The theology of the Holy Spirit entails three profound areas of focus: his deity, his work as Life-Giver, and Teacher. Firstly, the Holy Spirit is recognized as true God. This divine essence shines through from the very outset of Scripture, where the Spirit of God is seen moving over the waters during creation (Genesis 1:2). … Continue reading The Holy Spirit: Divine Creator, Life-Giver, and Teacher
God’s Unshakeable and Unborrowed Joy: Rediscovering Divine Blessedness
Imagine a happiness so complete, so fulfilling, that it casts no shadow and no darkness could effect it. Imagine a joy so profound it permeates every fiber of your being, a wellspring of contentment untouched by life's inevitable storms. That's the essence of divine blessedness, a concept that once held a central place in Christian … Continue reading God’s Unshakeable and Unborrowed Joy: Rediscovering Divine Blessedness
Theology on the Cross: Exploring Psalm 22 and the Cross
”My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” If our reading ventures no further than Matthew 27:46, we may begin to see Christ as totally alone and rejected as he bore the penalty of sin. However, this understanding is more difficult as we venture further into Scripture. Jesus’ Cry and Psalm 22 While on … Continue reading Theology on the Cross: Exploring Psalm 22 and the Cross
Does God the Son Rank Lower Than God the Father???
Since there is one divine essence (Deut 6:4; Js 2:19), there is no division or submission in the divine Persons. The Father, Son, and Spirit exist and act with one undivided and inseparable substance. The entire Trinity shares the same honor, authority, power, eternity, and mind. The Father, Son, and Spirit have no distinction in … Continue reading Does God the Son Rank Lower Than God the Father???
Resolved for God’s Glory
Perhaps your conviction for your 2024 resolutions is already diminishing. It happens every year, doesn’t it. We mean well, but by January 10th, we are usually right back where we were. In 1722 when he was only 19, Jonathan Edwards made 70 resolutions that still receive a great deal of attention. Edwards was later appointed … Continue reading Resolved for God’s Glory
Christ: the Center of Life
Despite humanity’s cosmic treason and divine curse, God promised the Savior. The seed of woman would crush the Serpent’s head (Gen 3:15). Humanity hoped for and searched for their coming Savior. “As Eve did at the birth of Cain (Gen. 4:1), so Lamech saw in Noah a man whom the Lord had given him and … Continue reading Christ: the Center of Life
Participate In God?
I remember when Super Mario first came out. Nintendo had this great game design which so many almost immediately loved to play. But Mario didn’t have his own existence. Mario, Luigi, and Princess Toadstool only “existed” because they were designed by Nintendo and actualized by electricity in my living room. Apart from higher beings, there … Continue reading Participate In God?
God Shapes Without Being Shaped
God is the first cause. We find this claim in Genesis 1:1--there was only God and then God created everything that has been created. Paul said, "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created … Continue reading God Shapes Without Being Shaped
There is One God and God is One
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” (Deut. 6:4). Stephen Charnock wrote, “Where there is the greatest unity, there must be greatest simplicity; but God is one. As he is free from any change, so he is void of any multitude.”[1] Being pure spirit (Jn. 4:24), God is not … Continue reading There is One God and God is One
Blessed Trinity
Blessedness requires “(1) the absence of all evil, (2) the possession and presence of all good in the highest good, and also (3) the enjoyment of it, that is, the sense of it and a repose and joy in it.”[1] However, in God these attributes exist perfectly. Divine blessedness, according to van Mastricht, involves: the … Continue reading Blessed Trinity
Donnie's Dogmatics 