Martin Luther thought that the heart of religion lies in the pronouns: “The Son of God gave himself for me.” By way of contrast, modern evangelical theololgians often give pride of place to the preposition: “in, into, with, and through Christ.”
Death and Resurrection
For Paul, the work of Christ does not establish a union with humanity in general but rather for a distinct group: “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25)
Union with Christ
Believers have even now been incorporated into the consummation of their union with Christ in the eschaton: “future glory . . . will be nothing other than the continued unfolding of the riches of our union with Christ.”
Theism vs. Atheism
Nor can the Uncaused Cause of theism be identical with the material universe, as many atheists believe. As ordinarily conceived, the cosmos or material universe is a limited and spatio-temporal system. It is, for example, subject to the Second Law of Thermodynamics and thus is running down. But an Uncaused Cause is unlimited and not running down.
Theism vs. Pantheism
The Uncaused Cause of Theism is not the God of pantheism. Pantheism affirms that an unlimited and necessary being exists but denies the reality of limited and finite beings.
Theism vs. Polytheism
The Uncaused Cause of theism is distinct from the many polytheistic gods, for there cannot be more than one unlimited existence as such. More than the Most is not possible. Such a Cause is Pure Actuality, and Actuality is unlimited and unique.
Theism vs. Finite Godism
God must be infinite (in contrast with finite godism), since per the cosmological argument every finite thing needs a cause. Hence, the Cause of all finite things must not be finite.
“How is Jesus the only way to God?”
One of the most common questions we both receive is, “How can you say Jesus is the only way to God?”. Many criticise Christianity for its exclusivity, but Christians are not the only group claiming to have the truth.
The gospel crucial in NT theology?
Many Evangelicals today think of the good news, or gospel, as an explanation of the steps an individual must take to find salvation in Christ. But this wasn’t the idea that
Jesus had in mind.
Unfolding Kingdom
In the beginning, God visibly displayed his kingship in the Garden of Eden. He put the first human beings in that sacred garden and commissioned them to extend his visible kingdom throughout the world. They were to fill and subdue the earth as royal and priestly images of God. But Satan led Adam and Eve into a major setback for the kingdom.