The Statement on SJ&G Explained: Article 2, The Imago Dei
God is the origin and source of all things, He defines them, and gives them meaning.
The Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel, after proclaiming the highest view of Scripture, affirms, briefly but forcefully, the reality of the creation of mankind, all ethnicities, all tribes, all peoples, in the imago Dei, the image of God. While this affirmation would have been supercilious only a few centuries ago, today, especially in Western... Continue Reading
10 Things You Should Know about the Most Famous Verse in the Bible
John wants us to reflect in our hearts upon the immeasurable character of so great a love, and that we do so by placing in contrast, one over against the other — God and the world.
What is the finite sum of mankind when set opposite the infinitude of God? As B. B. Warfield once said, we could as well measure the strength of the blacksmith by declaring him capable of supporting a feather on an outstretched palm! The primary force of this text is certainly to magnify the infinite quality... Continue Reading
God the Father: A Name Is More Than a Metaphor
Leaving aside the problems of presenting the Father bodily (Ex. 20:4), the manifestations of the Father seen in The Shack are carefully calibrated in order to meet the perceived needs of Mack.
The themes of the book are heavy, at times harrowing, and inescapably theological, though they are presented in such a way that the reader can forget it is indeed a work of theology. The theological themes touched on include the character of the church, the problem of evil (theodicy), the nature of revelation, the depiction... Continue Reading
What is Natural Revelation?
The Bible teaches that God made all creation and has put His attributes on display for us in it.
We call this “natural” revelation because it is something that God has made known in creation. This does not mean that the creation is God but only that God makes creation to reflect aspects of His glory. We can also call this “general” revelation because it goes out to all people. Everyone can see and... Continue Reading
Disillusioned with Jesus
John’s disillusionment with Jesus is surprising because of course, John was the one who recognized the voice of Jesus’ mother, Mary, while John was still in the womb.
There is no question that John knew who Jesus was. The question he is asking Jesus is about what Jesus was doing. In effect, John is saying to Jesus, “Why are you are not acting like the Messiah?” It would be similar to hiring a plumber to fix your pipes. When the plumber arrives, he... Continue Reading
That is Revival
Throughout Lloyd-Jones’ life and ministry, his conviction regarding the crucial importance of revival––and of preaching about it––never wavered.
Revival is, therefore, more than the rededication of believers; it is also the awakening, or quickening, or impartation of spiritual life to the unregenerate. Additionally, we may also identify revival as the conversion of sinners to salvation in Christ. Quite significantly, these two meanings (rededication and regeneration) appear in the spiritual and scriptural concept of... Continue Reading
Rebuilding Parental Authority
I believe the responsibility for much of this lies at the feet of parents.
In the way we structure our lives, we repeatedly, though maybe unconsciously, give up our role and unwittingly give it over to others. Much of our time is spent occupying our children and reacting to them, rather than engaging them in relationship. Our kids are in school all day and then involved in sports, lessons,... Continue Reading
We Won’t Miss Anything in the New Creation
In his book Miracles, C.S. Lewis addresses this concern and offers an analogy I think is helpful for allaying our worries.
Jesus’ teaching that those who will be resurrected to eternal life “neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Matt. 22:30) has often led to wonder (and/or panic) about what embodied existence without one of the greatest of physical pleasures humanity knows will be like. In the 1980s, a... Continue Reading
Living for God
Too often in our time, beliefs associated with the name of Calvin have been identified with the lecture hall and the academy.
Sometimes the impression can be given to other Christians that we regard “Calvinism” as coterminous with Christianity and that we think all gospel preaching can be fitted into the five points. The five points are not to be depreciated, but God is incomprehensibly greater than our understanding, and there are other truths to be preached... Continue Reading
A Prayer for Revolutionaries
This is indeed a radical prayer. We must not take this petition lightly.
The Lord’s Prayer is for those who hold firmly that Jesus Christ has inaugurated a kingdom, has risen from the dead, reigns at the right hand of God, and is coming again to judge the living and the dead. The Lord’s Prayer is for revolutionaries, for men and women who want to see the kingdoms of... Continue Reading