Theology, the World, Life & God-centeredness

Break....

2008-06-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

I am going to be taking a break from blogging for an indefinite amount of time.

Thank you,

HS

Is Jesus God? Part 2

2007-04-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

This is the second post in a series on the Deity of Christ. Again, I am focusing in on the non-gospel New Testament writers. For the next few posts our focus will on the Apostle Paul's understanding of the person of Christ. (Note: I have not figured out how to make the Greek Font appear on blogger. If anyone knows could you post it in the comments section)

Paul
There are several attestations in the Apostle’s writings concerning the deity of Christ. However, due to the nature of this paper we will not be able to give an in-depth analysis of every example. For this reason we will look at a two key texts. First we will examine a text found in Paul’s letter to the Romans. Then we will look at a passage taken from the Paul’s letter to Titus.
Romans 9:5
In Romans 9:5, Paul is continuing a list of privileges that his kinsmen (Israel), according to the flesh, have had. Paul says, “To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” At first glance this seems to be a very straightforward statement regarding Christ’s deity. But is this truly the case? There has been some controversy regarding the above translation. The Greek of Romans 9:5 reads as follows:
w-n oi` pate,rej kai. evx w-n o` Cristo.j to. kata. sa,rka( o` w'n evpi. pa,ntwn qeo.j euvloghto.j eivj tou.j aivw/naj( avmh,nÅ
The key point of contention has to do with “whom” Paul is referring to with the word “qeo.j.” The two options for who “qeo.j” refers to are the Father or Christ. Those who are in favor of “qeo.j” being a referent to the Father would ultimately argue that it is “…‘un-Pauline’ for Paul to refer to Christ as God.” Rather than this verse being a referent to Christ’s deity they construe the grammar so that Paul is saying, “To them belong the patriarchs and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ. God who is over all be blessed forever. Amen.” In other words, those who hold to this position would argue that Paul is giving a doxological response to God the Father after recounting all the rich blessings that Israel has been privileged to have. While there is an element of grammatical plausibility in this interpretation, there appears to be at least two key weaknesses to it as a whole.
The first weakness to this interpretation is that it seems to do violence to the context. Paul is in such an intense state of mourning and grief, for his kinsmen who are rejecting the Messiah, that he could wish that he was cut off from Christ if it meant his countrymen would embrace the Messiah. Thus, it would not seem appropriate for Paul to break out into a doxology in this context. If Paul were to break out into a doxology here it would not be supportive of his grief and anguish. “Both logically and emotionally such a doxology would interrupt the train of thought as well as be inconsistent with the mood of sadness that pervades the preceding verses.”
There is also a second weakness to interpreting “qeo.j” in such a way that Paul is giving a doxological response to the Father. The difficulty with construing the grammar of this verse in this way is that whenever the New Testament writers give a doxological response the word translated “blessed” precedes the name of God. However in this verse “qeo.j” precedes “blessed.” In other words, if Paul wanted to give a doxology in Romans 9:5 he would have employed the typical grammar for a doxology and not used an unfamiliar grammatical structure.
In addition to the weaknesses of understanding “qeo.j” as referring to the Father, there are some tremendous strengths to understanding “qeo.j” as referring to Christ. First of all it makes the most sense of the context. Remember that Paul is in the middle of expressing his tremendous grief “over Israel’s separation from Christ even though they have received divine privileges.” For Paul to “ascribe blessedness to Christ after identifying him with qeo.j fits…into the context since the Messiah sharing the divine nature is the consummation of Israel’s privileges.” In other words, Paul description of Jesus as qeo.j serves to advance the argument he is making by showing that “the climatic privilege of the Israelites is that their Messiah is vastly greater than they had ever dreamed.” Thus, when qeo.j is understood as referring to Christ it “heightens the profundity of Paul’s grief [for] not only have the Jews rejected the Messiah, who is ethnically related to them, they also are spurning one who shares the divine nature with the Father.”
The second strength of interpreting “qeo.j” as being a referent to Christ is that this seems to be the most natural reading of the grammar. Paul ends verse five with the phrase “ o` w'n evpi. pa,ntwn qeo.j euvloghto.j eivj tou.j aivw/naj( avmh,nÅ” The phrase begins with a masculine nominative singular participle (o` w'n). What this means is that the participle that is translated “the one who is” is referring to something else that has a similar case, number, and gender. The most obvious referent in this case would be to the masculine, nominative, singular noun “o` Cristo.j.” In other words, there is no grammatical need to change the subject from “the Christ” that is in the verse to an implied “Father.”
In conclusion, the best interpretation of Romans 9:5 is one that understands Paul to be using the term “qeo.j” as a referent to Christ. The grammar and the context all point to the fact that Paul is making a magnificent statement regarding the person of Christ, namely that He is God. When this text is understood in this way it indeed becomes one of the clearest statements of Christ’s deity in the entire New Testament.

Is Jesus God? Part 3

2007-04-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

This is part three in a series on the Deity of Christ. Today we will examine another description of Jesus of Nazareth from the writings of Paul. Specifically our focus will be on Titus 2:13.

Titus 2:13

The next key text that we will examine from the Pauline corpus comes from the Pastoral Epistles. Specifically we will be examining Titus 2:13 where Paul is giving a reason for believers to live obedient lives. He motivates them by reminding them of their present place in the history of redemption and of the future hope. He says they are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” The main question that we will address in this text has to do with “whether the Apostle Paul intended to refer to one person (Christ) or to two persons (the Father and Christ)…”[15] If Paul is referring to one person then this text indeed becomes a clear affirmation of the deity of Christ. It is the contention of this author that Paul is referring to one person (Jesus Christ) in this verse. This contention is based upon two primary factors.
The first factor for why Paul is referring to one person has to do with the grammar of the verse. The phrase that is translated “Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” comes from the Greek expression “tou/ mega,lou qeou/ kai. swth/roj h`mw/n VIhsou/ Cristou/(.” In the Greek language if there are two nouns connected by the conjunction kai., and the first noun is preceded by an article while the second is anarthrous (“not preceded by the article”[16]) then “there is a close connection between the two [nouns].”[17] If the two nouns in question are “personal, singular, non-proper nouns,”[18] then “the two nouns always refer to the same person.”[19] This is exactly the grammatical construction that we have in this verse. The two nouns are “tou/…qeou” (God) and “swth/roj” (Savior). The first noun has the article (tou/) and the second noun is anarthrous. In addition to this both of the nouns are personal, singular, and non-proper nouns. This means that the two nouns are referring to the same person, namely Jesus Christ (VIhsou/ Cristou/).[20] Thus the grammar of this verse points to an “explicit affirmation of the deity of Christ.”[21]

The second factor for understanding Paul as referring to one person in this verse is that “the New Testament writers consistently speak of in terms that emphasize the manifestation of Jesus Christ in his glory, not in terms that emphasize the glory of the Father.”[22]In fact the word that Paul uses to describe the appearing (evpifa,neia) is always used by him in reference “to Jesus’ second coming and never to God [the Father].”[23] This means that “the appearance of God” that Paul is talking about is the appearance of Jesus.[24]

In light of these factors, (i.e. the grammar that Paul uses and his continual emphasis on the Son’s return) Titus 2:13 is best understood as being yet another Pauline text that affirms that Christ is indeed God.

A Reader's Hebrew Bible

2007-05-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

Zondervan has recently released a new Reader's Hebrew Bible below is a description from the Zondervan website: (Click Here for more information)

Description:
Ideal for Hebrew students and pastors, A Reader’s Hebrew Bible saves time and effort in studying the Hebrew Old Testament. By eliminating the need to look up definitions, the footnotes allow the user to read the Hebrew and Aramaic text more quickly, focusing on parsing and grammatical issues. A Reader’s Hebrew Bible offers the following features: • Complete text of the Hebrew and Aramaic Bible using the Leningrad Codex (minus critical apparatus) • Shaded Hebrew names that occur less than 100 times • Footnoted definitions of all Hebrew words occurring 100 times or less (twenty-five or less for Aramaic words) • Context-specific glosses • Stem-specific glossed definitions for verb forms (Qal, Piel, Hiphil, and so forth) • Ketib/Qere readings both noted in the text and differentiated appropriately • Marker ribbon

(HT: Zondervan via Between Two Worlds)

Funny Exam Answers...

2007-06-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine who is a business professor recently put together a sampling of funny answers that students have given on exams. I found the following four particularly funny:

(HT: Joshua Ayres)

Schreiner on Moo's Romans Commentary

2007-06-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

For those who are building their theological libraries the following article should prove helpful. Dr. Tom Schreiner offers a wonderful review of Dr. Douglas Moo's commentary on Paul's letter to the Romans. Schreiner's review is a great example of a heart that longs for God's people to understand the book of Romans. Rather than feeling "threatened" by Moo's commentary Schreiner commends it and welcomes it with open arms. In my opinion Schreiner and Moo have written two of the best commentaries on Romans in the last twenty-five years. For a similar assessment of these two commentaries by Alex Chediak click here.

God is Good and God is Sovereign

2007-07-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

What would it be like if God were only good but not sovereign? If God were not sovereign then His desire to express goodness would only be mere sentimentality. There would be many times when God wanted to express His goodness but he would be unable to do so because He lacked the ability to do it. What if God were only sovereign and not good? If God were only sovereign and not good then it would be like having a tyrant rule over you who gives no thought or desire for your well being. Thankfully, God is both sovereign and good. These truths are part of the foundation for understanding who God is. Recently as I was reading through the opening chapters of Genesis I was reminded of how clear these truths are expressed. From the very first chapter of the Bible it is assumed that God is and that He has no rivals: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." It is also clear that God is good. This is the point of the continued refrain in chapter 1 of the phrase "And God saw that it was good." If an artist praises his work what is he really doing? Ultimately he is praising himself because he is the one who has created the artwork. This is what is taking place in Genesis 1. Each of the refrains "and God saw that is was good" should be understood to be emphasizing the goodness of God.

So what do these two truths have to do with the above picture? Well, about three weeks ago I had my car stolen. It was eventually found but not until the thieves had managed to completely ruin the car. In addition to losing the car my wallet was in the glove compartment. The thieves used the credit card to purchase several hundred dollars worth of goods. Needless to say this has been a small trial in my life. In the midst of this trial two of the most encouraging things to me have been the twin truths that God is both completely sovereign and completely good. This is what the wonderful promise in Romans 8:28 is all about. There is absolutely nothing that is beyond God's control. There is absolutely nothing that comes into my life that is beyond God's plan. God causes all things to work together for good for those who love him and are called according to His purpose.
Who is it who is control of all things? God. What does He do with every event for a believer? He works them together for good. Nothing that comes into my life is anything except a gracious gift from the hand of my Father! Because my Father is sovereign over all things I need never worry that something is happening to me merely because of an evil decision of man. God is sovereign even over the evil choices of people. God is sovereign over stolen cars and stolen wallets. Because God is good and because God is sovereign I can take great comfort in the midst of this small trial.

Minneapolis Bridge Collapses...

2007-08-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

As most of you have probably heard by now a major bridge collapsed in Minneapolis on Wednesday August 1. As of right now there are at least six reported deaths and numerous injuries. The bridge was a part of Interstate 35W. Before moving to Phoenix last fall I lived in Minneapolis for three years. In fact every day I drove over the bridge on my commute out of the city. I still have numerous friends that live in Minneapolis and my heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones and those who were injured.

How should we think about an awful event like this? Is it a fluke? Is it due to an engineering mistake? Is it a demonic attack? Why were these six people killed? Were they Christians whom the Lord was taking home as an act of mercy? Were they back-slidden believers who were being judged by God? Were they unbelievers who were experiencing God's righteous judgment? Or were those who suffered injury and the loss of their lives made up of a combination of all of the above? There are many questions that will probably never be answered in this life. However, the following six things are at least some of the truths that we should remember when events like this happen so that we are thinking rightly about God and our response:

1. God is absolutely sovereign over all things including collapsing bridges:
Psalm 135:6
Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,in heaven and on earth,in the seas and all deeps.
Psalm 115:3
Our God is in the heavens;he does all that he pleases.
Proverbs 16:33 (God is sovereign even over things that seem random)
The lot is cast into the lap,but its every decision is from the Lord.
Genesis 50:20 (God is sovereign over the evil decisions of man)
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Jonah 1:15 (God is sovereign over people and objects thrown into the water)
So they [the sailors] picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
Jonah 2:3
For you [God] cast me into the deep,into the heart of the seas,and the flood surrounded me;all your waves and your billows passed over me.
Acts 4:27-28 (God is sovereign over the most evil event(s) in history)
For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
2. God is good and uses all things to accomplish His plans and to bless His people
Genesis 50:20
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Psalm 100:5
For the Lord is good;his steadfast love endures forever,and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 106:1
Praise the Lord!Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,for his steadfast love endures forever!
Luke 18:19
"...No one is good except God alone."
3. God Himself does not do evil nor is He tempted by evil
James 1:13
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
4. When an event like this happens we should not pontificate about it in a merely theoretical way. Nor should we think that those who suffered the loss of their lives or other bodily harm are worse sinners than others. In addition to this we should hear the words of Jesus loud and clear in our own lives that we ourselves must repent. In other words, when we see an event like this it gives us an opportunity to evaluate our own lives and turn from all that is evil and dishonoring to God. It gives us a picture of the coming judgment and should stir our hearts to be right with God.
Luke 13:1-5
There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
5. We should weep with those who weep
Romans 12:15
"...weep with those who weep."
6. We should hold out Christ to those around us as the only real hope and comfort in life and death
1 Thessalonians 4:3
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but should provide a helpful starting point for thinking through this horrific event in a God-centered way. May Christ himself bring great comfort to those who have lost family members and those who have been injured.

For another response see this helpful article by John Piper.

Graeme Goldsworhty Resources...

2007-09-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

I recently posted a link to an article by Graeme Goldsworthy on how Christians should view the Old Testament. For those who are interested in learning more about this I would suggest the following three books that he has written. The first book is called "According to Plan" and can be ordered by clicking here. The second book is called "Gospel and Kingdom" and can be ordered by clicking here. The third book is one of my favorite books and is called "Preaching the Whole Bible As Christian Scripture." In this book, Goldsworthy shows how a Christ-centered hermeneutic is important when preaching the Old Testament. If you are wanting a very simple and straight forward explanation of Goldsworthy's thesis I would suggest "God's Big Picture" by Vaughn Roberts . This book is an easy read but not as in depth as Goldsworthy. While Goldsworthy's books are more in depth they are fairly straight forward and also easy to read.

Commentaries on The Gospel of John

2007-10-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Denver Seminary has put together a helpful bibliography on the major New Testament commentaries. Their suggestions for commentaries on the Gospel of John are listed below. (My comments are in blue)

Those marked with an * are particularly recommended by Denver Seminary

Keener, C. S. The Gospel of John: A Commentary, 2 vols. Peabody: Hendrickson, 2003.

*Köstenberger, A. John (BECNT). Grand Rapids: Baker.

Borchert, Gerald L. John, 2 vols (NAC). Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1996-2002.

*Carson, D. A. The Gospel according to John (PNTC). G.R.: Eerdmans, 1991. (Carson is one of the best Evangelical commentators. He is a top notch academic who writes in a way that is extremely helpful for lay leaders and pastors alike. His work on John's Gospel is outstanding. If you can only purchase one commentary on John then get this one.

Kruse, C. G. The Gospel according to John (TNTC, rev.). Leicester: InterVarsity, 2004.

Morris, L. Commentary on the Gospel of John (NICNT). G.R.: Eerdmans, 1995.

Ridderbos, H. L. The Gospel of John. G.R.: Eerdmans, 1997.

*Burge, G. M. John (NIVAC). G.R.: Zondervan, 2000.

Witherington, B., III. John's Wisdom. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1996.

Whitacre, R. A. John (NTC). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1999.

Recommended Book...

2007-10-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

The following book by John Frame should be a great resource for helping people better understand the teaching of the Bible. It could be a great tool for training lay leaders and/or using in a small group setting. Click here to learn more about this book.

The publishers describe the book in the following way:

"Beginning students of theology and church leaders looking for a theological refresher or teaching tool will welcome this remarkably clear introduction to the doctrines of Scripture. In an almost conversational style, Salvation Belongs to the Lord explores all the major biblical truths, explains key terms of systematic theology, and reflects on their implications and connections under the lordship of Christ."

Spiritual Depression

2007-10-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wake up and feel depressed? Do you ever feel discouraged by the thoughts running through your mind? In his book Spiritual Depression Martyn Lloyd-Jones offers the following helpful advice for those struggling with depression:

The main trouble in this whole matter of spiritual depression in a sense is this, that we allow our self to talk to us instead of talking to our self. Am I just trying to be deliberately paradoxical? Far from it. This is the very essence of wisdom in this matter. Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they start talking to you, they bring back the problem of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. Who is talking to you? Your self is talking to you. Now this man's treatment [in Psalm 42] was this; instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself, 'Why art thou cast down, O my soul?' he asks. His soul had been repressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says: 'Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you'. Do you know what I mean? If you do not, you have but little experience.

The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: 'Why art thou cast down'--what business have you to be disquieted? You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself: 'Hope thou in God'--instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: 'I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my God'.

Click here to learn more about the book

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures, pp. 20-21.

(HT: Between Two Worlds)

A Great Children's Book...

2007-12-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine from Minneapolis wrote this wonderful children's book a few years ago. This would make a great Christmas present for those with kids or grandchildren. WTS is currently making the book available for 30% off. Click Here to learn more about the book.

Another Gift Idea

2007-12-18T20:34:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a Christmas present for someone who likes to read good books (or perhaps you are trying to figure out what to buy me for Christmas:) ) then might I suggest N.T. Wright's masterpiece on The Resurrection of the Son of God.

Great Book Deal!

2008-05-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Story of Christianity by Justo L. Gonzalez is on sale for $12.99 (76% off retail price of $55) at the following website. For those of you who are not familiar with this book it is a good historical overview of Christianity. Gonzalez writes in a very easy to read and engaging style. If you are wanting to get a good grasp of Church history then this is a great place to start.

Opera Music: My Favorite Singer

2007-06-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

Words that wound. The Word that heals.

2008-09-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

As someone who knows all too well the destructive power of words, I was greatly encouraged by this short Paul Tripp video:

(HT: Abraham Piper)

Grudem Piracy Confirmed

2008-06-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

I can now confirm that Grudem's Systematic Theology has been put on line illegally. I apologize for the initial link as I should have confirmed its internet release with Grudem before posting it online. Below is an update from the publisher:

"Stolen Property"

It has recently come to the attention of Wayne Grudem and myself that an illegal copy of his "Systematic Theology" has been posted on the Internet and that word of this, along with links to the site where the illegal copy is posted, has found its way to many Christian blog sites. I am working with Dr. Grudem to contact all sites that have links to this illegal copy of his book to ask them to remove the links immediately.

Dr. Grudem and I jointly hold the copyright to all electronic versions of his "Systematic Theology." My company, Bits & Bytes, Inc., is the publisher of the Libronix, PC Study Bible, Pradis, and Olive Tree versions of this book. Posting a complete copy of "Systematic Theology" online is intellectual property theft -- a federal crime. Posting a link to the illegal copy or a link to a link is at the very least directing people to stolen goods.

On behalf of Dr. Grudem and myself, we respectfully request that all links to, and all links to links to, the illegal copy of "Systematic Theology" that is on the Internet be removed from all Christian blog sites.

Thank you for honoring this request.

Sincerely,
John Hughes, President

www.bitsbytescomputer.com
johnhughes@centurytel.net

(HT: Adrian Warnock)

Thursday with Calvin

2008-06-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

"All the things that make for the enriching of this present life are sacred gifts of God, but we spoil them by our misuse of them. If we want to know the reason why, it is because we are always entertaining the delusion that we will go on forever in this world. The result is that the very things which ought to be of assistance to us in our pilgrimage through life, become the chains which bind us." -John Calvin

Disappointing Update on Grudem's Systematic Theology

2008-06-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

It appears that the online version of Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology may have been posted without the permission of the publisher. If you want more details on the story click here. Until it can be verified whether or not it has been put online legally I have disabled the link in my previous post and would ask you to consider not visiting the site. Thank you and sorry for the confusion.

Some Audio for Your Commute and the Gym

2008-06-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

Some audio messages for your commute and the gym:

1) C.J. Mahaney--The Troubled Soul: God's Word and Our Feelings

2) Tim Keller--Changed Lives, Inside Out Living, and How to Change

3) Sam Storms--The Supremacy of Christ

Monday with Augustine

2008-06-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

"How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose! ... You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place, you who are sweeter than all pleasure."

--Augustine

(HT: Monergism)

Misunderstanding Justification by Faith

2008-06-06T05:10:00.000-07:00

There is an understanding of faith in our day that is so lifeless and devoid of any spiritual affection that it ceases to be real faith. It disheartens me that there are those who advocate a "gospel" that requires no level of delight in the person of Christ. A.W. Tozer saw this tragedy taking place in the church several decades ago and says it much better than I can:

"The doctrine of justification by faith--a Biblical truth, and a blessed relief from sterile legalism and unavailing self-effort--has in our time fallen into evil company and been interpreted by many in such manner as actually to bar men from the knowledge of God. The whole transaction of religious conversion has been made mechanical and spiritless. Faith may now be exercised without a jar to the moral life and without embarrassment to the Adamic ego. Christ may be `received' without creating any special love for Him in the soul of the receiver. The man is `saved,' but he is not hungry nor thirsty after God. In fact he is specifically taught to be satisfied and encouraged to be content with little."

Quote of the Day

2007-04-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

“The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.”

- Timothy Keller, The Reason For God (New York, NY: Dutton, 2008), 181.

Reflections on the Cross

2008-06-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

“Every time we look at the cross Christ seems to say to us, ‘I am here because of you. It is your sin I am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying.’ Nothing in history or in the universe cuts us down to size like the cross. All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousness, until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is here, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size.”

- John Stott, The Message of Galatians (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1968), 179.

(HT: Of First Importance)