Reformed Thinking

Deep Dive into Lectures to My Students - The Minister's Self Watch by Charles Spurgeon A minister’s effectiveness in sacred service is inherently tied to his personal spiritual condition, as he is considered his own primary instrument, or "nearest machinery," for his holy calling. Therefore, the first indispensable requisite is true and genuine piety, meaning the minister must first be a saved man. Conversion is an essential condition, and ministers must thoroughly and anxiously search themselves to ensure they are not castaways, understanding that God saves men for being justified and sanctified, not merely for being able preachers. This calling demands a superior, vigorous piety, as the minister must be a mature believer capable of standing equipped for extraordinary labors and unusual peril. The highest moral character must be sedulously maintained, because the minister’s life should be a magnet to draw men to Christ, and any inconsistency or ill life will effectually drown the voice of the most eloquent ministry. The ministry is a place intensely assailed with temptation. The devil directs his first and sharpest onset upon the shepherds, aiming to scatter the flock. These dangers include "coarser" temptations like self-indulgence, and the "worst" snare of ministerialism, which is the tendency to perform religious duties officially, losing the essential personality of faith and repentance. If a pastor is unconverted or spiritually out of order, he is totally unqualified for spiritual work and becomes terribly mischievous. Such a graceless ministry leads to spiritual starvation for the congregation, ranks among the first causes of infidelity, and can deceive thousands into a Christless state. A minister who fails the crucial test of ministerial life risks not only dishonoring the gospel but also facing the dreadful fate of eternal condemnation. Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730

Deep Dive into Hudson Taylor Hudson Taylor’s China Inland Mission (CIM), founded in 1865, fundamentally reshaped 19th-century evangelical missions by prioritizing the unreached interior of China. This inland mission was made possible by imperial treaties, such as the Treaty of Tianjin and the Convention of Peking, which granted travel rights beyond the treaty ports, combined with the new strategic methods of the CIM. Taylor’s core methods focused on simplicity and accessibility. He insisted on radical cultural nearness, requiring missionaries to adopt Chinese dress and diet, and master the local language. This adaptation was an "exegetical judgment" designed to remove Western stumbling blocks and allow the missionary to be perceived as a servant, not a foreign patron. Further distinctives included "faith finance"—refusing debt and avoiding fundraising appeals to model trust in God’s providence—and the strategic deployment of personnel, including single women. The assessment of Taylor's methods is twofold: while his inland resolve and cultural humility significantly widened gospel access, his "faith mission" pattern requires strong confessional guardrails. Because the decentralized model risked para-church drift and individualism, it must be subject to elder-governed oversight. This oversight ensures that the mission aims for the establishment of true churches, which are defined by the biblical marks of the Word rightly preached, the sacraments rightly administered, and discipline duly exercised, all sustained by the ordinary means of grace. The ultimate goal, or telos, was not merely station counts but the formation of elder-led congregations that would endure, surviving crises such as the Boxer uprising in 1900, thereby proving resilient and independent of foreign scaffolding. Taylor's enduring legacy is the model of missionary zeal tightly bound to churchly accountability. Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730

Deep Dive into Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry by John Piper - Brothers, Magnify the Meaning of Baptism The foundational arguments for believer baptism, as articulated by John Piper, develop through a progressive understanding that ultimately contrasts sharply with the views supporting infant baptism. The core differences lie in the mode and recipients of baptism. While the Westminster Confession allows for pouring or sprinkling and mandates infant baptism for children of believers, Baptists define baptism as the immersion of a believer. Piper's initial reasoning (first stage) was observational. He noted that every baptism recorded in the Bible involved a person who had professed faith, with no explicit instances of infant baptism. Even "household baptisms" seemed to imply that all in the household had heard and believed the "word of the Lord" before being baptized. The command "Repent and be baptized" also suggested repentance precedes the rite. However, he later deemed these observations "suggestive, not compelling," as an absence of evidence doesn't negate existence, and commands to adults don't automatically exclude infants. His second stage moved to the theological meaning of baptism. Passages like Colossians 2:12 (being "raised with him through faith in the working of God") suggested to Piper that baptism is an expression of the individual's faith. Even more powerfully, 1 Peter 3:21 describes baptism as an "appeal to God for a good conscience," which Piper interprets as a conscious "cry of faith to God." Since infants cannot yet exercise faith or make such an appeal, these texts presented significant challenges to infant baptism. The most profound argument, Piper's third stage, centers on covenant theology and the discontinuity between the Old and New Covenants. While acknowledging baptism's continuity with circumcision as a covenant sign, Piper emphasizes a crucial "undervalued discontinuity." Under the Old Covenant, membership in God's people was determined by physical birth, and circumcision was applied based on physical descent. However, under the New Covenant, to be a member is to "know the Lord" (Hebrews 8:11), meaning entry is by spiritual birth and faith in Christ (Galatians 3:7: "those of faith who are the sons of Abraham"). John the Baptist's ministry underscored this shift, indicating that physical lineage no longer guaranteed one's place in God's family, and baptism replaced circumcision as a sign of a spiritual relationship. Therefore, the sign of the New Covenant, believer baptism, is reserved for those who demonstrate this new birth and personal faith. Romans 6:1-11, depicting believers being "buried with him" through baptism, also reinforces immersion as the normal mode. Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730

Deep Dive into Self-Confrontation: A Manual for In-Depth Biblical Discipleship by John C. Broger - You Can Change Biblically (Part 2) The process of lasting biblical change and continuous spiritual growth begins the moment a person repents of sin, believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, and receives eternal life. Establishing this genuine relationship with Christ is a prerequisite for change, as it grants the believer a new identity, reconciliation with God, and access to everything necessary for a life pleasing to Him, including the indwelling Holy Spirit and God's completely sufficient Word. The core process for ongoing development is discipleship, which enables a believer to "grow up" in Christ and joyfully overcome the pressures and trials of life. Essential to discipleship is biblical self-confrontation. This discipline initiates the commitment to please God by requiring the believer to judge themselves, confess sins, and remove sinful obstructions first. This personal obedience is necessary for maturity and serves as a prerequisite for helping others change biblically. Growth is proportional to the faithfulness in performing this self-examination and applying God's truths. To sustain this growth, a believer must practice specific daily disciplines. Daily devotions are vital to spiritual development, involving dedicated time for prayer, study of God's Word, and biblical self-evaluation. Prayer, especially continual prayer with thanksgiving, leads to God's peace. Alongside daily devotions, Scripture memory is foundational. Memorizing God’s Word helps to renew the mind, change the thought life, and establish permanent change in conduct. It provides stability, guidance, and the basis to conquer temptation and gain victory over sin. By consistently practicing obedience and applying Scripture, the believer is equipped to mature in Christ. Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730

Deep Dive into πίστις The concept of pistis ($\pi\acute{\iota}\sigma\tau\iota\varsigma$) is understood simultaneously in three ways: as an ethical virtue, a personal attitude of reliance, and an objective body of content (doctrine).First, pistis functions as a virtue, denoting objective reliability, trustworthiness, or faithfulness. This quality can describe God’s commitment or integrity, and it is listed alongside other moral traits like love, endurance, and gentleness. This use stresses loyalty and sincerity, indicating the state of being someone in whom confidence can be placed.Second, pistis signifies a personal attitude or subjective act of believing. This is the active state of trust and confidence directed toward God and Christ, their promises, and their power. It represents true piety and commitment, constituting the new existence of Christians. This active faith entails full conviction and assurance, such as the assurance of things hoped for, and involves a decision for God that includes acknowledgment, trust, and obedience.Third, pistis refers to the body of content that is believed—the doctrine, teaching, or system of truth to which one adheres. This objective usage developed later, referring to the shared orthodox doctrine handed down by the Church. It can stand as an abbreviation for the Christian message or the way of salvation itself, sometimes functioning as a principle or norm, such as when contrasted with the Law.The complexity of pistis stems from its capacity to refer both to the quality that validates belief (virtue), the act of believing (attitude), and the object of that belief (content). Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730