August 3, 2008

This is the first message in a series of messages on what it means to be both reformed and charismatic. These are Christian distinctives that you don't often find in combination. Each has its own particular stereotypes and its own unique tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses; we believe that at their best, both positions are biblical, and our goal will be to capture and embrace the strengths of both as we see them in Scripture. In the way that reformed believers approach Scripture, one of their particular strengths is to emphasize the truth, authority, infallibility, sufficiency, and God-breathed nature of Scripture. Scripture is God's word to us and it is our source of truth and it is our authority in all matters of life and death. Scripture is to serve as the one objective measure by which we judge all other subjective matters of experience. In the way that charismatic believers approach Scripture, one of their particular strengths is to emphasize the effect that Scripture is to have on us and the proper response that we are to have. In our reading of Scripture, God is communicating not merely truth to us, but also encouragement, comfort, and hope, as well as warnings and admonition. Scripture is to cause us to grow in joy, contentment, peace, and humility. It is to change us, bring wisdom to our foolishness, and speak to every area of our lives. Fortunately, we do not have to choose between these two! We are to eagerly study Scripture as our source of truth, and we are to hungrily apply that truth to our lives as we grow in faith and affection for God, resulting in worship toward him.