Reformed Thinking

Deep Dive into God the Best Portion of the Christian (Psalm 73:25) by Jonathan Edwards Jonathan Edwards’s sermon, based on Psalm 73:25, asserts that a truly godly person prefers God above all other things in both heaven and earth. The believer’s heart is fixed on heaven primarily because it is the dwelling place of God, where they can perfectly love and enjoy Him. Edwards explains that if heaven w...

Deep Dive into The Moody Handbook of Theology, Revised and Expanded by Paul Enns - Ecclesiology: Doctrine of the Church The Christian church, originating from the Greek word ekklesia which translates to a called-out group, encompasses both local geographical assemblies and the universal body of all Spirit-baptized believers in the present age. It is a unique New Testament entity that officially be...

Deep Dive into The Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon - Psalm 117 Psalm 117 is recognized as both the shortest chapter in the Scriptures and the central portion of the entire Bible. Despite its very brief length, the Psalm contains immense spiritual depth and acts as a universal call for all of mankind to praise the Lord. Commentators suggest it was likely used as a short hymn for various occas...

Deep Dive into A Dissertation Concerning The End For Which God Created The World by Jonathan Edwards - The Scriptures Represent God as Making Himself His Own Last Ends in the Creation of the World and Wherein Some Positions Are Advanced Concerning a Just Method of Arguing in This Affair, from What We Find in the Holy Scriptures Jonathan Edwards argues that the Scriptures consistently portray God a...

Deep Dive into Biblical Missions: Principles, Priorities, and Practices by Mark Tatlock and Christ Burnett - Difficult-to-Access Ministry Trips: Principles from the Alaskan Bush The remote Alaskan bush, consisting of around two-hundred fifty isolated villages, presents significant geographical and emotional challenges for missionary work. For over two decades, Grace Christian School has addressed...

Deep Dive into Jesus, the Eternal Son of God The identity of Jesus Christ as truly God and the eternal Son of God is the foundational truth of the Christian faith. Scripture consistently places Jesus within the strict framework of Old Testament monotheism, revealing that the one God of Israel has always existed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Old Testament prepares for this revelation through...

Deep Dive into עֵץ The Hebrew word ʿēṣ, occurring approximately 330 times in the Old Testament, is a masculine noun primarily translated as tree or wood. Originating from a common Semitic root associated with firmness, it has cognates in several ancient languages, including Akkadian, Ugaritic, Aramaic, and Arabic. The term encompasses a wide semantic range. In its natural context, ʿēṣ refers to in...

Deep Dive into δίκαιος The Greek word family centering on "dikaios" (righteous or just) and its derivatives like "dikaiosyne" (righteousness) and "dikaioo" (to justify) undergoes a profound evolution from classical Greek to New Testament theology. Originally rooted in "dike," which denotes custom, order, or a legal decision, the classical Greco-Roman underst...

Deep Dive into From Veil to Glory: New Covenant Freedom and Transformation (2 Corinthians 3:16–18) In 2 Corinthians 3:16–18, the Apostle Paul presents a profound contrast between the fading, veiled administration of the Old Covenant and the permanent, transformative glory of the New Covenant. The passage explains that a veil of spiritual blindness and moral incapacity covers the human heart, preve...

Deep Dive into What God Has Joined Together: Christ’s Restoration of Marriage (Matthew 19:1–9) In Matthew 19:1-9, the Pharisees attempt to trap Jesus by asking if a man can lawfully divorce his wife for any cause. Their question reveals a pragmatic rebellion, as they sought legal loopholes to accommodate their autonomy and treat marriage as a disposable contract rather than a sacred bond. Jesus re...

Deep Dive into Fear, Prayer, and Providence: Jacob’s Crisis (Genesis 32:1–23) Genesis 32:1-23 depicts Jacob's tense return to the Promised Land, where he must confront his estranged brother Esau, whom he previously deceived. God initially reassures Jacob by revealing an angelic host at Mahanaim, demonstrating divine providence and protection over his journey. However, upon learning that Esau i...

Deep Dive into Justified in Christ (Romans 4:5) by Jonathan Edwards In his theological commentary on Romans 4:5, Jonathan Edwards argues that individuals are never justified before God by any inherent goodness, personal righteousness, or excellent qualifications of their own. Instead, salvation and justification are entirely dependent upon a specific, profound relationship or union between the bel...

Deep Dive into A Dissertation on Divine Justice by John Owen - The origin of human sacrifices — Their use among the Jews, Assyrians, Germans, Goths, the inhabitants of Marseilles, the Normans, the Francs, the Tyrians, the Egyptians, and the ancient Gauls — Testimonies of Cicero and Cæsar that they were used among the Britons and Romans by the Druids — A fiction of Apion concerning the worship in t...

Deep Dive into The Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon - Psalm 116 Psalm 116 is a profound song of thanksgiving that forms part of the Paschal Hallel, blending the commemoration of Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage with a deeply personal testimony of salvation. The text presents a threefold engagement of the Psalmist: a commitment to prayer fueled by God's past deliverances, a d...

Deep Dive into A Dissertation Concerning The End For Which God Created The World by Jonathan Edwards - Some Objections Considered, Which May be Made against the Reasonableness of What Has Been Said of God Making Himself His Last End Jonathan Edwards addresses four main objections to the doctrine that God created the world with Himself as His ultimate goal. The first objection suggests that if God...

Deep Dive into Biblical Missions: Principles, Priorities, and Practices by Mark Tatlock and Christ Burnett - Examining Short-Term Missions in Modern Church History Short-term missions, typically defined as temporary volunteer ministry trips rather than long-term vocational missions, have grown exponentially over the past several decades into a massive movement within the global church. While histo...

Deep Dive into The God of Hope: Joy, Peace, and Abounding Hope (Romans 15:13) Romans 15:13 presents a profound theological framework for Christian hope, emphasizing that true hope originates entirely from the sovereign God rather than human optimism or secular pragmatism. The texts stress that God is the absolute source, ground, and object of this hope, contrasting biblical certainty with the frag...

Deep Dive into Forgiven by the King, Called to Forgive: The Gospel Logic of Mercy (Matthew 18:21–35) In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus corrects the natural human tendency to set strict, mathematical limits on mercy. When Peter asks if he should forgive an offender seven times, Jesus rejects this bookkeeping mentality entirely, teaching that citizens of God's kingdom must forgive without calculation....

Deep Dive into The Boundary of Providence and the Heap of Witness: The Covenant at Galeed (Genesis 31:43–55) Genesis 31:43-55 concludes a long history of manipulation and exploitation between Jacob and Laban. Although Laban arrogantly claims ownership over Jacob's family and flocks, his actual power to harm Jacob has been entirely curtailed by God's providential intervention. Consequently,...

Deep Dive into Exhortation to Escape Hell by Jonathan Edwards Jonathan Edwards warns of the grave foolishness displayed by most of humanity, as people routinely trade the salvation of their souls for fleeting earthly pleasures, temporary wealth, and momentary honor. He observes that individuals of all ages, from careless youths to the elderly, live in perilous complacency, seemingly unaware that t...

Deep Dive into The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans by R. C. H. Lenski - Romans 1 In his Epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul begins with an expanded salutation, introducing himself as a slave of Jesus Christ who is set apart to proclaim God's gospel. Addressing the Roman Christians as called saints who are beloved by God, he offers them grace and peace while establishing...

Deep Dive into The Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon - Psalm 115 Psalm 115 serves as an earnest plea from the Israelites for God to vindicate His own honor and name in the face of heathen mockery. Sung during the Passover, the psalm reflects Israel's desire for God to demonstrate His power, not for their own merit, but to prove His mercy and truth to nations who taunt them by asking, &quot...

Deep Dive into A Dissertation Concerning The End For Which God Created The World by Jonathan Edwards - Wherein It Is Considered How, on the Supposition of God's Making the Aforementioned Things His Last End, He Manifests a Supreme and Ultimate Regard to Himself in all His Works Jonathan Edwards argues that God’s ultimate purpose in creating the world is to glorify himself, which perfectly alig...

Deep Dive into Biblical Missions: Principles, Priorities, and Practices by Mark Tatlock and Christ Burnett - Short-Term Ministries, Not Short-Term Missions Short-term ministries involve sending church members to another location for one to six weeks to perform ministry tasks. While increasingly popular, especially among teenagers, these trips raise valid concerns regarding their cost, effectivenes...

Deep Dive into Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - Scripture, to Correct All Superstition, Has Set the True God Alone over Against All the Gods of the Heathen John Calvin asserts that while the knowledge of God is evident throughout the created universe, it is more vividly and intimately revealed within his written Word. Scripture provides a clear index for understanding God as t...