#R. C. Sproul

[cristotudoemtodos]

“O propósito da teologia não é satisfazer nosso intelecto e sim nos instruir nos caminhos de Deus, para que cresçamos até à maturidade e à plenitude de obediência a ele. Essa é a razão por que nos engajamos em teologia.” - SPROUL, R. C. Somos Todos Teólogos: Uma Introdução à Teologia Sistemática. 1. ed. São José dos Campos: Fiel. 2017. p. 30. @cristotudoemtodos www.blogcristotudoemtodos.blogspot.com

[aconservadora]

"Eis, então, o verdadeiro problema de nossa negligência. Não cumprimos nossa obrigação de estudar a Palavra de Deus nem tanto por ela ser dificil de entender e nem tanto porque estudá-la seja tedioso e enfadonho, mas porque dá trabalho. O problema é que somos preguiçosos."

R. C. Sproul no Livro "Disciplinas Espirituais" de Donald S. Whitney

[ocalvinista]

“Nenhum crente verdadeiro jamais perde sua salvação. E certo que cristãos às vezes caem seriamente e radicalmente, mas nunca inteiramente e finalmente. Perseveramos, não por causa de nossa força, mas por causa da graça de Deus que nos preserva”. (R. C. Sproul – Eleitos de Deus)

[promessas-de-deus]

"O evangelho chama os homens ao arrependimento, à santidade e à piedade. Por causa disto, o mundo acha o evangelho ofensivo."

— R. C. Sproul

[reformedfaith]

There are only two ways of dying. We can die in faith or we can die in our sins.

R. C. Sproul

[aesthetictheology]

I'm really enjoying this book by R.C. Sproul, and the opportunity to learn about the classical reformed perspective.

Also, my latte yesterday was beautiful. Baristas rock.

[spoilergodwins]

Em um universo governado por Deus não há coincidências.

R. C. Sproul

[thewordfortheday]

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” Isaiah 6:3

“The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love, or mercy, mercy, mercy, or justice, justice, justice. It does say that He is holy, holy, holy.” (R C Sproul)

One characteristic of God stands out above all others - His Holiness! We worship God in the Beauty of Holiness.

If the mighty Angels of God who encircle His very Throne, fall down to worship Him, how can we as mere mortals do less? He is the Great I AM! He is the Alpha and the Omega - the first and the last, . "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8) He is worthy of all our praise, adoration and worship.

[faeriefully]

C. S. Lewis is credited for popularizing the three Ls explanation for the logic of Christ’s divinity.

Taking the gospels and Christ’s own words, there are only three options. Christ is either a Liar, a Lunatic, or He is Lord of all (God incarnate).

Why is this the only logical conclusion?

Christ Himself claims to be God.

In the book of John we find many “I Am” statements made by Christ.

“He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.””

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

*note that the “he” is an addition for English translation. The Greek does not contain it. It is Ego Eimi: I Am that I Am.

—

“So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭57‬-‭59‬ ‭ESV‬‬

—

“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭35‬ ‭ESV‬‬

—

These two, along with others “I Am” statements in the book of John, are constructed in the Greek as Ego Eimi.

“The Greek construction lying behind this phrase is very important. To emphasize the “I” in an “I am” statement, writers and speakers would use the construction ego eimi meaning “I, I myself, am.” This is done very rarely in the Bible but ego eimi is the construction we find behind every “I AM” statement in the gospel of John. Significantly, the ego eimi construction is also found in the Greek translation of Exodus 3:14 when God declares of Himself: “I AM WHO I AM.” Over and over again when Jesus utters these “I AM” statements, He is making reference to His own deity. No first century Jew who was trained in the Scriptures would have missed this.”

— R. C. Sproul

—

Why does this matter?

Because, if Jesus is claiming the name of God, claiming to be divine, to be able to forgive sins, then there is a lot of weight on the validity of his statements.

Jesus is claiming to be God.

This means:

He is either a liar— a blasphemer in which is was correct for the Jews to attempt to kill Him. It would also mean that He is not a “moral” teacher whose lessons should be obeyed. Nothing He says is of trustworthiness. He is an enemy of God. And we should not believe, obey, nor follow His teachings. He is incapable of forgiving sin. He is a sinner. He cannot provide righteousness on our behalf. He cannot atone for sin nor bear the wrath of God without perishing. He is temporal. He is dead. He offers no salvation.

Or

He is a lunatic. A madman who believed Himself to be God and a blasphemer. Nothing He says is of trustworthiness. In which, again, it is correct for the Jews to attempt to kill him. He is an enemy of God. And we should not believe, obey, nor follow His teachings. Again, he is a sinner, incapable of providing substitution or forgiveness. He is dead. He is temporal, unable to atone for anyone, not even himself. He offers no salvation for anyone.

OR

He is Lord.

He is telling the truth. He is the Bread of Life. He is the Light of the World. He is the great I Am. He is the good shepherd. He is the lamb slain before the foundation of the world— capable of forgiving sin, able to intercede for us. He is our comforter. He is our caretaker. He is perfect, incapable of sin, deceit, lies, or failure. He is infinite and eternal, capable to bear the wrath of God without perishing for all His people’s sins, present, past, and future.

He provides righteousness and salvation for all who place their trust in Him.

He is God, our savior.

—

If Jesus is not God, there is no salvation.

Listen to our Lord who calls you,

“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭27‬-‭30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

-

Come. Repent. Cast your burdens and your sin upon Jesus, our God who can remove your iniquity and comfort your grief.

[euandreiafreire]

Embora o pecado muitas vezes traga prazer imediato, ele não oferece nenhuma alegria duradoura.

R C Sproul

[cristotudoemtodos]

“Às vezes, sou impaciente com algumas das liberdades poéticas que os escritores de hinos usam. Um hino famoso inclui esta linha: “Amor admirável! Como pode ser que tu, meu Deus, morreste por mim?” Sim, em determinada maneira de falar, Deus morreu na cruz. O Deus-homem, Aquele que era Deus encarnado, morreu por seu povo. Mas a natureza divina não morreu no Calvário. O que aconteceria ao universo, se Deus morresse? Se Deus cessasse de existir, o universo pereceria com ele, porque não somente criou todas as coisas, ele sustenta todas as coisas. Somos dependentes dele, não somente quanto à nossa origem, mas também quanto à continuação de nossa existência. Visto que não temos o poder de ser em e por nós mesmos, não podemos subsistir, nem por um segundo, sem o poder sustentador de Deus. Isso é parte da providência de Deus.” - SPROUL, R. C. Deus Controla Tudo?. 1 Ed. São José dos Campos: Fiel. 2013. p. 16. @cristotudoemtodos www.blogcristotudoemtodos.blogspot.com

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

In a universe governed by God there are no chance events. Indeed, there is no such thing as chance. Chance does not exist. It is merely a word we use to describe mathematical possibilities. But chance itself has no power because it has no being. Chance is not an entity that can influence reality. Chance is not a thing. It is nothing.

R. C. Sproul

[ocalvinista]

“Vivemos no que pode ser a época mais anti-intelectual na história da civilização ocidental”. (R. C. Sproul, citado por John Piper em “Pense: a vida da mente e o amor de Deus”)

[reformedfaith]

No sin has ever made any person happy. Sin simply cannot bring happiness, but it can deliver pleasure, and when we confuse pleasure with happiness, we are wide open to the seduction of the enemy

R. C. Sproul

[aesthetictheology]

I finally finished reading "What Is Reformed Theology?" by R.C. Sproul last night and decided I'd share some of my unhinged margin notes. This was a super interesting read, and I really enjoy Sproul's style and tone.

[promessas-de-deus]

"O fato de eu estar respirando esta manhã é um ato de misericórdia divina. Deus não me deve nada. Devo tudo a Ele."

– R. C. Sproul