Q. Why does God love you?
A. Because Jesus died for my sins, and gave me His righteousness.

Q. Will God ever stop loving you?
A.  No, because His love endures forever.

Q. What, then, does God require of you?
A. I am to love Him, because He first loved me.

Q. And do you love God?
A. I do, with all of my heart.

Men of sound judgment will always be sure that a sense of divinity which can never be effaced is engraved upon men’s minds.

Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments by Geerhardus Vos
Not always easy reading, but the foundational text of Reformed biblical theology. A must-read.

Paul: An Outline Of His Theology by Herman Ridderbos
A seminally insightful exploration of the structures of Paul’s conceptual world.

According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible by Graeme Goldsworthy
For anyone wanting to understand the “big picture” of the Bible, this is a good place to begin.

Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin, edited by John T. McNeill (2 volumes)
Every Reformed Christian should read this work. Magisterial.

The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship by Robert Letham
An excellent overview of the history and significance of this distinctively Christian doctrine. Clear, well-researched, and worshipful.

By Faith, Not by Sight: Paul and the Order of Salvation by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.
Dr. Gaffin’s exegesis of the New Testament is a model for the church.

Dominion and Dynasty: A Theology of the Hebrew Bible by Stephen G. Dempster
Working from the order of books in the Hebrew Tanakh, Dempster brilliantly uncovers the narrative dynamics and themes of the Old Testament.

God’s Passion for His Glory: Living the Vision of Jonathan Edwards by John Piper
Jonathan Edwards’ Dissertation on the End for Which God Created the World was revolutionary in my personal theological development.

The Confessions by St. Augustine, translated by Maria Boulding
A book (and translation) to be savored.

Word and Church: Essays in Christian Dogmatics I by John Webster
Everyone serious about Reformed theology should read this and Confessing God (below), if for nothing else than to imbibe Webster’s theological method.

Confessing God: Essays in Christian Dogmatics II by John Webster
See above.

Calvin’s Doctrine of the Christian Life by Ronald S. Wallace
A book that, when taken to heart, may properly be described as “life-changing.” I believe it is available as a reprint from Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck (4 volumes)
In my humble opinion, this is easily the greatest work in Reformed dogmatics since Calvin.

Grace and Gratitude: The Eucharistic Theology of John Calvin by B. A. Gerrish
One need not agree with everything to profit much from this delightful study of Calvin’s sacramental theology.

Lesslie Newbigin, Missionary Theology: A Reader, edited by Paul Weston
An anthology of writings from one of the brilliant thinkers and theologians of the 20th century.

The Old Testament Explained and Applied by Gareth Crossley
This would be my first pick to help lay readers understand the Old Testament. A masterful introduction.

The Fabric of Theology: A Prolegomenon to Evangelical Theology by Richard Lints
Anyone concerned about the current state of evangelical theology, and seeking a way forward, should read this book.

Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old, edited by G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson
Those serious about understanding the Bible through the lens of its own self-interpretation should make this their next purchase. Technical at points, but extraordinarily useful.

One brilliant passage from Chapter 3 opened up a whole new world for me.  I say brilliant because it’s logically consistent with the Reformed presuppositional approach to epistemology, and therefore a very powerful argument for the author’s view:

In the New Testament the passage with the most explicit teaching on civil government is probably Romans 13. In that chapter it is explained that political rulers “are ordained of God” (v. 1); “they are God’s ministers” (v. 6) who must reward good and punish evil (vv. 3-4). This raises an important question: by what standard is the ruler to distinguish “good” from “evil”? Clearly, that standard can only be the Bible. How can rulers be God’s ministers and yet not rule according to God’s will? In other words, Romans 13: 1-6 teaches not only that God has instituted civil government, but also that the rulers must govern according to the Word of God. The Bible is not only the exclusive rule of faith and practice for the church, but also for the state. With the Bible being the standard for the civil authorities, it is unmistakable that Christianity is the foundation of the law order, i.e., the established religion in this sense. Romans 13, then, at least in a general way, teaches the necessity of the establishment of Christianity.

I agree with the author’s assertion that there seems to be a rise in political activism among evangelical Christians in the past 20 years.   It’s interesting to think about the biblical warrant for such activity, and Mr. Wagner’s article is a good place to start.