“But why didn’t God, when sin entered the world, simply squash Satan and his legion and finish the battle? Why does he put up with, even actively join the fight against, such rebellion when he could stop it at any time? The only answer we have to such questions is that all things are still working to and for his own glory, even though sin has ruined his creation (Rom. 11:36). Everything that happens, happens according to his all-wise and perfect plan” (K. Scott Oliphint, Covenantal Apologetics: Principles and Practices in Defense of Our Faith, 32).

“The word “condemned” in Romans 8:3 recalls the words from verse 1, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This is a reference to the reality of justification. (“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn?” [Romans 8:33-34, ESV].) The Son of God became flesh so that the “condemnation” of sin might be on him (who had no sin). That is, he bore our condemnation. We are now viewed as free from condemnation “in Christ” (v. 1) when we are united to him by faith” (John Piper, Counted Righteous in Christ: Should We Abandon the Imputation of Christ’s Righteousness?, 79).

“Being saved is not some individual achievement, not the result of some flash of personal insight, nor the securing of life’s sense of meaning, although all of that may happen in the process of praying this prayer. Salvation is the delightful surprise of having your little life caught up in the purposes of God for the whole world. Salvation is having your life bent toward God when all you thought you were doing was memorizing a little prayer” (William H. Willimon & Stanley Hauerwas, Lord, Teach Us: The Lord’s Prayer and the Christian Life, 21-22).

“The Bible claims to be the word of God; it speaks in his name, it assumes his authority” (Charles Hodge, The Way of Life: A Handbook of Christian Belief and Practice, 17).

“[T]he essential teachings of Christianity is that God has a plan for man and the world. We are bound to believe that history is not a haphazard conglomeration of chance events which are going nowhere. We are bound to believe that there is some divine far off event to which the whole creation moves and that when that consummation comes Jesus Christ will be Judge and Lord of all. The Second Coming is not a matter for speculation and for illegitimate curiosity; it is a summons to make ourselves ready for that day when it comes” (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 14).

“Who would you rather listen to: someone who has been around the world three times on a oil freighter, or someone who never came out of his basement – even if he had really sweet bandwidth down there?” (Douglas Wilson, Wordsmithy: Hot Tips for the Writing Life, 66).

“We eat, sleep, make love, shake hands, hug our children out of habit. Some things in life are too important to be left up to chance. Some things in life are too difficult to be left up to spontaneous desire – things like telling people that we love them or praying to God. So we do them “out of habit.” Thus, in the church we generally do the same things over and over again, week after week, telling the same stories and singing the same songs” (William H. Willimon & Stanley Hauerwas, Lord, Teach Us: The Lord’s Prayer and the Christian Life, 18).

Even Calvinism seems to have gotten back its groove.  According to TIME, the “New Calvinism” is one of the top ten trends changing the world today.  Collin Hansen’s description—and title of a book explaining the phenomenon—says it pretty well: “Young, Restless, and Reformed.”[2]  While it’s exciting to see many younger folks digging into the doctrines of grace, the “restless” part works against the “Reformed” bit.  Like all movements, the “New Calvinists” often display a greater interest in making it up as they go rather than wrestling with the actual confessions, concerns, and convictions of churches that have forged their consensus through a long conversation.  There is more to being Reformed than “five points.”  

In many ways, it’s more fun to be part of movements than churches.  We can express our own individuality, pick our favorite leaders, and be swept off our feet at conferences.  We can be anonymous.  Although encouraged by like-minded believers, we are not bound up with them so that we should feel compelled to bear their burdens or suffer their rebukes. Yet this movement-mentality keeps us restless and makes ordinary life in and submission to an actual church seem intolerably confining.

“The one basic mistake in Christianity is to regard Jesus as someone who lived and died, and whose life we study and whose story we read. Jesus is not a figure in a book. He is a living presence, and the Christian is the man whose whole life is a witness to the fact that he knows and has met the Risen Lord” (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 10-11).