God Doesn’t Love You Because You’re Special or Good
God loves his people despite their sin against him. He loves them before they love him back, and before there’s anything in them worthy of his love. But his love doesn’t stop there.
Articles on Theology
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Elyse Fitzpatrick reflects on the humanity of Christ at Christmas.
George Whitefield’s Theology of Sin and Salvation
George Whitefield held that no aspect of human nature remains unpolluted by the effects of the fallen nature every individual inherits from our first parents.
George Whitefield: “Occasional Theologian” and Lifelong Evangelist
By his own admission, George Whitefield was not a theologian—at least, not of the conventional sort. Indeed, he never aspired to be one.
Fred Sanders on the Holy Spirit in Acts (Season 2, Episode 3)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with theologian Fred Sanders about the person and work of the Holy Spirit and specifically about his descent and indwelling of believers in the book of Acts.
Francis Chan: "Knowledge is essential, but not sufficient."
Your brilliance is worthless if you’re not building up your brother—and even worse if you’re destroying him with your knowledge.
Four Crucial Questions at the Heart of the Gospel
Greg Gilbert begins to define the gospel by turning to the Bible and identifying four essential questions at the heart of the proclamation of the gospel.
For Warfield, Every Christian Is a Theologian
If life grows out of understanding, then it follows that a firm grasp and robust appreciation of Christian truth is of primary importance to Christian living.
For the Christian, the Best Is Yet to Be
“The best is yet to be,” indeed, as the Christian poet Robert Browning wrote. God has a project. He is restoring his defaced images to the likeness of Christ.
Are you too foolish and slow of heart to understand why life sometimes doesn’t make sense?
Follow the Second Adam into True Rest
There is an unending, eternal rest that God established himself and that we have always been meant to enter into with him.
Our faith should be strengthened as we consider God's providence—how our loving father carefully governs our lives. As you study providence, there are five principles that you should keep in mind.
Faith Makes Both Past and Future Mercies Present to the Soul
There be three things, in the past, or future mercies, which faith makes present to the soul, giving in the substance of them, (1) their love, (2) their consolation, (3) their use and benefit.
Faith in Christ vs. the Faithfulness of Christ
It is Christ and his blood rather than our faith that is really the foundation of our salvation. Our faith in the gospel of Christ is important and necessary to our salvation.
Extraordinary Doctrine Helps Ordinary People Go Deeper into God’s Word
So much about learning doctrine is learning the vocabulary. What are the categories? What are the ways in which people have talked about these things?
Essential vs. Peripheral Doctrine
The ability to discern the relative importance of theological issues is vital to the health and unity of the church. Erik Thoennes shares four categories of importance into which theological issues can fall.
The Bible presents the greatest story ever told: the ultimate good-versus-evil storyline—the great cosmic battle between God and Satan.
Emblems of the Infinite King: An 8-Day Reading Plan
Over the course of eight days, explore the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith with Bible passages and readings adapted from Emblems of the Infinite King by J. Ryan Lister.
Don't Pack Your Bags for Heaven
When the only certainty about life is death, the Gospel message of resurrection-life offers comfort and hope.
Don’t Mistake Your Passion for Theological Precision
Many of us, even Christians, have little patience for rigorous thinking and little interest in careful definition.
Don’t Get Sloppy in Defining Grace
Especially as Christians, we understand how important it is to have been saved by grace. So it’s incumbent upon us, then, to carefully talk about this grace.
Does the Bible Teach Definite Atonement?
We do not embrace definite atonement merely by looking at Bible verses here and there, but by synthesizing the Bible's comprehensive teaching on Christ's death.
Does Scripture Teach that Jesus Is Fully God?
One of the most debated, and at times perplexing, aspects of belief in the Trinity is the question “Does Scripture actually teach that Jesus is fully God?”
Does Definite Atonement Undermine Our Zeal for Evangelism?
Christ made a definite atoning sacrifice for those whom the Father had given to him; and we are commanded to proclaim Christ indiscriminately to all people.
Does Definite Atonement Undermine Our Assurance of Salvation?
Do you know about the Church of Scotland minister who lost his job for not believing in limited atonement?
Dig into Theology with the ‘ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible’ on ESV.org
Learn more about theology with over 400 short doctrinal summaries connected to specific Bible passages—all on ESV.org.
Differentiating the Work of the Son and Spirit in Salvation
A classic way of looking at the two-handedness of God’s work in salvation is the relationship between how the Trinity accomplishes redemption and how the Trinity applies that redemption to us.
Did You Know ‘The New City Catechism’ Is Available in 14 Languages?
Did you know The New City Catechism is available in 14 languages?
Did Jesus Descend to Hell? (Ephesians 4)
God is the Divine Warrior who ascends to his throne after defeating his enemies. Here, Christ is the victorious conqueror who ascends to his throne in heaven after defeating the spiritual forces.
Did Christ Die for My Sins Just So That I Can Go to Heaven?
The question, Did Christ die for my sins so that I can go to heaven? assumes something that is correct, but not complete.