Lux Vita Caritas - Light Life Love

Pastor Timothy Keller died in May 2023, one of his gifts was an ability to communicate the Christian faith with love and compassion.  Among the many famous quotes, are these:   “[These are] Christianity’s unsurpassed offers—a meaning that suffering cannot remove, a satisfaction not based on circumstances, a freedom that does not hurt but rather enhances love, an identity that does not crush you or exclude others, a moral compass that does not turn you into an oppressor, and a hope that can face anything, even death.”    “Everything in the Hebrew worldview militated against the idea that a human being could be God. Jews would not even pronounce the name ‘Yahweh’ nor spell it. And yet Jesus Christ—by his life, by his claims, and by his resurrection—convinced his closest Jewish followers that he was not just a prophet telling them how to find God, but God himself come to find us.”     “When you come to Christ, you must drop your conditions. You h...

One of the perplexing questions many people grapple with is: If Jesus is indeed God and the embodiment of love, why do some Christians appear so judgmental? To delve into this, we must first understand the essence of Christian faith through a few key biblical passages. John 3:16 (ESV) tells us, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Similarly, 1 John 4:16 (ESV) asserts, "So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." Moreover, 1 John 4:8 (ESV) states, "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." ### The Motivation Behind Sharing Faith At the heart of Christianity is the profound transformation that believers experience through knowing Jesus. This transformation compels Christians to share the gospel—not out of a desire to judge, but from a place of ...

Syncretism, as defined by Wikipedia, is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. For Christians, the purity of their faith as taught by Jesus is of utmost importance. This is why they have developed Creeds—statements summarizing essential Christian truths. ### The Role of Creeds in Christianity The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed are among the most well-known and widely accepted Creeds. These Creeds serve as foundational summaries of Christian beliefs, encapsulating the core tenets of the faith handed down by Jesus and his apostles. Tim Keller often emphasizes that these Creeds are not just historical documents but living testimonies of faith. They provide a concise framework that helps Christians understand and articulate their beliefs, ensuring that the teachings remain consistent with the original gospel message. ### Summarizing Biblical Teaching In addition to Creeds, Christians have created detailed summaries of biblical teaching. One ...

We live in the midst of a sexual revolution that asserts homosexuality as normal, yet traditional Christian teachings consider it to be a deviation from God’s design for human sexuality. Pastor John MacArthur is a prominent voice in explaining the biblical stance on this issue. ### The Biblical View of Homosexuality According to Scripture, homosexuality is viewed as perverse, abnormal sexual behaviour. The Bible consistently presents sexual relations as intended to be between one man and one woman within the covenant of marriage. Verses such as Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, and Leviticus 18:22 clearly articulate that homosexual behavior is contrary to God's design and commandments. John MacArthur emphasizes that this stance is not based on personal prejudice but on the authority of Scripture. Christians believe that all forms of sexual immorality, including homosexuality, are sins that separate individuals from God. ### The Transforming Power of the Gospel Despite the Bible...

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) In Greek and Hebrew it reads: Λέγει αὐτῷ ‹ὁ› Ἰησοῦς “Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή· οὐδεὶς ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα εἰ μὴ δι’ ἐμοῦ.   John 14:6 Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The ONLY way. It follows, then, that salvation and the knowledge of God cannot be found in any other worldview or religion. Not Islam, not Judaism, not Roman Catholicism, not Hinduism, not Buddhism, not Confucianism, etc. ### Jesus as Lux Vita Caritas Why then do we speak of Jesus as Lux Vita Caritas (Light Life Love)? ### Lux (Light) The Lux, or Light, refers to Jesus being the ultimate Truth. He illuminates our understanding and restores us to God. Just as a light in the darkness shows the way, Jesus shows us the way to God and exposes the reality of our condition and need for salvation. ### Vita (Life) The Vita, or Life, refers to the eternal life found in Jesus alone. He...

The theology of our total depravity is central to the Gospel, a truth that many resist but is essential for understanding our need for God's grace. Jonathan Edwards, the famous Puritan preacher, powerfully articulated these doctrines in his works. Most people wrongly believe they can contribute to their salvation and that they are essentially good. Edwards challenged this notion, emphasizing that "all mankind are by nature in a state of total ruin." This ruin extends to every part of our being, making us utterly incapable of contributing to our salvation. As Edwards wrote, "The corruption of the heart of man is great. There is in the heart of man a great deal of pride, a great deal of self-righteousness." ### God's Sovereign Work in Salvation In summary: You can only be born again when the Father draws you, the Holy Spirit quickens you, and the Son frees you. Edwards emphasized the necessity of divine intervention: "A natural man has no ability or dispo...

In Roman Catholicism salvation has to be merited.   The Bible promises salvation to those that repent (turn away from their sinful ways), believe in and follow as Lord, the One whom God has sent, Jesus.   The true Gospel teaches that the Lord is our Righteousness and that He imputes His righteousness to us when we believe in Him and what He has done for us in atoning for our sins. We are spiritually transformed when we believe.  We are moved from Death to Life. Roman Catholicism teaches an utterly different and false gospel based on good works.  It is simply not Christian.   The Word of God teaches clearly that salavation is by Faith alone, in Christ alone and by Grace alone.     The Word of God is to be our only guide in all matters pertaining to life and salvation, yet in Roman Catholicism it is taught that the traditions of the Roman Catholic church are of equal weight to God's Word and that the teachings of the Pope are infallible and without ...