What is the Reformed Idea of Wisdom?
When Christians hear the word Reformed, they probably (hopefully) think of God’s sovereignty (if our tribe’s beloved internet know-it-alls don’t come to mind first). Of course there is much more to Reformed theology than the doctrine of God’s rule over all things, but the doctrine is a prominent belief in the tradition. And it’s a helpful starting place for us here. Because God actively rules this world and everything in it (including me!), therefore living wisely involves walking with this God in my actual lived experience. It is the place where doctrine gets busy.
The Reformed doctrine of God’s sovereignty gets busy in our lives every day. Wisdom recognizes this and acts accordingly. To be wise is to have a radically Christ-centered view of creation. This puts absolutely everything in its proper orbit around the central Star of the whole system, Jesus Christ. I can interact with all things well if I see them as they relate to him. He made this place and the things and people in it. They are to me expressions of him, and opportunities to know and serve him more. They are his messengers to me, both the pleasure and pains of this life. Wisdom is not found in cutting myself off from this world, but in learning to interact with it and the things in it rightly. This is wisdom, to walk with God in his world.
What Do Sermons Do?
Sermons. We are familiar with them as the central event of corporate worship. But why? What makes them so important? What do sermons even do?
They Teach Us
Sermons help us understand what the Bible says, which is to say, they teach us what God says. Your weekly Lord’s Day sermon ought to give you doctrine and truth and applications to think about. A good sermon will also help you better understand the passage that was preached. But that is not the only thing sermons do.
They Make Us Grow
How do sermons make us grow as Christians? By making our faith stronger. Sermons are faith workouts. As God’s word is being declared to us, we welcome it by faith in the moment of preaching. And as we do so, God uses his word to make our trust in him stronger by giving it something to exercise on, namely, Jesus and his many promises to us. We take this strengthened faith with us, even if we can’t remember everything that was said in the sermon. Because my faith is now stronger, it makes trusting God in my life a little more intuitive. And that is growth.
If you are sitting under nourishing sermons on a regular basis, be encouraged that you are growing, even if you can’t always tell.
The Reformed Doctrine of Church Buildings
“The church is not a building.” It’s a popular evangelical adage. And I amen it. We the people are indeed the church. But we are only the church when we are the church, if you catch my drift. The Greek word behind “church” means “assembly,” and we are the church when we assemble together before our triune God every Lord’s Day. And where do we do that? Well, if we’re so blessed, we do that in a building.
The Protestant Reformation rejected the outward pomp of the Roman Catholic Church. It is often assumed that this included the outward beauty of its church buildings. Yet, while both Luther and Calvin rejected the ceremonial extravagance of Rome, they spent their lives preaching in beautiful church buildings. The simplicity of our gospel worship ought to be, whenever possible, reflected in the simplicity of our meeting places. But, avoiding extravagance, it is a blessing to worship God together in well-designed and lovely meeting places.
Where our local churches are financially enabled, let them provide beautiful worship spaces for the children of God.
What is the Reformed Doctrine of Air Conditioning?
Some have asked how we can believe in magic…or more to the point, in God…when we live in a world cooled by air conditioning. Has not modern man found out all the secrets of the universe? Has he not uncovered the truth that there is no supernatural, and there is no God, but only particles and elements and atoms and electrons? After all, he has harnessed the power of electricity to ice out indoor spaces even in the very heat of summer. Is there any mystery left?
The Fall and the Fall
Fall swooped in to save ancient (pre-1900s) man from the plight of that heat which slays. The cooling breeze of autumn was as the atmosphere of heaven itself come down. But another Fall is what brought the heat (and the cold) in the first place. Sin ruined much good. So now we bear the elements as a living picture of the soul-scorching (or bone-chilling) heinousness of sin.
The Reformed Doctrine of AC
But oh, what a time to be alive! Through the scientific advances of our species we have attained to the glorious helps of modern living. There is much good left in this creation, as a testimony to God’s own goodness, and he has allowed modern humanity to harvest much more of it than ever before. The other-worldly powers of electricity bear witness to God as much as the mysteries of old did.
This God has orchestrated human history so as to place each of us where—and when—we are. So let us use the modern advantages we have, not to ignore God and the supernatural, but to make him known all the more. Because of Christ we can enjoy lovely air conditioned spaces even as we battle principalities and powers unseen.
What is the Reformed Doctrine of Parachurch Ministry?
American Christianity is largely dominated by parachurch ministries. This is overwhelmingly true if we take into account the countless megachurches which are more parachurch than local church.
THE REFORMED DOCTRINE OF PARACHURCH
Parachurches are good when they serve needs that local churches can’t. They’re especially useful in the field of missions, broad evangelism, specialized mercy ministry, the academic training of ministers, the publishing of books, and the roasting of coffees (not to mention the brewing of ales and the smoking of pipe-weed). Parachurches can be extremely helpful in providing supplemental teaching resources to Christians who are plugged into local church bodies.
when keeping It para goes wrong
Parachurch ministry has become unbiblical when it seeks to supplant the local church. This happens when funds that would otherwise go to local churches are drawn away and given to parachurches instead. This also happens when parachurch teachers are accorded more authority in a Christian’s life than their own pastors. Historically, this wasn’t as much of a problem, because local church ministers served in parachurch ministries while remaining local church ministers, thus bringing balance to the Force.
in conclusion
Parachurches can serve vital roles in connecting Christians from a broad range of local church backgrounds to serve together in common cause. They are blessed when they posture themselves with deference to the highest spiritual authority on earth, Christ’s local assembly, and seek to serve her.
What is the Reformed Doctrine of Sanctification?
Christians are saved by faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ. But once they become believers, they begin the process of becoming more and more holy. This process is called sanctification.
Sanctified by Faith or by Works?
We are saved by faith. But what about sanctification? Isn’t that accomplished by our efforts of obedience? Many would say so. But our obedience is the expression of this change; the change itself happens by faith. In other words, we are sanctified by the gospel. It is by beholding Jesus Christ in the gospel that we are transformed from one degree of glory to the next (2 Cor 3:12-4:6). This is why Satan opposes, above all else, our simple trust in Jesus. For that is how we grow mighty in grace.
A Reformed Doctrine
This way of seeing sanctification is consistent with Reformed theology. God is the One who saves us; he is also the One who changes us. He doesn’t justify and then leave the rest to us. It is all gospel work through and through. “Holiness,” writes John Owen, “is nothing but the implanting, writing, and realizing of the gospel in our souls.”
Fill your soul with the good news of salvation today.
What is the Reformed Doctrine of Discipleship?
Modern Christians tend to think of discipleship as a one-on-one thing. It certainly can be, but discipleship mainly happens in groups.
The Reformed Doctrine of Discipleship
Reformed theology emphasizes the sovereignty of God in all things, especially in his grace to undeserving sinners. But once he saves them, his sovereign grace toward them does not stop. It is dispensed to his children through the ordinary means of grace.
These means of grace form the center of the Reformed concept of discipleship. For we remain the disciples of Christ. It is he who disciples us, and he does it through local church communities and the ordinances of the gospel which are dispensed there.
How to Know You are Being Discipled
If you are a member of a healthy local church, you are being discipled. If you sit under the preaching of the word, you are being discipled. If you have elders who encourage you in your faith and correct your sin, you are being discipled. If you fellowship with Christians, you are being discipled. It’s really that simple.
place yourself in the means of God’s grace by joining a local community of Christians ASAP.
What is Natural Revelation?
Natural revelation (or general revelation) is the doctrine that God reveals himself through the natural creation. He speaks through his world and through all the marvelous creatures that inhabit it, especially human beings.
The Reformed Doctrine of Natural Revelation
God speaks to mankind every day through the world he has made, making himself known to every man, woman, and child. He is evident in all things, displaying his wisdom, power, and goodness. This is why the lost are without excuse, namely, because they are rebelling against the God they know exists. When they sin, they know whose laws they break, even if they’ve never heard a word of the Bible. That’s because God has made his existence and righteous standards known to everyone, everywhere. There are no honest atheists.
How does this help Christians?
It’s easy to see how this doctrine is useful in evangelism. But it is also good teaching for the Christian life. The revelation of God is all around us. We are constantly in contact with the knowledge of him. “What is natural revelation?” you ask. Allow me to answer in the words of Mr. Tumnus. As he stood beside the lamppost with Lucy Pevensie, she asked him what Narnia was. “Well,” he said, “you’re in it.” We live our lives within natural revelation. In fact, we ourselves are God’s revelation to one another (are we not his image bearers?).
The world around us and the gifts and people with which it is filled are full of the kindness and love of God. Let us enjoy his good gifts and, through them, enjoy the great Giver himself.
What are the Means of Grace?
According to Reformed theology, the means of grace are the golden pipes through which the grace of God flows to needy sinners like us. They are the channels, or pathways, of his spiritual goodness.
The Reformed DOctrine of the Means of Grace
So what are these means of grace? The word, prayer, and the sacraments (we see this most explicitly in Acts 4:42). We receive grace through the word when we hear preaching with faith, read with a trusting attitude, sing God’s truth together, and fellowship with each other in Christ. We receive grace through prayer when we lift our souls to God, especially when we pray with one another. We receive grace through sacrament when we are baptized, and when we take the Lord’s supper together.
The Reformed practice of the Means of Grace
Put this knowledge into practice immediately. Hover about the word of God. Fellowship with other believers this week. Pray often to your Father in heaven. But most of all, show up on Sunday. Show up with faith. Show up with expectation. By all means ready thyself for serious feasting on unbelievable portions of grace for your soul. For what are the means of grace if not the paths upon which the Lord of wonders walks with the people he loves?
God Bless the Dragon Warriors
In the 2008 hit film Kung Fu Panda, the Dragon Warrior was a prophesied hero who would bring peace to the valley. When a great threat arose, Master Oogway proceeded to select the chosen one. As he motioned toward the fierce warrior Tigress, a panda dropped out of the sky (there is a backstory here involving noodle carts and fireworks) and right in front of Oogway’s pointing finger.
“The Universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior!” was the master’s surprising reaction. Scoffed at and questioned by everyone around him, Oogway’s words proved shockingly true as the rather rotund panda turned out to possess the exact qualities needed to defeat the incoming enemy. Needless to say, he was much cooler than expected.
Putting aside that unwizardly nonsense about the universe choosing anything at all, let alone fierce furry fighting phenoms, the illustration is helpful for believers. For in the same way, God has put his chosen people, and his chosen places, into our lives. Perhaps you feel unfortunate in your circle of friends and fellowship. They may not be the folks, or fields, you would choose. You may question God’s wisdom, or whether he cares at all. Who knows, they may even seem like total mistakes. God have mercy on us for ever thinking so. The only mistake possible would be us choosing our own warriors and ways.