Theology for Everyday Life

We are entirely dependent on God’s self-revelation to know anything about Him, and anything beyond what He chooses to reveal remains His secret (Deut. 29:29). We can only ever know what God discloses to us, and if He had not spoken, we could not know Him at all.  

I’ve written the first post, God Has Spoken, for a series on Theology for Everyday Life at the True Woman blog. 

Heidelberg Catechism

Question 21. What is true faith?

Answer: True faith is not only a certain knowledge of the truth of all that God has revealed to us in his word, (a) but also an assured confidence, (b) created by the Holy Spirit (c) in my heart through the gospel, (d) that not only to others, but to me also, God has freely given forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness, and salvation, (e) out of mere grace, only for the sake of Christ’s merits. (f)

(Click through to see scriptural proofs.)

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Linked Together: Apologetics

Worldview
I’m waiting by the mailbox for my copy of What’s Your Worldview?: An Interactive Approach to Life’s Big Questions by James N. Anderson. Here’s a related series of posts in which Anderson explains what worldviews are and why they’re important (Crossway Blog): 

1. What in the World Is a Worldview? 

   Worldviews are like belly buttons. Everyone has one, but we don’t talk about them very often.

2. The Importance of Worldview Awareness 

   If we’re going to engage effectively both with individual unbelievers and with non-Christian belief-systems, it makes good sense to do so in terms of their underlying worldviews.

3. Why Think of Worldviews?  

   When we’re trained to think in terms of worldviews, we’re better equipped to challenge unbelievers at the root of their beliefs and actions rather than at the surface level … . 

4. What It Takes to Make a Worldview
   

   In teaching on this subject I’ve found it helpful to use a simple acronym—TAKES—to break down a worldview into five basic areas or subdivisions.

5. Added 2/5/1: 5 Ways to Discern Someone’s Worldview

There will also be a fifth post, the final one. I’ll update this with a link when it happens.

Bible and Science
I also recently listened to one of James Anderson’s lectures, Can I Trust the Bible Over Evolutionary Science?, from the Reformation Conference at Shiloh Presbyterian Church—and recommend it, too. (All the lectures from the Reformation Conference are here.)