Sunday Hymn: Hark, My Soul, It Is the Lord

Hark, my soul, it is the Lord!
’Tis thy Sav­ior, hear His Word;
Jesus speaks, and speaks to thee,
Say, poor, sin­ner, lov­est thou Me?

“I de­li­vered thee when bound,
And, when bleed­ing, healed thy wound;
Sought thee wan­der­ing, set thee right,
Turned thy dark­ness into light.

“Can a wo­man’s ten­der care
Cease to­ward the child she bare?
Yes, she may for­get­ful be,
Yet will I re­mem­ber thee.

“Mine is an un­chang­ing love,
Higher than the heights ab­ove,
Deeper than the depths be­neath,
Free and faith­ful, strong as death.

Thou shalt see My glo­ry soon,
When the work of grace is done;
Partner of My throne shalt be:
Say, poor sin­ner, lov­est thou Me?

Lord, it is my chief com­plaint
That my love is weak and faint;
Yet I love Thee, and ad­ore:
O for grace to love Thee more!

—William Cowper

Theological Term of the Week: Systematic Theology

systematic theology
The theological discipline that seeks to summarize what the whole Bible teaches us on any particular subject.

• From Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung:

Systematic theology is a specific type of theology, having its own method and structure. If historical theology looks at how doctrine has developed over centuries, and natural theology examines what can be known about God by reason and observation, and biblical theology traces big themes across the redemptive storyline of Scripture, systematic theology organizes doctrine logically around topics and questions (page 8).

Systematic theology is not the only way Christians can learn about God’s word, but is one invaluable way. It builds on the insights of church history and seeks to defend the historic doctrines of the church. Systematic theology helps us put together the whole counsel of God. Even more importantly, it helps us see more of God. Our goal must never be the bare minimum amount of knowledge necessary to get us into heaven. We want to move from platitudes to particulars, from generalities to technical terms and concepts, from seeing the hills of God’s glory to seeing the mountains of God’s glory. That’s why we study, why we learn, and why we need systematic theology (page 9).

Learn more:

1. GotQuestions.org: What is systematic theology?
2. Paul Smalley: Is Systematic Theology Helpful?
3. Monergism.com: What is the difference between Biblical Theology and Systematic Theology?
4. Gerald Bray: Systematic Theology
5. Michael S. Horton: Who Needs Systematic Theology When We Have the Bible?

Related terms:

• anthropology
• biblical theology
• christology
• eschatology
• pneumatology
• soteriology
• theology proper

Filed under Theological Categories

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Sunday Hymn: O For A Closer Walk With God

O for a clos­er walk with God,
A calm and heav­en­ly frame,
A light to shine up­on the road
That leads me to the Lamb!

Where is the bless­ed­ness I knew,
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul re­fresh­ing view
Of Je­sus, and His Word?

What peace­ful hours I once en­joyed!
How sweet their me­mo­ry still!
But they have left an ach­ing void
The world can nev­er fill.

Return, O ho­ly Dove, re­turn,
Sweet mes­sen­ger of rest;
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn
And drove Thee from my breast.

The dear­est id­ol I have known,
Whate’er that id­ol be
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
And wor­ship on­ly Thee.

So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and se­rene my frame;
So pur­er light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.

—William Cowper