Biblical Talks with Elder Michael Tolliver Podcast
When the term Reformed theology is used, it often refers to something less historical. Often it refers to a theology that acknowledges the doctrine of predestination and holds to a high view of the Bible as God’s inerrant Word. Sometimes it is also identified with the so-called five points of Calvinism: total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints. These are all important teachings of the Reformed tradition, but they do not fully encapsulate or describe Reformed theology.
A better starting place is five statements that have been called the five solas of the Reformation. These five solas (sola is the Latin word for “only” or “alone”) are sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), sola fide (faith alone), sola gratia (grace alone), solus Christus (Christ alone), and soli Deo gloria (God’s glory alone). Put together, these solas clearly express the central concerns of the Protestant Reformation, which was about worship and authority within the church as much as it was about individual salvation. The “alone” in each is vital, and they emphasize the sufficiency of God’s Word and the gracious nature of salvation, received by faith alone, in Christ alone. The last of the five solas, soli Deo gloria, is the natural outworking of the first four. It reminds us that Reformed theology understands all of life in terms of the glory of God. To be Reformed in our thinking is to be God-centered. Salvation is from the Lord from beginning to end, and even our existence is a gift from Him.
Biblical Talks with Elder Michael Tolliver Podcast
A Spotlight on the Scriptures: From Nothing to Everything
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A Spotlight on the Scriptures: Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Most ancient stories start with chaos. Conflict. A cosmic brawl between good and evil. And out of that mess—accidentally, incidentally—comes the earth. A leftover. A by-product. And the so-called gods? They didn’t create. No, they rearranged. They reshaped. They worked with what was already there. Clay in their hands, but no breath in their lungs. No power to speak a thing into being.
But Scripture tells a different story. A holy story. A sovereign story.
In the beginning—God.
Not gods. Not forces. Not fate. God. Elohim. The Supreme One. The Self-Existent One.
He didn’t borrow. He didn’t build from scraps. He didn’t inherit a mess and try to make it beautiful. No—He spoke. And when He spoke, galaxies spun into motion. Time bowed. Space stretched. Matter obeyed. With one word, He made everything out of nothing.
In the beginning—God.
Before there was a sun to shine, He was light. Before there was a sky to stretch, He was majesty. Before there was a man to breathe, He was life.
So don’t get it twisted. The universe is not an accident. Creation is not a compromise. The earth is not a leftover. It is the handiwork of the Most High. The canvas of the Creator. The stage for His glory.
In the beginning—God.
And if He started it, He sustains it. If He spoke it, He’ll finish it. If He made it out of nothing, He can make something out of you!
This is a Spotlight on the Scriptures
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Reading Genesis One One
Ancient Myths Versus Scripture
The Power Of Divine Speech
Creation’s Purpose And Assurance
Closing Exhortation
SPEAKER_00This is a spotlight on the scriptures. Genesis 1 and 1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Most ancient stories start with chaos and conflict. A cosmic fight between good and evil. And out of that mess, accidentally or incidentally, comes the earth. A leftover, a byproduct, and the so-called gods. They didn't create, no, they rearranged, they reshaped, they worked with what was already there. Clay in their hands, but no breath in their lungs. No power to speak a thing into being. But the scripture tells a different story, a holy story, a sovereign story. In the beginning, God, not gods, not force, not fate. God, Elohim, the Supreme One, the self-existent one. He didn't borrow, he didn't build from straps, he didn't inherit a mess and try to make it beautiful. No, no, he spoke. And when he spoke, galaxy spun into emotions. Time bowed down, space stretched, matter obeyed. With one word, he made everything out of nothing. In the beginning, God, before there was a sun to shine, he was light. Before there was a sky to stretch, he was majesty. Before there was a man to breathe, he was life. So don't get it twisted. The universe is not an accident. Creation is not a compromise. The earth is not a leftover, it is the handiwork of the Most High God, the canvas of the canvas of creation, the stage for his glory. In the beginning, God. Now, if he started it, he can sustain it. And if he spoke it, he'll finish it. If he made it out of nothing, surely he can make something out of you. This is a spotlight on the scriptures.
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