Faith is not cold knowledge … flows from regeneration as from its source

"Christ declares that the doctrine of the Gospel, though it is preached to all without exception, cannot be embraced by all, but that a new understanding and a new perception are requisite; and, therefore, that faith does not depend on the will of men, but that it is God who gives it."

"… faith is not bare or cold knowledge, since no man can believe who has not been renewed by the Spirit of God … faith itself is a work of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in none but the children of God. So then, in various respects, faith is a part of our regeneration, and an entrance into the kingdom of God, that he may reckon us among his children. The illumination of our minds by the Holy Spirit belongs to our renewal, and thus faith flows from regeneration as from its source; but since it is by the same faith that we receive Christ, who sanctifies us by his Spirit, on that account it is said to be the beginning of our adoption."

Source: John Calvin, Commentary on John

Poetry communicates meaning and significance

The Bible’s refusal to reduce sex to physical acts is surely one of the reasons why it uses poetry to describe it. Poetry communicates meaning and significance …

source:

No Sex Please, I’m British – Reformation21 Blog
http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2011/12/no-sex-please-im-british.php

Sex is both …

The sexual dimension of marriage is where couples meet;
here in earnest quietude, there in breathless passion
and over there is delectable frolic.
Sex is at once serious and fun,
reverent and playful,
tender and exotic;
as body meets body and soul joins soul.

source: R.C. Sproul, The Hunger for Significance

Matthew Quotes

… there were many Jews in Israel who were called wise men, but the star did not appear to any of them; rather it shone only on Gentile eyes, and led a chosen company from the ends of the earth to bow at Immanuel’s feet. Sovereignty in these cases clothed itself in the robes of mercy. It was a great mercy that regarded the low estate of the shepherds, and it was a far reaching mercy which gathered from lands which lay in darkness a company of men and allowed them to see God’s wonderful and blessed Savior.

Source: Spurgeon, The Wise Men, the Star, and the Savior

==========

This is a great inducement to us to repent. There is nothing like the consideration of divine grace to break the heart, both for sin and from sin. That is evangelical repentance, that flows from a sight of Christ, from a sense of his love, and the hopes of pardon and forgiveness through him.

Source: Henry, ‘Matthew 3′

==========

… the temptations which befall us are not accidental, or regulated by the will of Satan, without God’s permission; but that the Spirit of God presides over our contests as an exercise of our faith. This will aid us in cherishing the assured hope, that God, who is the supreme judge and disposer of the combat,  will not be unmindful of us, but will fortify us against those distresses, which he sees that we are unable to meet.

Source: Calvin, Matthew 4

Beautiful In Their Season

The ways of God are, we know, all perfect. He is our rock; and his work is perfect: nothing can be added to them, nor taken from them; yea, they are all comely and beautiful in their season. There is not any thing comes out from him, but it is from wonderful counsel; and all his ways will at length be found to praise him.

As in the case of Job, God takes a man whom he hath blessed with choice of blessings, in the midst of a course of obedience and close walking with himself, when he expected to die in his nest, and to see good all his days;—ruins him in a moment ; blasts his name, that he who was esteemed a choice saint, shall not be able to deliver himself from the common esteem of a hypocrite ; slays his children ; takes away his rest, health, and every thing that is desirable to him. This amazes the soul ; it knows not what God is doing, nor why he pleads with it in so much bitterness. A man that either is, or may fall into such a condition, will find that he will never be able to walk with God in it, without humbling himself to the law of his providence.

 

Source: John Owen from a sermon entitled Of Walking Humbly With God, volume 9 of Works, page 113

Hardened hearts

There can be self-hardening by our stubborn unbelief AND there can be God-judicial-hardening for judgment.

God’s people may experience the former. Those who are not God’s people experience both.

Jesus’ emotions

Jesus felt compassion; he was angry, indignant, and consumed with zeal; he was troubled, greatly distressed, very sorrowful, depressed, deeply moved, and grieved; he sighed; he wept and sobbed; he groaned; he was in agony; he was surprised and amazed; he rejoiced very greatly and was full of joy; he greatly desired, and he loved.

Causing my prayers to fall before the LORD

 

(Dan 9:20) Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting ^{[causing to fall]} my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God …

(Jer 36:7) Perhaps their supplication will come ^[fall] before the LORD, and everyone will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and the wrath that the LORD has pronounced against this people.

The posture of the suppliant – his falling down before God – is transferred to his supplication as if it were laid before his feet." ^{(Keil and Delitzsch)}

"The Scripture speaks of prayer, that it rises and that it falls. Both expressions are suitable, though to be understood in a different way; for prayer cannot be rightly offered except man ascends and falls. These two things seem contrary, but they well agree together; nay, they cannot be separated. For in prayer two things are necessary — faith and humility: by faith we rise up to God, and by humility we lie prostrate on the ground. This is the reason why Scripture often says that prayer ascends, for we cannot pray as we ought unless we raise upwards our minds; and faith, sustained by promises, elevates us above all the world. Thus then prayer is raised upwards by faith; but by humility it falls down on the earth; for fear ought to be connected with faith. And as faith in our hearts produces alacrity by confidence, so also conscience casts us down and lays us prostrate. We now understand the meaning of the expression." ^(Calvin)

TULIP

Total Depravity

Unconditional Election

Limited Atonement

Irresistible Grace

Perseverance of the saints

Perhaps below would be a better description

God’s Sovereignty

Radical Depravity

Accomplished Atonement

Called effectually

Eternally Secure

“Consider: if we are actually dead in ours sins (radical depravity), then only God could choose us in Christ (unconditional election), only Christ could atone for our sins (particular redemption), and only the Spirit could draw us to Christ (efficacious grace) and preserve us in him (persevering grace). Therefore, all praise and glory belong to God alone: ‘For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever!’ (Rom. 11:36).
Source: James M. Boice and Phillip Graham Ryken, The Doctrines of Grace (Wheaton: Crossway 2009), pages 32-33.

… in all times … in all cases

“This is the believer’s safety and happiness, that this everlasting High Priest is able to save to the uttermost, in all times, in all cases.”

Source: Matthew Henry