Classical Covenant Theology

The subject of reading the Book of Romans came up: Romans is called the cathedral of Holy Writ, and to see that you have to see it in relation to all of Scripture (seeing the parts in relation to the whole is a definition of understanding), and, beyond the complete readings of Scripture needed for that Classical Covenant Theology, which is Calvinism, or, Reformed Theology in its 'whole cosmos' presentation, gives you the foundation from eternity, and pillars which reach to celestial heights, and the deep, oceanic background of the complete, epic arc of the plan of redemption.

Classical Covenant Theology is not easy to get the measure of in a quick way, but once you do - assuming one has the ability to 'see' that the Spirit of Truth gives one - you begin to see the whole of redemption. This is the vision the magisterial reformers had in them, and indeed is the vision all of God's elect eventually acquire as the Spirit of Truth enables them and guides them in developing understanding of God's Word and biblical doctrine and themselves and the world and the devil and God Himself and all His Creation...

When you are God-centered and not man-centered the doctrines of Grace (i.e. the TULIP of Calvinism), the five solas, and Classical Covenant Theology can be seen. They reorientate you internally, when seen and accepted, from being man-centered to being God-centered. The carnal man (the flesh man, the 'old man' the man of sin) is vanity, and worldly pride, and self-will and lives to indulge self-righteous indignation and resentment and violence and refuses to recognize anything higher than himself. See this in yourself. See how man-centered doctrine plays to this carnal nature in you (i.e. see how the devil plays to this carnal nature in you). Arminianism (which Roman Catholic doctrine is as well) can be seen as being in trivial conflict with Calvinism, yet it's not trivial when you see the stakes involved in terms of the difference being doctrine that is man-centered and catering to your carnal nature and demands and doctrine that is God-centered and assaulting your carnal nature and refusing its demands. To connect with the Kingdom of God you have to be reoriented internally from getting your 'lifeforce', so to speak, from the devil's kingdom to getting it from above you. This calls for faith and repentence. Faith: recognition of chain-of-command (and the real Commander-in-Chief, King Jesus, Jehovah, the Triune God above you); and repentance: new thinking that constantly is watchful to not go with and indulge the demands and resentments and thinking of the old carnal nature.

The devil's kingdom puts you to sleep. It is a palace of illusion and it provides you a powerful drug to keep you a tame slave (sex, pilgrims, in all its wide array of manifestation...not just in the actual act of sex).

You'll justify anything when under the powerful illusions and drug of the Kingdom of Satan. It's painful to awaken from it. As you awaken you become conscious of being in...a prison. It's a difficult awakening. And you are ignorant and weak. You need the Word of God and you need the Savior. Then you need to get your bearings and become a persevering soldier of the Living God, running your race and building yourself up in the faith, and making for the ultimate destination: glorification and eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

Addendum: If one takes the Word of God seriously and values it as the very Word of God then one has to admit that fornication is hit on over and over and over. A person reading it says, "Come on, Paul, always going on and on against fornication!" Paul knows that sex is the controlling drug, or agent, of the devil's kingdom. If you don't have control of it, it has control of you. Paul is talking about control, afterall. Fornicators won't get into the Kingdom of God, neither will drunkards. But do you think he refers to anybody who has ever gotten drunk? Of course not. The same with fornication. Paul isn't saying anybody who has ever engaged in fornication will not get into the Kingdom of God. He says fornicators will not get into the Kingdom of God. I.e. people who are under the control of their sexual drive and lust rather than having control of it. This is a serious and foundational subject for a Christian. You can't allow yourself to be ignorant of sex and your own sexual nature and lusts, and at the same time you can't allow your sexual drive and lusts to have control of you. You need knowledge of it all, and you need self-command regarding it. Without either you are its victim. You are under its control and that is a main trait of a prisoner in the devil's kingdom. (And sex is more than just the act: it's the very medium and motivation and exchange of the devil's kingdom and is as present in any seeming non-sexual gathering of people as it is in an alcohol-soaked bar or party.) Don't mock when you see Paul mentioning fornication, and don't write it off as quaint and outdated (or as something that it's not possible to follow). It's fundamentally a question of understanding and control. You need to have understanding of sex, and you need to have control of it. Otherwise it will have control of you, and that is what will keep you out of the Kingdom of God regarding fornication. I.e. being under the tyranny of your lusts (rather than having awakened understanding and self-command of your lusts) will just simply mean you are still in the devil's kingdom. By default.