Only the Spirit of God can make a person inwardly certain of the truth of divine revelation.
~Herman Bavinck~
Reformed Dogmatics Vol. 1: Prolegomena (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Academic; 2003) p. 562.
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George Whitefield – The Fall of Man
28 Aug
The Fall of man is written in too legible characters not to be understood. Those that deny it, by their denying, prove it. The very heathens confessed and bewailed it. They could see the streams of corruption running through the whole race of mankind but could not trace them to the fountain-head. Before God gave a revelation of his Son, man was a riddle to himself. And Moses unfolds more in this one chapter (out of which the text is taken) than all mankind could have been capable of finding out of themselves, though they had studied to all eternity.
~George Whitefield~
The Sermons of George Whitefield (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2012) Sermon #1: The Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones – Redemption From Beginning to End
27 Aug
We have taken a kind of synoptic view of the biblical doctrine of redemption. We have looked at it in general. We have surveyed the whole landscape, as it were. We have looked at it from beginning to end, and have seen that God in His kindness and love and mercy and compassion, and in His infinite grace, looked upon men and women when they deserved nothing but hell and destruction, and gave them the promise of their wonderful redemption that would finally be consummated in His own eternal Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Therefore to Him, and to Him alone, must of necessity be all the praise and all the honour and all the glory!
~Martyn Lloyd-Jones~
The Great Doctrines of the Bible (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2003) Chapter 19: Redemption: The Eternal Plan of God
George Whitefield – Glad Tidings
26 Aug
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.
– Genesis 3:15
Reading to you these words, I may address you in the language of the holy angels to the shepherds that were watching their flocks by night, ‘Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy.’ For this is the first promise that was made of a Saviour to the apostate race of Adam. We generally look for Christ only in the New Testament. But Christianity, in one sense, is very near as old as the creation. It is wonderful to observe how gradually God revealed his Son to mankind. He began with the promise in the text and this the elect lived upon till the time of Abraham. To him, God made further discoveries of his eternal council concerning man’s redemption. Afterwards, at sundry times and in divers manners, God spoke to the fathers by the prophets, till at length the Lord Jesus himself was manifested in flesh and came and tabernacled amongst us.
~George Whitefield~
The Sermons of George Whitefield (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2012) p. 45.
John Calvin – The Witness of the Holy Spirit
24 Aug
For even if it [Scripture] wins reverence for itself by its own majesty, it seriously affects us only when it is sealed upon our hearts through the Spirit. Therefore, illumined by his power, we believe neither by our own nor by anyone else’s judgment that Scripture is from God. But above human judgment we affirm with utter certainty (just as if we were gazing upon the majesty of God himself) that it has flowed to us from the very mouth of God by the ministry of men.
~John Calvin~
The Institutes of the Christian Religion (Louisville, KY; Westminster John Knox Press; 1974) 1.7.5.
Old Guy Top 5: John Calvin
23 Aug
Interested in reading more from John Calvin or learning more about him?
Below is a list of 5 of the best works by Calvin or books written about him.
Here we go:
1. The Institutes of the Christian Religion
How could this not be number 1? One of the foundational theological works ever produced. Calvin completed the initial version in latin in 1536, subsequently completed it in French in 1541, and completed the final editions in 1559 in Latin and 1560 in French.
Definitive translation which collates all earlier editions: Hardback | Paperback
Translation of the 1536 Latin Edition: Paperback
Translation of the 1541 French Edition: Paperback | Kindle
Translation Based on the Latin including thought from French:
Hardback | Kindle | PDF
2. Calvin’s Commentaries 22 Volume Set
These are Calvin’s sermons that cover almost every book of the Bible.
Hardcover Set | Kindle | Crossway Classics | Individual Volumes| Geneva Commentaries |PDF
3. Calvin’s Tracts and Letters 7 Volume Set
Long unavailable there are 3 volumes of tracts and 4 volumes of Calvin’s letters and correspondence.
Hardcover Set | Select Letters | Kindle
4. John Calvin: Pilgrim and Pastor
Written by Robert Godfrey this short 200 page biography is a great starting point for those wanting to learn more.
5. John Calvin: A Biography
This final biography is one of the classics written by T.H.L. Parker.
Paperback | A Portrait of Calvin PDF
Have a different opinion?
Share with us your favorites in the comments below!
Jonathan Edwards – Loving Like Jesus
23 Aug
He [Christ] thus loved us without any expectation of ever being requited by us for his love. He did not stand in need of anything we could do for him, and knew that we should never be able to requite him for his kindness to us, or do anything towards it; for he knew that we were poor, maimed, halt and blind, empty needy vagabonds, who could only receive from him, and could render nothing to him. He knew that we had no money or price; that instead of receiving anything from us, he must give us all things that we needed, or we should be eternally without them. Now how far shall we be from a selfish spirit, and how contrary to it, if we love one another after such a manner, or if there be the like spirit of love in us towards others which was in Christ towards us. Our love to others will not depend on their love to us; but we shall do as Christ did to us, love them, though enemies. We shall not only seek our own things, but we shall be in our hearts so united to others that we shall look on their things as our own. We shall look on ourselves interested in their good, as it was in Christ towards us. We shall be ready to forego and part with our own things in many cases for the things of others, as Christ expended and was spent for us. And these things we shall do without any expectation of being requited by them, as Christ did such great things for us without expectation of any requital from us.
~Jonathan Edwards~
Charity and Its Fruits: Living in the Light of God’s Love (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2012) p. 175-176
Martin Luther – No Holy Spirit, No Salvation
22 Aug
I believe that I cannot, by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me by his gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in the true faith. In the same way, he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian Church he daily and richly forgives all my sins, and the sins of all believers. And he will raise up me and all the dead at the last day, and he will grant eternal life to me and to all who believe in Christ. This is most certainly true.
~Martin Luther~
Historical Theology (Grand Rapids, MI; Zondervan Books; 2011) Chapter 20: The Holy Spirit.
Jonathan Edwards – Christ Spent Himself For Us
21 Aug
Christ, as it were, spent himself for us. Though we were enemies, yet he so loved us that from love to us he had a heart not only to look at our things, but to spend his own things for us, to forego his own ease and comfort, and outward honor, and to become poor for us. “For even Christ pleased not himself; but as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me” (Rom. 15:3). And not only so, but to spend himself for us, to spend his blood, to offer up himself a sacrifice to the justice of God for our sakes.
~Jonathan Edwards~
Charity and Its Fruits: Living in the Light of God’s Love (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2012) p. 175
Charles Spurgeon – A Prayer Before Preaching
20 Aug
May the great and gracious Spirit, who is the only illumination of darkness, light up my mind whilst I attempt, in a brief and hurried manner, to speak from this text.
~Charles Spurgeon~
Spurgeon’s Sermons
The Old Guys 