WCF 10.3 speaks of 'other elect', "incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word," who are regenerated, and saved by Christ, through the Spirit. W.G.T. Shedd argues this includes the unevangelized.

There were no full books exploring this approach. Now there is:

We are all historically conditioned, and cannot possibly take our stand outside of history.

—Louis Berkhof, 'Systematic Theology'

The law therefore remains as the rule of our duty; but abrogated as to its federal nature; nor can it be the condition by the performance of which man may acquire a right to the reward.

—Herman Witsius, 'Economy of the Covenants'

I cannot emphasize enough: without due process it is impossible to say whether someone has violated the law or not.
Due process is a basic guarantee of individual liberty.

There's a saying "sunlight is the best disinfectant" but sometimes you're dealing with weeds

But he that sows lies in the end shall not lack of harvest, and soon he may rest from toil indeed while others reap and sow in his stead. Ever Melkor found some ears that would heed him, and some tongues that would enlarge what they had heard…

—J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion

It was a perspective shift for me when I finally realized that the reason DOGE keeps focusing on “waste” more than ”fraud” is that many people hear them as functionally synonymous, but “fraud” is violations of current laws; while “waste” is spending with which the administration disagrees.

... But by this point it is really clear that behaviour I consider to be petulant, irrational, whiny, self-pitying, and contemptible are by them viewed to be expressions of peak masculinity. I genuinely can't tell what is happening here, I am really not sure where the disconnect has arisen or why.

I am perennially fascinated by this aspect of the current moment. The people most invested in masculinity as a political project have an idea of it that seems bizarre to me. Not just in the sense of: I disagree with them about what would be good. Obviously. But it's more than that...

It feels like we’re Abraham, bargaining with God in vain.

“But Lord, if you found only ten righteous men…”

Hi Nick!
That's not true!
Power of the purse belongs with Congress! You can do something about this if you and other reps... you know, do your job!

ONE WEEK and I'm praying, "God please give me grace for the abjectly stupid."

To "do unto others as you'd have done to you" requires stepping into their shoes, feeling their feelings, seeing with their eyes, in order to know how we'd want to be treated if we were them

There is no other word for this save 'empathy'. Empathy is what our Lord demands from us

Empathy is part and parcel to the biblical ethic, so says our Lord: "Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Mt 7:12

One cannot fulfill this command except in empathy. To reject empathy is to reject the Law, the Prophets, and our Lord.

Merry Christmas from the Reformers!

Fun fact: The Gregorian calendar came after the deaths of Luther & Calvin. They'd have used the Julian calendar, and today is Dec 25th on the Julian calendar.