Joy, Joy for Ever (Psalm 5:11) by Charles Spurgeon Believers are called to be profoundly joyful, a state that is not merely an option but a divine command and a reasonable response to their relationship with God. This joy is a permit from God, allowing them to be "as happy as ever they like," and a precept, making happiness a duty . It is also a prayer that God inspires an...