About

You know, there are so many blogs and websites out there with a certain religious or "Christian" perspective or with a certain theological axe to grind, that I decided to go ahead and throw my hat in the ring and create Redeemed and Reformed, with the following three-part emphasis in mind:

First, like other evangelical sites worth their salt, I wanted to keep in sharp focus the fact that you and I, being born into this world in a natural, sinful state of condemnation (by default), are redeemed back to God only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, by his death, resurrection and ascension into heaven.  And that this feat of redemption is accomplished only by God, through the pure and simple Gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to the Scriptures alone, for the glory of God alone (the five-fold "credo" of the Reformers: Solo Christo, Sola Gratia, Solo Fide, Sola Scriptura, Soli Deo Gloria).

Second, the "world-and-life-view" that undergirds and informs the faith perspective of this site is the Biblical theology of the Old and New Testaments, something I think is most faithfully and consistently expressed in the evangelical doctrines of grace that came out of the Reformation (which, in my opinion, began in the 16th century and is still going on!) as well as from the centuries of doctrinal battles and councils and discussions and debates that came before and since.

Specifically, I think the sound exposition and prudent application of God's Word to all areas of life, are best exemplified in the teaching and pastoral ministry of John Calvin, the preeminent reformer and pastor of Geneva.  Calvin is a unique figure in history. Not to exclude all the other great figures like Luther, Augustine, etc. It's just that he has had such a disproportionate (huge!) influence, not just in the area of theology but also political theory, in terms of our ideas of representative government, democracy and even establishing a biblical basis for free-market economics.

But I won't go too deeply into those aspects of Biblical Christianity or the practical outworking of "Calvinism" in the different spheres of modern life, culture and history -- mainly because, (a), I'm NOT a theologian, scholar, historian or a pastor (or even a seminary student).  I'm just a rank-and-file Christian who has grown to love and appreciate sound theology and the profound lessons of history -- His story -- and, (b), because this is a BLOG, not a 63-volume commentary!

I will be happy, though, to address these issues and topics as they relate to the theme of this site.  No doubt I'll end up referring you to relevant books, articles, websites and media files for you to do further reading and research on your own.

Believe me, there are plenty of modern-day writers, pastors and teachers who are very much worth getting to know, whose works have influenced my life and shaped and enhanced my own understanding of the Bible and how to apply it and my Christian faith to every area of life.  You'll find me directing you to them on a regular basis to find out what they have to say.

Third, the long-term perspective of this site is an optimistic one since it is based on an optimistic eschatology ("last things"), one that is utterly CONFIDENT of the ultimate success of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on earth in time and in history, and the gradual (at times slow), worldwide expansion of the kingdom of God prior to the Lord's return.

This biblical optimism and assurance of the progressive, ultimate triumph of the Gospel during Christ's present heavenly reign and prior to His visible return to earth is known in theological circles as "postmillennialism" -- meaning his return to earth comes after his millennial reign.  This view has been called an "eschatology of victory" (J. Marcellus Kik) and an "eschatology of hope" (Keith Mathison).  And I'll get more into that a little later.

By the way, that perspective alone makes my blog different from about 90% of the Reformed/Calvinist-leaning blogs and websites out there.  Which is fine by me because I wanted a REALLY GOOD theological USP (unique selling proposition)!

I'll cover the postmillennialism issue more in depth later, especially why I think it is scriptural, and how Calvin himself showed a strong leaning towards this view in his writings, sermons and commentaries, and how, up until the 20th century, postmillennialism was the historic Reformed position, before amillennialism and premillennialism gained the upper hand.

For now, suffice to say that I do NOT accept the popular -- and in my opinion, unbiblical -- eschatology of "doom and gloom" and DEFEAT and escapism that has infected modern evangelical (and too many Reformed) churches.

All of this will become a little more clear (I hope) as the site unfolds.

So, please... BE PATIENT!

Thanks.