A good friend emailed me and others an article on Orthodoxy versus Protestant Evangelicalism. It was a great article, and my friend concluded, It was very informative and fair.  After reading it, I must say that I am still vigorously Reformed on issues of God's sovereignty, human depravity, and scripture."

To be frank, I was enlightened and inspired. Yet the article triggered a reaction in my heart which I want to share here:

I'm right there with you on those reformed beliefs you hold...although many reformed guys today overemphasize human depravity and under-emphasize human responsibility which I think feeds the lack of reaching out to people far from God. In our reformed conversations we make sure we include "human depravity" and "God's sovereignty" but why don't we also say, "humans' responsibility"?

The one big issue I differ is this statement: "His verbal revelation is true and reliable, and the preaching, teaching, and meditative study of it comprise the prime channel of God's grace." I agree with the first half, the second half is NOT supported by Scripture. Yes, the preaching, teaching, and study of Scripture are most certainly channels of God's grace, but where does the Bible call them the PRIME channels? I'm convinced this reflects more of the Enlightenment era's love for information than it does the Bible.

Scripture continually and repeatedly emphasizes the importance of serving others, loving sinners, relationship and example, and in particular, social justice, never at the expense of the gospel but as an incredibly vital expression of the gospel. In all respect to my reformed friends out there, many of them have fallen more in love with knowledge than Jesus, doctrine than people, and truth and doctrine do not hold equal par with love. They get more excited about a new book or course in a seminary class than they do the next opportunity to have someone over for a meal or to pay rent for someone who's penniless.

Truth and doctrine are to serve love, for many will stand before Jesus some day with right thinking but cold hearts...Jesus judges our works not our theology (look at every "judgment" passage). Theology matters only in so far as it helps us to know and serve God and people.

Ok, it wasn't meant to be a sermon but it did stir me up.

Thank you, my reformed friends, for letting me rant a bit.
Seth