I love reformed theology. I think its flipping awesome and more than that I think it is what the bible teaches. I have been enjoying the teachng of some great reformed preachers, such as CJ Mahaney, John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Joshua Harris and Ammanford’s very own Jonathan Thomas. They all have different personalities, and they have different styles, but they are reformed in their theology.
However, I tend to feel bad when I say I am a reformed Christian. Why? I guess it is because of the connotations it brings. Dry and dusty. Boring. Judgemental. And the worst of them all…legalistic.
The problem I have is that none of those connotations have any place in reformed theology. Reformed theology is about grace, it is about Jesus, it is about his glory. There is no place for self centred legalism, or boring saints. There is real liberating joy in reformed theology.
One doctrine I am loving at the moment is ‘Adoption.’ It is a wonderful doctrine. I, a sinner, am not only forgiven by God, but I am loved by God. I am brought into his family. I can speak with him, share my worries with him. I have his Spirit within me. How you can look at this as say its boring I do not know.
I guess our biggest problem is the way we present this truth, and at this point I want to turn your attention to Joshua Harris. There are two things I want to point you to. Firstly, I want you to listen to this sermon that he preached on Humble Orthodoxy. You can find it on this website.
The second thing is a book that Jonathan Thomas has been going on about for what feels like a month…but it’s probably been only two weeks. It’s called dug down deep, or something like that anyway, by Josh Harris again.
Both look at how we need to be humble with the truth. After all, it is God’s truth not ours. We shouldn’t act like jerks but we should be gentle. Not expecting everyone to agree with us, and maybe even conceding being wrong on occasions.
am Jamie, and I am a Christ follower. I love Jesus but more importantly he loves me and made the ultimate sacrifice of his son so that all the things I have done, and will do, have been forgiven. And now I know God, and I pursue to know him more. Motivated and transformed by his grace I live for God, to glorify him by enjoying him.
the shed 
Amen!
Massively mate! How someone can be TRULY reformed and still be bored or legalistic is an oxymoron.
AMEN
Have a listen to talks from some UCCF SW team days last year:
http://thebluefish.org/2008/02/humble-orthodoxy-uccf-south-west.html
Haven’t actually listened to them all yet, but I’ve just got Dug Down Deep which I’m looking forward to reading.
unbelievable, giving Dave Bish some advertisement. Haha just joking Matthew, will check it out. Hoping to read Dug Down Deep, I hear there are some cartoons in it!
So boys, be humble with the truth