ProtestantBeliefs.com

Salvation. God is salvation. Jesus is God. Jesus is salvation. Jesus is both the object and subject of salvation; both the electing God, and elected human. Jesus is with and for us and in us before we are in Him. Jesus first became human that we might become human in Him. Jesus is the Godward to human and humanward to God movement of the triune life for the world; even as He is, without the world. Jesus, in the triune life, freely chose to not be God without us, but with us. Jesus was and is, first, Deus incarnandus (the…

  Everyone in the United States has certain rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution, regardless of immigration status. Given the heightened levels of uncertainty and fear in communities, noncitizens and citizens alike may require even greater accompaniment and comprehensive support during this time and months ahead. Depending on someone’s individual circumstances it may make sense to talk to a lawyer for more specialized assistance. The resources listed below can help communities stay generally informed, prepared, and united in support of immigrant neighbors. Note: This information is not a substitute for advice from a lawyer. Laws may vary by state.  …

Catalyst Question When you think of words like “education” or “school,” what comes to mind? Witnessing a New Era Merry Christmas! Now, you might be thinking, “How was Jesus forn was just a few days ago, and now already he’s a 12-year-old?!” Rather than a mutant-like growth pattern, a la Marvel’s X-Men, this is simply a reflection of how little scriptural material addresses Christ’s childhood. Even so, it’s remarkable how normal this childhood appears. In Luke 2:41-42, we find Jesus in school. Not exactly like the middle school that today’s 12-year-olds attend, but a school quite common for the day:…

Merry Christmas! Incarnation and Atonement; these are of apiece as we celebrate the coming of the Son of Man as a babe in a manger. The trajectory of His freely elected life to be us that we might be Him, by grace, through union with Him, in His vicarious humanity for us, is a cruciform trajectory that first confronts us in the womb of Mary; and then in the wood of the manger. He was born that we might have life, and that more abundantly. He became God with us, Immanuel; not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit….

Catalyst Question How do you define success? Witnessing a New Era This week, a new era in began in college sports: a twelve team playoff to name the national champion in collegiate football. For many years–in fact, for more than a century–champions were determined through voting of either coaches or media professionals. In 2014, a four team playoff format began. This week, this playoff expanded to include twelve contenders, with teams from Indiana University and the University of Notre Dame inaugurating this new era. With more games, there will be more fans who witness the plays on the field, and…

Asia is one of the most disaster-hit regions in the world, with floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. Unplanned urbanization, a steep increase in population, depleting forest green cover, and environmental degradation trigger the most severity and complexity. The impacts are on the day-to-day lives of people, affecting their resources and disrupting earning sources, and delays in service delivery, poor health status, and loss of assets contributing significantly to acute food insecurity, inadequate access to safe water, sanitation, and hygienic conditions, loss of shelter, and settlements with increased health care risks. Attendees of the humanitarian response training in Sidhikalang,…

The *world* even the *churches* speak of love, as if all it needs is love. This is true. But only God *is* love. Only God *is* Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is no other independent category of “love,” that is not first a predicate of God’s eternal life within itself. So, when the world, and even the churches, speak of love, they ironically bear witness against themselves; that is, if they claim that all we need is love, but are thinking of that in purely horizontal, human, and profane ways (which they are). The world’s only salvation is to…

Asia is one of the most disaster-hit regions in the world, with floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. Unplanned urbanization, a steep increase in population, depleting forest green cover, and environmental degradation trigger the most severity and complexity. The impacts are on the day-to-day lives of people, affecting their resources and disrupting earning sources, and delays in service delivery, poor health status, and loss of assets contributing significantly to acute food insecurity, inadequate access to safe water, sanitation, and hygienic conditions, loss of shelter, and settlements with increased health care risks. Attendees of the humanitarian response training in Sidhikalang,…

“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.   Prayer prompts: For Syria and all nations facing conflict, transition, and uncertainty… For victims of gun violence, especially in…

Christians don’t believe in an abstract ethereal god. Christians believe in the triune God who has Self-revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. Period. This should be an unremarkable assertion. There should be zero pushback to this. But in the so-called Great Tradition of the Church, and those who are ostensibly “retrieving” it, this isn’t the case. Classical theism, so-called, as a contemporary way to identify certain expressions of the antique past, especially with reference to a theology proper, have so synthesized, say, the Aristotelian categories with an ecclesiastical doctrine of God, that it is nay impossible to make a distinction, in…