to give us eternal life instead of eternal condemnation. American revivalist Johnathan Edwards summed this idea well in his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” If we see the cross as an angry God and Jesus as satisfying His tyrannical wrath, however, we’ve confused God with the devil and thus miss the beautiful truths that took place on Calvary.
In my last post, I discussed God’s heart-throbbing desire to dwell among us—within the cavern of every human heart and by design throughout the vast creation.…
Though we cannot fully explain it, we all hunger for connection and a sense of belonging. We all desire intimacy. It is fundamental to who we are. This is why relationships touch us so deeply and why nothing hurts as much as losing love. Perhaps we feel this deep yearning for love because we are made to seek God, who likewise yearns for us. Such desirous love can only be satisfied by being joined in a deeply meaningful relationship. God desires that we draw close, allowing Him to dwell with us, but we give this up for lesser loves. By estranging ourselves from an infinite God and His infinite love, we’ve lost the most important love of all.
Why would God approve of animal sacrifice? If He’s so compassionate as to notice even the smallest sparrow fall, why does He sanction the wholesale slaughter of innocent cows, sheep, and goats?
I have encountered many authoritative Christians who seek to control people and situations by strictly adhering to rules, demanding the “right” answers, and correcting those who…
Believing in a judgmental God can be dangerous. Assuming that God demands an ethic of retribution not only gives a penal flavor to our theology but also encourages zealous violent retribution by cultivating its justification.
Powerful truths are sometimes found in small things, yet we often fail to notice and appreciate them because they are so small. God gave His people a small symbol to help them understand profound truths about Him. From the divinely revealed details of the altar of incense within the Old Testament tabernacle we learn that powerful factors for good can seem small.
Years ago, I attended a class at a missionary training school in the heart of Oregon. The Bible teacher wrote the Greek word “hilasterion” on the white board and asked the class what it meant. His next question was whether redemption carries a propitiatory dimension.
I’m not really into music as a form of entertainment. Though I like music, I tend to listen only when I encounter an especially good composition or a song that really touches me and makes my heart soar.
When you hear the word “gospel,” what image comes to mind? Although the word “gospel” (euangelion) is translated from the New Testament, the concept of “good news” finds its expression in the Old Testament.
