Theology

So…if you follow us on Instagram, you know the origin of this design (memes, of course). But no worries if not—it’s pretty self-evident that jello salad molds were proof of man’s fallenness. 🤢

Sometimes we think things are a good idea and they’re not, right?

Jeremiah 17:9

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Proverbs 14:2

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

Romans 3:23

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

RC Sproul on Total Depravity:

“The doctrine of total depravity reflects the Reformed viewpoint of original sin…Some people assume that the term original sin must refer to the first sin—the original transgression that we’ve all copied in many different ways in our own lives, that is, the first sin of Adam and Eve. But that’s not what original sin has referred to historically in the church. Rather, the doctrine of original sin defines the consequences to the human race because of that first sin.

That is, as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve, the entire human race fell, and our nature as human beings since the fall has been influenced by the power of evil…Therefore, original sin has to do with the fallen nature of mankind. The idea is that we are not sinners because we sin, but that we sin because we are sinners.

The idea of total in total depravity doesn’t mean that all human beings are as wicked as they can possibly be. It means that the fall was so serious that it affects the whole person…It affects our minds and our thinking; we still have the capacity to think, but the Bible says the mind has become darkened and weakened. The will of man is no longer in its pristine state of moral power. The will, according to the New Testament, is now in bondage. We are enslaved to the evil impulses and desires of our hearts. The body, the mind, the will, the spirit—indeed, the whole person—have been infected by the power of sin.

I like to replace the term total depravity with my favorite designation, which is radical corruption…The Reformed view is that the effects of the fall extend or penetrate to the core of our being. Even the English word core actually comes from the Latin word cor, which means ‘heart.’ That is, our sin is something that comes from our hearts. In biblical terms, that means it’s from the core or very center of our existence.”

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This was part of the answer RC Sproul gave to the question, “Since God is slow to anger and patient, then why when man first sinned was His wrath and punishment so severe and long lasting?”⁣⁣

“...what’s wrong with you people? This is what’s wrong with the Christian Church today. We don’t know who God is and we don’t know who we are. The question is ‘why wasn’t it infinitely more severe?’”⁣ He explained prior to this how merciful God was to Adam and how much He provided and would provide...

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” ⁣—Lamentations 3:22-23

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This design comes from a sweet man from the church I came to Christ in as a young teenager. Whenever anyone asked how he was doing, he’d reply “better than I deserve.” He (and his family) were used by the Lord in ways that have shaped me greatly.⁣⁣
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What do you think you deserve?⁣⁣
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We obviously tend to think very highly of ourselves and what we deserve often as we covet what others have (that should be ours, right?), become jealous of others (because people should think as good, if not better, of us) and the pride and frustration with which we interact with those around us (as we know better than they do and are clearly beneath our level of understanding). And that doesn’t even touch our inclination toward self-righteousness as believers—to glory in our good deeds and puff ourselves up.⁣⁣
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What do we really deserve in the eyes of a holy God in exchange for our rebellion against Him?⁣⁣
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Romans 6:23⁣⁣
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“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”⁣⁣
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“The reason why death is the result of sin is, that sin deserves death. Death is due to it in justice. There is the same obligation in justice, that sin should be followed by death, as that the laborer should receive his wages. As it would be unjust, and therefore wrong, to defraud the laborer of his stipulated reward, so it would be unjust to allow sin to go unpunished…But the gift of God, the free, unmerited gift of God, is eternal life…Sin deserves death; holiness is itself the gift of God, and is freely crowned with eternal life. The idea of merit is everywhere and in every way excluded from the gospel method of salvation. It is a system of grace, from the beginning to the consummation. It is in Christ, as united to him, that we are made partakers of eternal life. Jesus Christ and his gospel…effectually secure what the law never could never accomplish...”⁣⁣
-Charles Hodge⁣⁣
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Praise God for His mercy—may it lead us to repentance, humility and loving obedience.

On the meaning of “sola scriptura”:⁣⁣

⁣⁣“Martin Luther’s defense of sola fide was based on the premise that the Bible is the sole infallible source of divine revelation, and it was his refusal to grant such authority to popes and church councils that really got him into trouble. Rome, on the other hand, appealed to Scripture and the living tradition of the church, unwritten teachings passed on orally from the apostles down through the bishops and interpreted by the Roman Catholic magisterium (the teaching officers of the church). The doctrine of justification of the Roman Catholic Church then and now is grounded in works of penance, the treasury of merit, and other elements established in tradition, not the Word of God.⁣⁣

According to Rome’s official pronouncements, these unwritten traditions are equal in authority to the Bible. Paragraph 44 of the current Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.” In practice, however, it is the church that has final, infallible authority. Its interpretations of the faith are binding even when they are unfounded in the Bible.⁣⁣

Jesus makes it clear that to violate the Word of God for the sake of the traditions of men is always wrong (Mark 7:9), and so Protestantism asserts sola Scriptura: Scripture alone is the final authority for the church. Church traditions such as are found in creeds and the writings of important church leaders do not lack authority altogether and can guide our understanding of Scripture. Luther and Calvin, in fact, both cited Augustine regularly in their teachings. But Scripture always wins out when it conflicts with tradition.”⁣⁣

—Ligonier

“The whole goal of our salvation is to bring us to a place where we worship God and we honor Him as God. The great danger is that we make ourselves the center of concern, and we steal the glory of God. In all that we do, the driving passion of the Christian must always be Soli Deo Gloria, to God alone be the glory. And the only way for this passion to be realized is to honor God as God, to understand Him as He has revealed Himself in His Word and not according to the mere opinions of fallen creatures.“⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ —RC Sproul⁣

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ —2 Corinthians 5:17-21⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Praise the Lamb for this salvation we could never earn!

“What is the chief end of man? A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” -Westminster Shorter Catechism

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The world tells us to “listen to our hearts” and our feelings as the ever-changing, subjective fount of morality in which anything can be justified, uniform for no one. Instead, we rely on the Word of God as our source of truth and ultimate authority. His Word is sufficient for us!

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.” (Proverbs 14:12-13)

“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” (Proverbs 28:26)

“Theology enables God's people to think correctly and live rightly. What we do always flows from what we believe, and a sound theology helps us think clearly, rightly, and, most importantly, biblically about God. It is important that we love God with our heart, but it is also imperative that we love the Lord with our mind as well.”

—Danny Akin

This was part of the answer RC Sproul gave to the question, “Since God is slow to anger and patient, then why when man first sinned was His wrath and punishment so severe and long lasting?”⁣⁣

“...what’s wrong with you people? This is what’s wrong with the Christian Church today. We don’t know who God is and we don’t know who we are. The question is ‘why wasn’t it infinitely more severe?’”⁣ He explained prior to this how merciful God was to Adam and how much He provided and would provide...
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” ⁣—Lamentations 3:22-23

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“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” —Genesis 1:27

“In biblical terms, the sanctity of human life is rooted and grounded in creation. Mankind is not viewed as a cosmic accident but as the product of a carefully executed creation by an eternal God. Human dignity is derived from God. Man as a finite, dependent, contingent creature is assigned a high value by his Creator.

The creation account in Genesis provides the framework for human dignity: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Gen. 1:26–27).

Creation in the image of God is what sets humans apart from all other creatures. The stamp of the image and likeness of God connects God and mankind uniquely. Though there is no biblical warrant for seeing man as godlike, there is a high dignity associated with this unique relationship to the Creator.”

—RC Sproul

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"Peace if possible, truth at all costs." —Martin Luther

A soft and comfy unisex hoodie that fits all your hoodie needs. The fleece fabric makes it a great partner all year round, be it a summer evening on the beach, or a Christmas dinner in a mountain cabin.

This was part of the answer RC Sproul gave to the question, “Since God is slow to anger and patient, then why when man first sinned was His wrath and punishment so severe and long lasting?”⁣

“...what’s wrong with you people? This is what’s wrong with the Christian Church today. We don’t know who God is and we don’t know who we are. The question is ‘why wasn’t it infinitely more severe?’”⁣ He explained prior to this how merciful God was to Adam and how much He provided and would provide...
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” ⁣—Lamentations 3:22-23

“One mark of truly orthodox theologians is that their writings always include expressions of doxology. Knowledge of the Lord’s character and His work should inspire heartfelt praise, for why learn about God if we are not moved to fulfill the purpose for which we are created — to worship and glorify the Creator (Isa. 43:7)? When studying theology does not prompt us to adoration, we must question whether we are more concerned to puff ourselves up with knowledge than to glorify God.

As sound theologians, the apostles could not help but include doxologies as they the divine mysteries revealed to them. Paul, for example, bursts into doxology — a word of glory to God — at several points in his epistles, including today’s passage. Having contemplated the great work of God, and prayed for us to be rooted in Christ’s love (Eph. 1:1–3:19), the apostle ends his prayer with praise to God (3:20–21). Like all words of glory, this doxology does not increase the “amount” of inherent glory our triune Creator possesses; rather, it acknowledges His worthiness and extols Him for what He has done, announcing His glories to creation (Pss. 29:2; 96:8; Isa. 42:12).”

—Ligonier