Self-Examination in Reformed Practical Theology
score:2
I have read a lot of the Puritans and those that follow them and have as a result I do practice a lot more self examination. However, I have not found in my reading that this was necessarily a major topic for them. On the other hand I tend to find it threaded throughout their works in a more natural way. It was simply a part of the Christian life for them. There are however some specific works on the topic which Kazark has noted in his answer.
Among the Puritans I have personally found that the writings of Jeremiah Burroughs, Jonathan Edwards and Thomas Watson have had the greatest effect in driving me to self examination. Particularly Burrough's Gospel Fear and Gospel Conversation.
The Puritans would have looked to the self examination of Paul Phil 3:12 and his exhortation to the Corinthians to do the same 2 Cor 13:5 as well as other passages.
Their view of examination tends to be an encouragement with two prongs. First examine your heart. Do you love Christ. More specifically do you love the Christ of the Bible. Do you love the God who is both a consuming fire who will eternally damn sinners in hell as well as the loving Father who will save his Children from their well deserved fate.
Second, examine your actions. Does this love of God break forth in acts of love to the brethren, to the needy, and to all our neighbors.
Upvote:3
So far I have found the following works, but have not had time to study them:
- The address on self-examination in Discourses Suited to the Administration of the Lord's Supper by John Brown
- The Necessity of Self-Examination by Jonathan Edwards (apparently in audio form here)
- Practical Religion by J. C. Ryle
I also found these sermons, but have not studied them yet either:
- One by Joel Beeke, who has saturated himself in the Puritans.
- A series which seems to be about Richard Baxter's treatment of self-examination, by a man I'm unfamiliar with
- One by Charles Spurgeon, a Reformed Baptist with close affinities to the Puritans (this is a transcript)
I also intend to look up the relevant passages in Calvin's Institutes, his commentaries, and John Gill's and Matthew Henry's commentaries. I intend to report further...
More post
- 📝 Is Cyrus the Messiah?
- 📝 What is the theological justification for my pastor friending gay men on Facebook?
- 📝 Why do churches often have altars?
- 📝 Why did Elisha curse children?
- 📝 What does the perpetual virginity of Mary add to our salvation?
- 📝 According to proponents of Sola Scriptura, what are examples of logical contradictions between doctrines from the Bible and LDS sacred books?
- 📝 Why do priests celebrate Mass versus populum (toward the congregation) at most Masses in the Ordinary Form?
- 📝 Do we Give our life to Christ or receive Christ's Life?
- 📝 Does Modern Science's Law of Causation come to the aid of Christianity's Doctrine of Creation, exposing a flaw in Atheism's plank of "No Cause"?
- 📝 Looking for a passage in the Old Testament
- 📝 How often do missionaries report encounters with demonic activity while deployed to countries belonging to the 10/40 Window?
- 📝 Why do Christians appeal to personal gain and inducing fear when attempting to "convert" people?
- 📝 Does Catholic Church have any dogma about h*m*sexuality?
- 📝 How can Catholics who adhere to Eucharistic Miracles claim the distinction between substance and accidents?
- 📝 Proverbs 14:4 - What does this mean?
- 📝 How does the LDS church explain billions of people being saved over almost 2000 years without the church needing to be restored?
- 📝 What is the Catholic Church's position on recreational marijuana use?
- 📝 According to the Catholic Church, do conjoined twins have two souls?
- 📝 How do Aquinas and Hooker differ in their doctrine on communion?
- 📝 According to Catholic doctrine, is every woman that has an abortion automatically going to hell?
- 📝 How did Pascal reconcile his wager with 2 Corinthians 9:7 and Psalms 50?
- 📝 St. Gregory the Great quote on how intellectual work is physically exhausting?
- 📝 What is the origin of the idea that Miriam, sister of Moses, was a virgin?
- 📝 Why are sandals considered to be unholy?
- 📝 According to Catholic Church, does John the Evangelist mention the same individual Jews at 8: 31 and 8:59?
- 📝 Can a bishop allow Marriage between cousins?
- 📝 How to reconcile the number of people that went down to Egypt with Jacob?
- 📝 Will Agnostics and Atheists go to Hell? (Catholic)
- 📝 What are the differences/distinctive between the Anglican and Episcopal churches?
- 📝 Is Artificial Intelligence being applied to Christian Doctrine and to Scriptural Interpretation?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Self-Examination in Reformed Practical Theology
- 📝 According to Reformed Theology do non-trinitarians go to hell?
- 📝 How does Reformed Theology reconcile Jesus' meaningful temptation and impeccability?
- 📝 According to Reformed Baptist theology when did the Church begin?
- 📝 According to reformed theology, does reformed theology fall apart if one removes the doctrine of predestination?
- 📝 How does Reformed Theology consider passages that may imply that God is the "subject of sufferings"?
- 📝 According to Reformed theology are the Psalms suitable preaching/prayers/songs for Christians?
- 📝 Do the reformed theology adherents believe that a believer should not "converse with" or "pray to" or worship the Holy Spirit?
- 📝 How does reformed theology view hypnosis?
- 📝 According to Reformed Theology how can God judge us if we are born sinful?
- 📝 According to Reformed Theology how can we saved by Grace 'Alone' and Faith 'Alone'?
- 📝 Are there disagreements between Reformed Theology and the teachings of A.W. Tozer?
- 📝 In Reformed Theology what mechanisms and practices does God provide a believer to help fight temptation?
- 📝 What are the main differences between Reformed Protestant Biblical Theology and Covenant Theology?
- 📝 What theological teachings of Watchman Nee, Witness Lee, and the Local Churches differ from Reformed Theology
- 📝 In Reformed theology or Reformed churches what does the confirmation "ceremony" do?
- 📝 How does reformed theology reconcile the universal resurrection with limited atonement
- 📝 Covenants and reformed theology
- 📝 What is the difference between Reformed and Presbyterian
- 📝 How would Reformed Christians deal with h*m*sexual marriage of individuals prior to their conversion to Christianity?
- 📝 What are the practical applications of "two will become one flesh"?
- 📝 Did Martin Luther believe the Church needed to be reformed before the Great Schism of 1054AD, or after?
- 📝 What is the significance of Jesus' baptism for a theology of baptism?
- 📝 According to reformed theology, why are certain important doctrines not "obvious"? [i.e. why does the Westminister Confession even exist?]
- 📝 Origin of the Reformed "Marks of the True Church"
- 📝 How does the Filioque affect Reformed Protestant theology?
- 📝 How do Reformed Baptists view Dispensationalism?
- 📝 What did Luther consider to be novel in his theology of creation?
- 📝 How do Reformed Churches justify applying the 4th commandment to the Lord's Day?
- 📝 Luther's "Two Kingdoms" Theology