Reforming Students

I just finished teaching a lengthy series in my college Sunday school class on the primary reformed doctrines that are often disagreed with, as well as many of the distinctive aspects of the reformed church. I ended yesterday with a “top 10 list” of what being a reformed baptist does to my faith, understanding, and relationship with Christ and what I hope it does for all people who understand and embrace the biblical doctrines of orthodox Christianity. I want to share my top 10 list here, and will address each of them in separate posts.

Being a reformed baptist…

10. Makes me a more careful reader of my Bible.

Reformed theology emphasizes the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, thus making me a more careful reader of my Bible. This comes with an understanding that every question regarding the nature and character of God can only be answered through a careful, in-depth reading of the Bible. The Bible also makes very clear who I am as a man, and how insignificant I am when compared to God. This gives me many reasons to read very carefully. “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:6-8).

Additionally, many of the issues that people raise against reformed theology are based on misinterpretations of specific Scriptural nuances. There are passages throughout Scripture that, without proper exegesis and careful reading, can be interpreted to mean something completely different than what is intended by the text. Individual words are very important and can change meaning, therefore a student of the Bible should always be very careful in their reading. In my experience, arguments that are raised in an attempt to refute reformed doctrine are based on sloppy reading.

“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

~Psalm 119:97