Reformed Thinking

Deep Dive into Christian Theology by Millard J. Erickson - Recent Issues regarding the Holy Spirit Recent theological discussions on the Holy Spirit have seen a resurgence of interest, often influenced by postmodernism's emphasis on subjective experience. This has led to diverse interpretations regarding prophecy, science, other world religions, and other spiritual entities. One area is the co...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Love Your Enemies - Do Good to Those Who Hate You, Give to the One Who Asks Jesus's teachings emphasize a radical form of love, particularly towards enemies. This means actively doing good to those who hate you , extending beyond social circles to practical helpfulness, mirroring God's impartial mercy. Even simple gestures like greeti...

The name Yahweh-Jireh , appearing only once in Genesis 22:14, literally translates to "The LORD will see," but idiomatically signifies that God not only perceives a need but actively provides for it. This concept originates from Abraham's supreme test on Mount Moriah, where God commanded him to sacrifice Isaac. At the pivotal moment, God intervened, providing a ram as a substitutionary offering "i...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Love Your Enemies - Pray for Those Who Abuse You The core of Jesus's command is to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you . This isn't a sentimental love, but a robust one that paradoxically must include hating the evil that destroys the beloved . This hatred is not personal vindictiveness but a moral repugnance for wi...

Deep Dive into Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - We Must Lift Up Our Minds to God's Judgment Seat That We May Be Firmly Convinced of His Free Justification Self-love profoundly impairs human judgment, particularly in assessing one's own righteousness and understanding God's perfect judgment. It acts as a "pestilent self-indulgence" that is inherent in huma...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Love Your Enemies - Lead Them to the Truth Love's very essence and foundation is truth . The sources emphatically state that "True doctrine is the root of love," emphasizing that genuine love cannot exist or thrive apart from it. It's akin to the inseparable relationship between fruit and its root, or a house and its foundat...

Deep Dive into Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards - I Shall Consider Christian Practice and Holy Life, as a Manifestation and Sign of the Sincerity of a Professing Christian, to the Eye of His Neighbors and Brethren Practice assures our conscience by providing a direct and immediate internal witness to the genuineness of our godliness , stemming from the exertions and acts of the soul that g...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Your Righteousness Must Exceed That of the Pharisees, for Every Healthy Tree Bears Good Fruit The central teaching emphasizes that genuine righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees , shifting focus from outward compliance to purity of heart . This profound internal state means supremely treasuring God in Jesus , ensuring that nothing di...

Deep Dive into Assurance by Charles Spurgeon - Full Assurance A Christian's strength is fundamentally rooted in full assurance of their salvation . This unwavering conviction that God is their God and sure salvation empowers them in every aspect of their spiritual life. It is the primary source of their vigor , enabling them to be strong in laboring for God, bold in fighting against their spir...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Your Righteousness Must Exceed That of the Pharisees - Clean the Inside of the Cup The sources present a profound contrast between the superficial "righteousness" of the Pharisees and the true righteousness Jesus demands. The Pharisees focused meticulously on outward appearances, cleaning "the outside of the cup and the plate&q...

Deep Dive into Matthew Poole’s Commentary on the Holy Bible, Volumes 1–3 - Psalm 5 Psalm 5 offers a profound insight into David's prayer life, God's character, and the stark contrast between the righteous and the wicked. David composes this psalm in great distress, likely from adversaries like Saul or Absalom , expressing a deeply personal and heartfelt appeal to God . He calls his prayer...

Deep Dive into אֹ֫פֶל ʾō·p̄ěl is a Hebrew masculine noun fundamentally meaning darkness or gloom, often specifically thick darkness. It is consistently described as a poetic word, appearing exclusively in poetic contexts like Job, Psalms, and Isaiah. Grammatically, it is always used in its absolute form. Its semantic root is linked to "dusk," conveying a sense of obscurity or privacy. Li...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Your Righteousness Must Exceed That of the Pharisees, for It Was Hypocritical and Ugly The Pharisees, a prominent group of Jewish scholars and meticulous enforcers of the Mosaic law, were characterized by a profound hypocrisy that revealed their hearts were far from God . Instead of treasuring God, they harbored deep affections for three prim...

Deep Dive into Physical Attractiveness Stereotype The church actively counters cultural hierarchies, especially those based on physical appearance, by providing a living, breathing counter-narrative to every false hierarchy that sin erects . It directly challenges the cultural caste system built on facial symmetry and body type . One primary way is through baptism, which levels the ground , drowni...

Deep Dive into How to Rebuild Ukraine after War The foundational principle for Ukraine's national reconstruction is that spiritual and moral renewal fundamentally underpins all other efforts . The sources emphasize that the rebuilding of physical infrastructure, the economy, and governance must flow from a deeper, internal transformation of the nation's heart, rooted in faith and the &quot...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Strive to Enter through the Narrow Door, for You Are Already in the Kingdom's Power A true follower of Jesus gains eternal life primarily by hearing Jesus's word and believing Him who sent Jesus . This act of trust means they have eternal life now , having passed from death to life and being spared from judgment. This present reality...

Deep Dive into Determiners in the English Bible Determiners are critically important for theology because these "miniature" words function as "theological load-bearers" and "grammatical gatekeepers" that profoundly impact interpretation, doctrinal understanding, and the faithful handling of Scripture . They decide crucial distinctions, such as "whether we speak o...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Strive to Enter through the Narrow Door, for Jesus Fulfills the New Covenant The New Covenant is written primarily on the hearts of God's people , symbolizing an internalization of His laws rather than an external set of commands. This covenant, inaugurated by Jesus's blood, promises both the forgiveness of sins and the transformative...

Deep Dive into Christian Theology by Millard J. Erickson - The Work of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit, often called "the Spirit of God" in the Old Testament, has a diverse and pervasive role in God's activity across all eras, from creation to the present day. In the Old Testament, the Spirit was active in creation , "hovering over the waters," and in giving prophecy and Sc...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Strive to Enter through the Narrow Door, for All of Life Is War Jesus' command to "strive to enter through the narrow door" (Luke 13:24) signifies an intense, continuous, and all-encompassing battle for one's soul. The Greek word agōnizesthe implies struggle, wrestling, and agonizing effort, comparing entry into the Kingdom...

Deep Dive into God as El Gibbor The concept of El Gibbor , or "Mighty God," undergoes a profound and dynamic evolution across biblical periods, progressively revealing God’s invincible power, ultimately culminating in Jesus Christ. Its earliest echoes are in the proto-evangelium of Genesis 3:15 , introducing a "war motif" where a Seed will crush the serpent. This divine warrior...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Do the Will of My Father Who Is in Heaven - Be Transformed by Trusting Jesus Jesus profoundly transformed the understanding and application of Old Testament law by fulfilling it rather than abolishing it . This meant that while the Law and the Prophets were not done away with, their original use changed dramatically with Jesus's arrival,...

Deep Dive into Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - Justification by Faith: First the Definition of the Word and of the Matter Calvin's doctrine of justification by faith, as presented in the sources, asserts that humanity is declared righteous before God solely through faith and God's pure mercy , completely apart from human works or merit . This faith righteousness is fu...

Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Do the Will of My Father Who Is in Heaven - Be Justified by Trusting Jesus To enter the kingdom of heaven and inherit eternal life, external conformity to God's laws is not enough ; a deeper, internal transformation and reliance on Jesus are required. Jesus taught that perfection is the non-negotiable standard, but human beings cannot ach...

Deep Dive into Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards - Gracious and Holy Affections Have Their Exercise and Fruit in Christian Practice Holy practice, as the exercise and fruit of genuine spiritual affections, is a chief distinguishing sign of true and saving grace . It encompasses three essential aspects that reveal a transformed nature within a Christian. First, Universal Obedience demands th...