#reformed

[forwheniamweak]

“When we are out of the way of our duty we are in the way of temptation…Idleness gives great advantage to the tempter. Standing waters gather filth.”

— Matthew Henry; Commentary on 2 Samuel 11

[subestu]

Round 1: Introduction

[idylls-of-the-divine-romance]

Okay so... I'm gonna dunk on the concept of election for a second. Specifically it's that idea of election where "the elect" are those that God predestined to go to heaven when they die as opposed to the "non elect" who are either directly or indirectly condemned to hell (as if those are different things). My main problem with this concept is that it is (probably unintentionally) completely divorced from the concept of election in the HB.

Election in the tanakh is not about who gets the privilege of going to the "good place" instead of the "bad place", but rather it's about who gets the responsibility of bringing the good place to everyone else. Not about who goes "up" to heaven, but who brings heaven "down". Nor about any personal or individual salvation, but about who is called to bring salvation to the rest of the world and rescue them from the promise of evil and the curse of destruction.

Abraham. Isaac. Jacob. Judah. David. Bethlehem. These people (and a town) are not chosen because God wanted to save them and smite everyone else. They're chosen to be the vehicle through which God blesses the others. They are the people through whom God will defeat evil and elevate all peoples. God desires that all be saved. He elects some to rescue others.

If you have any conviction that you are part of "the elect" who am I to tell you if you are not? But I can say this: you are not elected to whatever position you are in so you can sit comfortably in your salvation. You are elected to go out of your comfort place, out into the wild and waste land, and to bring God's blessing of life and love and goodness and beauty to the nations. Anything less than that is an abuse/misuse of God's blessing upon your life

[bryan360]

"🦸‍♀️🦇The Heroes"

🦇🌙Batty Midnight: Watch out, bad guys! I'm changing from the Dark Night since Inktober of 2022 (Link Here) to an amazon warrior who never back down! With my lasso of truth on hand, I'll make sure to be ready when facing off danger and help everyone in need. I'm not coming alone as I'm with these two female super pets that will helping me in battle. Krypto the Superdog and the rest were to busy facing off the big bad somewhere, but nothing we can handle a problem with my pet friends. Sure hope the Justice League will be proud of us when its over. 😊👍

🇵🇷Me: I'm sure they'll do, Batty. BTW, you seen that female cat character included; which was from 2022's DC League of Super-Pets animated movie if you know. I even made my first fanart that time if you haven't check it yet. ➡️(Link Here)

🇵🇷Me: I know already this cat character's minor villainous role from said film as I'd mentioned. This is my "What If" depiction of her; redeemed form instead of being a bad kitten who worked for an evil guinea pig antagonist. Again, didn't watched this animated film or something. Just the concept that it counts when watching some clips on YouTube. At least I'd tried to work it out when doing this Inktober post share today. Just imagine if Whiskers turned good that I can't help myself think about for a bit. 🤔

And some video clips from “DC League of Super-Pets” to see what I mean. ⬇️

Batty Midnight (as Wonder Woman) created by me; BryanVelasquez87 (Bryan360)

PB the Pig and Whiskers the Cat - DC League of Super-Pets (2022); Warner Bros Animation Group, DC Entertainment

Previously: ⬇️

“⬛️⬜️🪦The Grave” - Link Here #1

“🦝🦝The Raccoons” - Link Here #2

“🐿️💕❄️The Climbers” -Link Here #3

“🐱🎸🐶 The Guitarist” - Link Here #4

“🐰👮The Cops” - Link Here #5

“🐶🏴‍☠️👑The Joy” - Link Here #6

“🦔🦊💍The Rings” - Link Here #7

“🦦🐟The Fish” - Link Here #8

“🐱👢🌙 The Cuteness” - Link Here #9

“🎧🦨 The Beats” - Link Here #10

“🔴🐼🐶 The Dogs” - Link Here #11

”🐿️🐰🎸The Band” - Link Here #12

“🦊🔵 The Tallest” - Link Here #13

“🌳😟 The Hunted” - Link Here #14

“🤗❤️ The Hugging” - Link Here #15

“🐭🐩🎞️The Classics” - Link Here #16

“🐷🍫The Chase” - Link Here #17

“🎈🦫The Drifting” - Link Here #18

“🕵️👧🏻The Spies” - Link Here #19

“🐑📖👨‍⚕️The Member” - Link Here #20

“🐰🦄🦁The Painters” - Link Here #21

“🐔🥚🐰The Egg” - Link Here #22

Tagged: @murumokirby360 @shadowredfeline@alexander1301 @sammirthebear2k4

[scarabesque-returns]

Can you tell me about predestination?

I'd love to!

Predestination is the belief that God chose His elect in advance, before the creation of the world. He effects this by working in the lives of His elect via regeneration and the gift of grace. This is foundational to Reformed theology, which can be neatly summarized with the acronym TULIP.

As with all things Reformed, it starts with scripture.

"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30)

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love��he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will" (Ephesians 1:3-5)

There are many more, but I don't want this to get too long.

We can see in scripture that faith is a gift from God, through no effort or valor on our part (Unconditional Election). And thank God for that, because sin has so separated us from Him that we are incapable of choosing Him on our own (Total Depravity). We also see that God chooses His elect, as He chose Jacob over Esau (Limited Atonement). God always gets what he wants in the end (Irresistible Grace). And finally, I thank God for the fact that my salvation depends on Him and not me because He will never let me go (Perseverance of the Saints).

Predestination is ultimately the understanding that God is sovereign over all things. He is unlimited and does not choose to limit Himself. He is the source of all good in this fallen world. And we can take comfort in the fact that He knew us before he created us (Jeremiah 1:5).

[404-found]

Blameless Before the Judge

John 18:10–11

[10] Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) [11] So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (ESV)

Luke 22:49–51

[49] And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” [50] And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. [51] But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. (ESV)

Jesus in all of his love, grace, and mercy healed him.

Why?

To be a nice guy? Sure! But I believe it goes even deeper.

As you read earlier Malchus was a servant of the high priest. It was a capital crime to harm a servant of the high priest in any form! Let alone lobbing an ear off. Peter would have been executed by law. However, when Jesus restored his ear he erased all evidence that Peter had ever transgressed. So if Malchus would have went before the council and accused Peter of the crime there was absolutely no evidence that Peter ever committed the crime.

That's what Jesus did for us. Ultimately we chose to sin against Him, to rebel against Him, to disobey Him, to in a sense substitute ourselves as god, attempting the de-goding of God, living our life by our own standards, and bringing ourselves glory instead of Him. Because we've done that, we've willingly separated ourselves from God, not wanting to relate to God, but to be god ourselves. In doing that, we've put ourselves under the judgment of God instead of the grace and mercy of God.

Even though we've done all of this, that God lovingly came into human history as the man Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man. He was born of a virgin, without the affects of generational sin, and lived a life without sin, even though he was tempted in every way you and I are. Even though Jesus lived a sinless life, he willingly went to the cross to die a sinners death, and in doing so substituted Himself for us, the sinless One for the sinful ones. Our first parents in the garden substituted themselves for God, just as we would have, and do, and at the cross Jesus reversed that substitution and substituted Himself for sinners. So when Jesus went to the cross He willingly took upon Him the sin of those who would come to trust in Him. That means that Jesus Christ, God who was a man, died in our place for our sins, satisfying the justice of God toward sin and securing the grace and mercy of God for those who believe in Him. Jesus dead body was then put in a tomb, and for three days he was buried. But on the third day Jesus rose from the grave, proving his authority over sin, death, hell, Satan and demons. When we believe and are reborn in Jesus Christ we are washed clean by his blood. Jesus sacrifice takes away all evidence that we ever transgressed. And it doesn't matter who accuses or what evidence they say they have. When we stand before a holy judge who's a holy God and he looks at us he will see Jesus whose blood we have been cleansed by.

Jesus lived a life we could not live (a sinless life), He died a death we should have died (a sinner's death), He rose to give us a life we could never have otherwise (resurrected life), and He alone is the way, the truth and the life – the only way to God.

John 8:10–11

[10] Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” [11] She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]] (ESV)

[anglocatholicboyo]

"Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery. He cometh up, and is cut down, like a flower; he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay.

In the midst of life we are in death : of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins are justly displeased?"

-from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer's office for the burial of the dead.

[silencedminstrel]

(Art by Juan Novelletto)

THE AFTERMATH - REMAINING MEMBERS OF A FORMER KLTUA-LYMONZS WORSHIPPING CULT TAKING STOCK AFTER RECENT DEADLY ATTACKS

Fellow brethren of Fruktilia Sect, forsooth the days of late have not been kind to us! Betwixt attacks by this so-called Death Squad and isolated skirmishes with our

Hostile halves we are at a loss! Since we cannot combine forces with other groups (as part of their truce with both The Union and The Synod) lest we'd be sorely mistaken for

Our warring brethren; so I am now open to suggestions...! But Brother Brelenek, why can't our benefactors come and protect us? (Sigh) Their forces have been decimated

In the wake of that failed invasion, Brother Stej; we're basically on our own now...! But of course, there's always The Creator Aspects! Not when they're preparing for war with the Dark Deity, Sister Nierness! Unless...? (Sigh)

[postcard-from-the-past]

Interior of the French Reformed church in Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany

French vintage postcard

[god-forbid-a-swiftie-is-unhinged]

so thankful for TTPD because it finally make me quit my 7 year long Taylor Swift obsession that no one else could

[forwheniamweak]

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

…holiness is both something you have before God in Christ and something you must cultivate in the strength of Christ. Your status in holiness is conferred; your condition in holiness is to be pursued. Through Christ you are made holy in your standing before God, and through Christ you are called to reflect that standing by being holy in daily life.

Read More

[awideplace]

I really like David Guzik; I know him personally from when I completed my Theology degree. I am not a Calvinist, but I go to a Calvinist church and read/listen to probably 90% of Calvinist theologians. I consider myself a follower of Christ: not a follower of another human such as John Calvin. I follow Christ, not Calvin, so I do not call myself a Calvinist but a Christian. I think words matter and my identity is in Christ and not in a human. When people ask my denomination, I would say non-denominational with a lean towards Reformed theology, but the mouthful would be: a Bible-believing, Spirit-filled, born-again follower of Christ (by the grace of God).

For theological podcasts, I listen to a staunch Calvinist, James White. His takes on culture are spot on, though oft heated, but flawless for the most part in the sense of discernment. I also met James in person and he's a great man and someone I like the personality of and even find funny. I love John MacArthur, probably my favorite modern-day pastor. I love my pastor who is a Calvinist. Some of the "best men" and theologians I know of ever are Calvinist. To me it comes down to this: is the Word of God being taught? The whole counsel (Acts 20:27), not just cherry-picked topical messages and Jesus is my guru. No, He is Lord and King and His Word is to be taught, embraced, and obeyed.

[knight--error]

It's always "Catholic Tumblr" this and "Catholic Tumblr" that. Where is my Reformed Tumblr. Where are my fellow Presbyterians. I know there have to be a few of you on here. Come on, we can be buddies for a minute and then have fractious, scorched-earth fights over doctrinal minutiae. *shakes box of Trinity hymnals like a bag of treats*

[walkingthroughthisworld]

Helpful and irenic.

[404-found]

Once Saved, Always Saved

Perseverance of the saints, or an even better term to use is preservation of the saints. Means that those who are truly saved by God’s grace will persevere in their faith until the end. This means that genuine believers, once they have been regenerated (born again) and justified by faith, will never fully and finally fall away from their state of grace or lose their salvation.

John 10:28-29

"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand."

Jesus promises that those who belong to Him have eternal life and cannot be taken away from Him, emphasizing God’s power to keep believers secure.

Romans 8:38-39

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Paul assures believers that nothing in creation can separate them from God’s love, underscoring the permanence of salvation in Christ.

John 6:37-40

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day."

Jesus promises that He will not lose any of those the Father has given Him and that they will be raised up on the last day, affirming security in salvation.

Philippians 1:6

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Paul expresses confidence that God will complete the work of salvation in believers, indicating that God is faithful to finish what He started.

Ephesians 1:13-14

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."

Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their inheritance, suggesting that salvation is secure and will be fulfilled.

2 Timothy 1:12

"That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day."

Paul’s confidence is in God’s ability to keep and preserve what has been entrusted to Him, reinforcing the idea of eternal security.

1 Peter 1:3-5

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."

Peter describes an inheritance that is “kept in heaven” and “shielded by God’s power,” emphasizing the believer’s secure position.

Hebrews 10:14

"For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."

This verse highlights the completeness and permanence of Christ’s sacrifice, indicating that those who are in Christ are made perfect forever.

These passages collectively emphasize that:

Believers are kept by God’s power and love.

Salvation is a completed work by Christ that God promises to finish.

Believers are marked with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee.

Now, what if someone converts. Confesses Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Becomes a pastor. 40 years later says he's decided he doesn't believe and it's all hogwash and denounces the faith. Did he lose his salvation? No. I would argue he never had salvation to begin with. False conversion. I don't know why he played along for 40 years. But it wasn't because he loved Jesus. Or else he would still be with Jesus. He was never saved.

Jesus had more than 12 disciples in the beginning who all claimed to believe that he was the Messiah. Yet, they had left or "fallen away" from the faith. Did they lose their salvation? This is what John had to say about them.

1 John 2:19

"They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us."

John is talking about those who appeared to be Christians but later left, revealing that their commitment to Christ and the community was not genuine. This verse suggests that true believers will remain in the faith because of their genuine relationship with Christ.

Someone converts. Confesses Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Very next day go out into the street and murders someone in cold blood. Then die themselves. Do they go to heaven? I would argue again of a false conversion. If God truly calls you to Christ and you are saved the sanctification process begins in that moment. You've come to know Christ you've come to love Christ. It would be against everything in your heart and soul to kill someone after that. I would argue this person was not truly saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

God's grace is not an excuse to sin. If you have truly received God's grace and love Jesus you won't want to sin.

John 14:15

Jesus says "If you love me, keep my commandments."

Here, Jesus is linking love for Him with obedience. This statement underscores that true love for Jesus will naturally lead to a desire to follow His teachings and commandments. It’s a call to genuine discipleship, where love is shown through action and obedience.

This however doesn't mean that we won't ever sin. We definitely won't be going out and killing people. But we will slip up with lust and other various sins. But the idea is that the more we grow our relationship with God the more he's able to change our hearts and minds. When a person is saved that person will start to sin less and less.

1 John 1:8-9

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Our salvation is not in our hands. We didn't earn it. It was given as a gift from God. If we have grace, which has not been earned. How can we lose it?

If you could lose your salvation you would. How arrogant does a person have to be to believe that it's possible for them to lose their salvation but they haven't.

Who do you have to think you are in order to be "I'm a christian and i'm saved and I'm on my way to heaven when I die but there's a possibility that I can mess this thing up but I haven't."

You probably just did.