Reformation Theology Blog
You shall remember the Lord your God,
You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” - Deuteronomy 8:18
Overthrowing the Strongholds of Carnal Presumption
by Anthony Burgess
Let us now consider the proper means to overthrow those strongholds into which the carnally confident man retreats, and what way may be taken to undeceive such a one and set him in the path of salvation.
Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt - Jude 5
Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. Jude 5 (ESV)
Jude 5 is a fascinating textual variant in the New Testament, with significant theological and textual implications. The main issue concerns whether the original text refers to "Jesus" (Ἰησοῦς) or "Lord" (Κύριος) as the one who delivered Israel from Egypt.
Shadow and Substance
A religion of notions is but a shadow; true godliness is engraved upon the heart by the Spirit. This highlights the crucial difference between intellectual assent to Christianity and true, Spirit-wrought godliness. A "religion of notions" refers to a faith that exists merely in the mind—one that acknowledges doctrine but lacks spiritual transformation. Such a faith is external, superficial, and powerless to save. It is compared to a "shadow" because, like a shadow, it has the form of religion but lacks its substance (2 Timothy 3:5).
The Failure of Job’s Friends: A Warning Against Misrepresenting God
One of the most striking elements of the book of Job is the way in which Job’s friends attempt to console him, only to earn the rebuke of God. Their words, though often clothed in the language of wisdom, ultimately misrepresented the nature of divine justice and providence. At the conclusion of the book, the Lord speaks directly to Eliphaz, one of the friends, and declares, “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has” (Job 42:7). These are sobering words.
From Corrupt Tree to New Creation: The Power of Grace
“Every unregenerate man does nothing but sin … an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil.” (Matthew 7:17; Romans 8:7) - Edward Leigh
Is Jesus's Intercession is Always Answered and Efficacious?
A visitor asked, "If Jesus's intercession is always answered and efficacious and infallible why many christians lose the faith and return to sin? Since Judas is lost that mean the Jesus 's intercession for Judas was a failure or it mean Jesus never prayed for Judas? If a christian backslide it mean Jesus's intercession for him was a failure or it mean Jesus never prayed for him?"
Delivered From the Law
"We are delivered from the law, not by its abrogation, but by its execution through Christ, who bore our sins in His own body on the tree." - Charles Hodge
"We are delivered from the law": This means that believers are no longer under the condemning power or penalty of God’s law. The law, which demands perfect obedience and pronounces judgment on sinners (Galatians 3:10), no longer holds its curse over those who are in Christ.
Seven Ways in which Christ's Riches Surpass All Other Riches (Summary)
by Thomas Brooks
Incomparable Riches – The riches found in Christ far surpass all worldly wealth. Even the smallest measure of grace is of greater value than all the treasures of the earth because it leads the soul to eternal satisfaction and true contentment.
Inexhaustible Riches – Christ’s riches are infinite and cannot be depleted. Unlike worldly wealth that can be spent or exhausted, the spiritual riches in Christ remain full, no matter how much is drawn from them by believers.
