February 20th, 2008 Jeff
God’s Center + Aim of all Scripture + History
I believe that in Jesus all of God’s promises are completed (2 Cor. 1:22). He is the sum and substance of all that is right and true and good, and the great One spoken of in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:44-49). Jesus’ life was governed by His Father’s providence with a view to completing all Old Testament covenants and prophecies concerning the One who was to come (Luke 24:25-26), such as the Seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15: Rom. 16:20), the Prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:18: Acts 3:20-23), the Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4; Heb. 5:5-6), the Son of David (Isaiah 9:7; Matt. 1:1; 22:42), and the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Mark 10:45), et al. He was foreordained and appointed by God in His definite plan to die as a substitutionary atonement for sin (Acts 2:23). All things exist through Him, by Him and for Him (Col. 1:16). In Him and under His authority all things shall be restored to their rightful order (Eph. 1:10).
Posted in Blog, Jesus, Theology | 1 Comment »
February 19th, 2008 Jeff
I’ll be unfolding my doctrinal statement on Jesus Christ over the next few days.
—
I believe Jesus the Christ is Savior and Lord.
Pre-existence + Deity
Jesus Christ is fully God and always has been. He is the Creator of all things (John 1:3; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 1:3), having never been made, for He has no beginning and will never have an end (Heb. 13:8; Rev. 1:8). He is one Person within the eternal Trinity known to us as Father, Son and Spirit. Jesus, the Son, is co-eternal, co-equal in nature in the Triune Godhead, being is the same essence of the Father and Spirit, being of one substance with each [n1]. He is unique in His role to enter human existence and reveal the Triune God to creation (John 1:18).
n1: Argument articulated by Athanasius as derived theologically from Scripture and approved at the Council of Nicea, AD 325.
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February 18th, 2008 Jeff
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
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February 17th, 2008 Jeff
Prayer has two parts:
Petition and thanksgiving.
Petitioning, we lay before God
The desire of our hearts,
Thus seeking from His goodness
What serves His glory,
And then what is useful to us.
In giving thanks, we own
His benefits to us,
With praise confess them,
To His goodness alone
Attribute all our blessings …
Well0night overwhelmed
Are we by the outpouring
Of God’s blessings,
By the many, mighty miracles
Discerned wherever we look.
How then can we fail to turn
In praise and thankfulness
To God? …
Author of all blessings
God truly is;
Receive them we must
All form His hand
With continual thanksgiving.
Make proper use we cannot
Of His benefits streaming down to us
Unless we continually praise Him
And give Him thanks.
– John Calvin, The Piety of John Calvin, by Ford Lewis Battles, p. 97
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February 17th, 2008 Jeff
Guess who’s excited for the Daytona 500 today?
Notice what’s left of his car … he so content to play with a little flat car with four wheels but no body. What a creative little boy!
Posted in Blog, Dutch, Video | No Comments »
February 17th, 2008 Jeff
I got tagged by Just a Guy on one of these meme things for the first time.
—
1. What translation of the Bible do you like best?
- ESV
- NKJV has most often been my version since coming to Christ
2. Old or New Testament?
- Both; they are intended to be one. But if I had to be deserted on an island with one, I’ll go with the New, as long as Psalms are included.
3. Favorite Book of the Bible?
- Romans (Ephesians is second)
4. Favorite Chapter?
5. Favorite Verse? (feel free to explain yourself if you have to)
6. Bible character you think you’re most like?
- Peter (aggressive moron) or Timothy (growing, steady, loyal, he was humble, and I’m journeying on that trajectory)
7. One thing from the Bible that confuses you?
- Why the saints are so quick to turn from the Gospel of Grace to something else.
8. Moses or Paul?
- Paul - descriptions reveal he and I share at least two traits: we are both Christoholics, … and have a unibrow.
9. A teaching from the Bible that you struggle with or don’t get?
- Grace. Stilling swimming in the deep end of it. The Gospel is the pool (for all of life), not just the diving board (just for getting saved).
10. Coolest name in the Bible?
—
Tag, you’re it: Kari, Kris, Tyson + Tracy, Ford + Lindsey, Willie
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February 15th, 2008 Jeff
“… the choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin… Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you. Your being dead with Christ virtually, your being quickened with him, will not excuse you from this work.”
– John Owen, Mortification of Sin
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February 14th, 2008 Jeff
“Wherever we turn in the church of God, there is Jesus. He is the beginning, middle and end of everything to us…. There is nothing good, nothing holy, nothing beautiful, nothing joyous which He is not to His servants. No one need be poor, because, if he chooses, he can have Jesus for his own property and possession. No one need be downcast, for Jesus is the joy of heaven, and it is His joy to enter into sorrowful hearts. We can exaggerate about many things; but we can never exaggerate our obligation to Jesus, or the compassionate abundance of the love of Jesus to us. All our lives long we might talk of Jesus, and yet we should never come to an end of the sweet things that might be said of Him. Eternity will not be long enough to learn all He is, or to praise Him for all He has done, but then, that matters not; for we shall be always with Him, and we desire nothing more.”
– Frederick Faber, as quoted in The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer, ch. 3
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February 13th, 2008 Jeff
Love
God is love. He shows more love than all other beings, for His very nature is love (1 John 4:8). His explicit love was manifest to us in Jesus, God incarnate as a Man to demonstrate this eternal love (1 John 4:9; John 3:16). God’s love does not preclude Him from judgment and punishment on the wicked unbelieving world (John 3:16-19). The love of God is the basis for God’s great acts in history (Psalm 136). Our response to God’s unconditional love is best shown in reflecting His love towards others (John 13:35; 1 John 4:16). He stirs our affections, the very core of our being, to be enabled and desirous of loving Him and others. We love God by enjoying Him more than all else.
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February 13th, 2008 Jeff
Merciful, Gracious and showing Loving-kindness
In His mercy God displays loving-kindness & long-suffering, holding back from giving us what we truly deserve. God has always dealt with mankind in mercy – not punishing us as we deserve. (Lamentations 3:22). Yet His grace goes beyond this, lavishing love and gifts upon those He freely loves (Eph. 1:4-7; 2:8-10; Heb. 4:16).
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