Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

One of the things that I appreciate most about Reformed doctrine is the glory that it gives God.  Reformed doctrine does not only recognize that God delights in lovingkindness;  Reformed doctrine recognizes that God also delights in justice.  Jeremiah 9:23-24.  And so, when God administers justice by His punishments, the Reformed are not baffled and sad as if there is an aberration in the world and as if God is defeated.  Rather, although the Reformed may tremble at the terrible power of God, they understand the righteousness of God and know that God accomplishes all of His good pleasure including the administration of justice.  

 

The Reformed understand the total depravity condition of man.  They are not surprised when man rejects Christ.  They do not believe in a god who is impotent to save.  They do not believe in a god who defers to “the alleged free-will of man” and just hopes that man will accept him.  They do not believe in a god who suffers defeats and disappointments.   

 

However, the Arminians have a very different view of God as stated by Augustus Toplady in his article “The god of Arminianism”:  “Very different is the idea which Scripture gives us, of the ever-blessed God, from that of those false gods worshipped by the heathens; and from that degrading representation of the true God, which Arminianism would palm upon mankind. Our God (says this Psalm, verse the third) is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he pleased. This is not the Arminian idea of God: for our free-willers and our chance-mongers tell us, that God does not do whatsoever he pleases; that there are a great number of things, which God wishes to do, and rags and strives to do, and yet cannot bring to pass … Is their god the Bible-God? Certainly not. Their god ‘submits’ to difficulties which he ‘cannot help’ himself out of, and endearours to make himself ‘easy’ under millions and millions of inextricable embarrassments, uncomfortable disappointments, and mortifying defeats. …” 

 

The Reformed believe the “Total Perfect Triumph” God of Scripture such as stated in Isaiah 46:9-11: 

“Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘ My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure‘;
Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.”