The striking thing in the Scriptural representations of the priestly work of Christ, is that Christ appears in them as both priest and sacrifice.Systematic Theology (365)
The Calvinist limits the extent in that he says that it does not apply to all persons . . . while the Arminian limits the power of, for he says that in itself it does not actually save anybody.The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination , 153.
He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for those who are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! That the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!Epistle to Diognetus, http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0101.htm
In the first Adam we offended God, because Adam did not obey the divine commandment. But in the second Adam we have been reconciled to God and made obedient even to death. For we were debtors to no one except to him whose commandment we had transgressed. Therefore, in the last times the Lord has restored us into fellowship through his incarnation. He has become the Mediator between God and man, propitiating the Father against whom we had sinned, by his death. He has cancelled our disobedience by his obedience.Adversus omnes haereses 5.16.3-5.17.1
God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation. Institutes Lib. III. c. 21,5(Opera, Vol. II. pp. 682, GS3)
Consider for a moment how precious it is that the Christian can say, "I have been crucified with Christ." This is a personal atonement, personal substitution. We revel in the awesome love of our Savior who loved us as individuals and gave Himself up for us. For me! Me, the hate-filled sinner who spurned Him and His love! How much less glorious is the idea, "Christ loved a generic group and died so as to give them the opportunity to possibly join the group and hence receive certain benefits.The Potter's Freedom (248)
there are those who say that the language of election is figurative. In Christ, everyone has been chosen, whether they know it or not. This view, or variations of it, has been popular in modern times, when it has became associated with Karl Barth and his followers, but there are at least two problems with it. The first one is that the Bible never says anything like this. From the beginning to the end, it is clear that God has chosen some people and not others... The second one is that it denies human freedom, even as it claims to be asserting the worth of every human being. What if I do not want to go to heaven?God Has Spoken 895
Prayer is always essential, but thought is essential, too, because prayer can be just an escape mechanism, almost at times a cry in the dark by people who are desperate and defeated. Prayer must be intelligent, and it is only to those who realize that their bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost that the answer will be given and the power will come.Spiritual Depression (173)
If we fear God, we dare not ignore what He commands. If His fear is exalted in our hearts, it will enable us to obey Him in duties accompanied with deep self-denial.Triumphing over Sinful Fear, 20
We can no longer afford to be pious functional deists as Christians who regard God as no longer active in history to judge & bless nations in terms of obedience to the gospel & who, whilst speaking of biblical inspiration deny its material authority & application in the world.
Our days are few, and are far better spent in doing good, than in disputing over matters which are, at best, of minor importance. The old schoolmen did a world of mischief by their incessant discussion of subjects of no practical importance; and our Churches suffer much from petty wars over abstruse points and unimportant questions. After everything has been said that can be said, neither party is any the wiser, and therefore the discussion no more promotes knowledge than love, and it is foolish to sow in so barren a field. Questions upon points wherein Scripture is silent; upon mysteries which belong to God alone; upon prophecies of doubtful interpretation; and upon mere modes of observing human ceremonials, are all foolish, and wise men avoid them. Our business is neither to ask nor answer foolish questions, but to avoid them altogether; and if we observe the apostle's precept (Titus 3:8) to be careful to maintain good works, we shall find ourselves far too much occupied with profitable business to take much interest in unworthy, contentious, and needless strivings.
For churches, feminine social instincts are inversely proportional to ensuring orthodoxy. When women rule, orthodoxy withers. Because of their desire for everyone to play nice, they are very likely to approve and endorse flatterers, hirelings, soft men—and equally likely to disapprove and ostracize truth-tellers, shepherds, tough men.Good to be a Man, 91
false teachers are experts at being agreeable. This goes back to Eden, when the smooth-talking serpent shrewdly singled out Eve as the easier target for his silver tongue.Good to be a Man, 90
When women hold power in a church—whether officially or unofficially—two things tend to happen: They strive to include anyone agreeable, regardless of error. They strive to exclude anyone disagreeable, regardless of orthodoxy.Good to be a Man, 89
The enemy of our day is not male versus female (misogyny), or female versus male (misandry). The enemy of our day is androgyny—humanity, spurred on by the devil, versus sexual distinctions. The devil hates fruitfulness. When the sexes complement and cooperate, the result is a world full of God's image-bearers.Good to be a Man, 52
There is no hint in the Bible that your aggressive instincts are a result of the fall. You are not, in other words, a defective woman. Your desire to conquer and to subdue, to hew down and to build up, to form and to shape, has nothing to do with the curse. It is man's natural, pre-fall, created purpose. You yearn to bend the world to your will because Adam was created to bend the world to his will. Where things go wrong is not with our natural yearnings, but with our wills themselves. Adam was made to exercise his will on behalf of God.It\'s Good to Be a Man: A Handbook for Godly Masculinity (pp. 25). Canon Press.
The reason that God creates man on the earth, according to Genesis, is for productive, representative rulership. This is what it means to exercise dominion: to fruitfully order the world in God's stead.It\'s Good to Be a Man: A Handbook for Godly Masculinity (pp. 20). Canon Press.
Because as a man goes, so goes his household; as a household goes, so goes the Church; and as the Church goes, so goes society.It\'s Good to Be a Man: A Handbook for Godly Masculinity (pp. 16). Canon Press.
Technological and environmental shifts have resulted in men having such low testosterone levels that their grip strength is weaker than that of women from a generation ago. The ubiquity of porn has led to erectile dysfunction in men not even out of their twenties. Social media and dating apps have made the "relational marketplace" so extraordinarily competitive that some men just give upIt\'s Good to Be a Man: A Handbook for Godly Masculinity (pp. 11-12). Canon Press.
We are living in a world of fatherless males who don't know how to rebuild the walls of society. They have become clueless bastards. They know how to build, explore, and conquer—in video games. They must turn to YouTube to learn how to jump-start a car, tie a half-Windsor knot, and do a push-up. Social skills are even harder for them. They scour the internet to learn how to stand up for themselves, make friends, and talk to women. The knowledge that is normally transmitted from father to son has been lost. They have to rediscover it for themselves.It\'s Good to Be a Man: A Handbook for Godly Masculinity (pp. 11). Canon Press.
Men who are hooked up like junkies to the dopamine drip of virtual fornication and fake dominion are worthless for the task of being fruitful in real life and imposing genuine order on their worlds.It\'s Good to Be a Man: A Handbook for Godly Masculinity (pp. 8). Canon Press.
So it is with patriarchy. Male rule is natural, and so it is inevitable—but when it is not governed by God's law, it will be wicked. Because it is natural, it cannot be destroyed—but it can be twisted.It\'s Good to Be a Man: A Handbook for Godly Masculinity (pp. 5). Canon Press.
Nations are headed by men because they are made up of households that are headed by men. In the same way, before there were churches, there was the original worshipping family—headed by Adam. Churches are headed by men because they are made up of households that are headed by men. Indeed, a man may not rule in the Church unless he can manage his own household well—for how else can he be competent for the greater task of managing the household of faith (1 Tim. 3:4)?It\'s Good to Be a Man: A Handbook for Godly Masculinity (pp. 3). Canon Press.
Men were made to rule. They always have and always will. Nothing can change that. Nothing will. It is not a question of whether men will be ruling, but which ones and how. This is what patriarchy is: the natural rulership of men. The term comes from Greek and means simply "father rule." It\'s Good to Be a Man: A Handbook for Godly Masculinity (pp. 1-2). Canon Press.
Firstly, our brothers have an aversion to the name "Mass" and prefer to call it the "Lord's Supper," which has long been called "Mass" in the Roman church. Although we do not wish to quarrel with anyone over words, we are inclined to reconcile ourselves with those who agree with us that such words cause offense, hatred, and discord, through which Christian faith and love are damaged, as stated in 1 Timothy 6. Nevertheless, we must confess that it is more Christian and certain to use the name given by Christ our Lord Himself, as the Scripture provides it, with which such things can have no inherent association. Specifically, I mean the term "Missa," which we call "Mass" in German; it is said to be derived from the Hebrew word "mas," meaning a required offering or tribute, hence an offering. This is also found in the fifth book of Moses (Deuteronomy 16:10), and therefore, the Mass is considered an abomination to godliness when the Lord's Supper is held to be an offering.https://reformedbooksonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Bucer-Grounds-and-Reasons-from-Scripture-for-the-Changes-about-the-Lords-Supper-called-the-Mass-Baptism-Feast-Days-and-Images.pdf