It is a cheap zeal that reserves its passions to combat only the sins and temptations of others. D. A. Carson More Quotes by D. A. Carson More Quotes From D. A. Carson "Biblical theology" refers to something more precise than theology that is faithful to the Bible. It might be helpful to draw a contrast: at the risk of oversimplification, systematic theology tends to organize theology topically and with an eye cast on its contemporary relevance, while biblical theology tends to organize the same biblical material so that it is easier to see the distinctive contribution of each biblical book and human author, and to trace the trajectories of themes across the Bible so we see how the books of the Bible hold together. D. A. Carson biblicaleyebook The Christian's whole desire, at its best and highest, is that Jesus Christ be praised. It is always a wretched bastardization of our goals when we want to win glory for ourselves instead of for him. D. A. Carson christianwinningjesus Worship is the proper response of all moral, sentient beings to God, ascribing all honor and worth to their Creator-God precisely because he is worthy, delightfully so. D. A. Carson creator-godmoralhonor The broader problem is that a great deal of popular preaching and teaching uses the bible as a pegboard on which to hang a fair bit of Christianized pop psychology or moralizing encouragement, with very little effort to teach the faithful, from the Bible, the massive doctrines of historic confessional Christianity. D. A. Carson effortencouragementteaching Systematic theology will ask questions like "What are the attributes of God? What is sin? What does the cross achieve?" Biblical theology tends to ask questions such as "What is the theology of the prophecy of Isaiah? What do we learn from John's Gospel? How does the theme of the temple work itself out across the entire Bible?" Both approaches are legitimate; both are important. They are mutually complementary. D. A. Carson systematicbiblicalimportant Both God's love and God's wrath are ratcheted up in the move from the old covenant to the new, from the Old Testament to the New. These themes barrel along through redemptive history, unresolved, until they come to a resounding climax - in the cross. D. A. Carson covenantwrathmoving That God normally operates the universe consistently makes science possible; that he does not always do so ought to keep science humble. D. A. Carson oughthumbledoe Christians have learned that when there seems to be no other evidence of God's love, they cannot escape the cross. D. A. Carson evidence-of-godcrosseschristian Imagination is a God-given gift; but if it is fed dirt by the eye, it will be dirty. All sin, not least sexual sin, begins with the imagination. Therefore what feeds the imagination is of maximum importance in the pursuit of kingdom righteousness. D. A. Carson sins-noteyedirty To worship God 'in spirit and in truth' is first and foremost a way of saying that we must worship God by means of Christ. In him the reality has dawned and the shadows are being swept away (Hebrews 8:13). Christian worship is new covenant worship; it is gospel-inspired worship; it is Christ-centered worship; it is cross-focused worship. D. A. Carson christianmeanreality There is a certain kind of maturity that can be attained only through the discipline of suffering. D. A. Carson maturitydisciplinechristian Damn all false antitheses to hell, for they generate false gods, they perpetuate idols, they twist and distort our souls, they launch the church into violent pendulum swings who oscillations succeed only in dividing brothers and sisters in Christ D. A. Carson swingsbrotheridols A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text. D. A. Carson pretextproof God's wrath is not an implacable, blind rage. However emotional it may be, it is an entirely reasonable and willed response to offenses against his holiness. But his love . . . wells up amidst his perfections and is not generated by the loveliness of the loved. Thus there is nothing intrinsically impossible about wrath and love being directed toward the same individual or people at the same time. God in his perfections must be wrathful against his rebel image-bearers, for they have offended him; God in his perfections must be loving toward his rebel image-bearers, for he is that kind of God D. A. Carson wrathemotionallove-is Do you wish to see God's love? Look at the cross. Do you wish to see God's wrath? Look at the cross. D. A. Carson wrathwishlooks The New Testament writers did not invent a doctrine of Scripture they inherited it. D. A. Carson new-testamentdoctrinescripture The more clearly we see sins horror, the more we shall treasure the cross. D. A. Carson treasurehorrorsin There is no long-range effective teaching of the Bible that is not accompanied by long hours of ongoing study of the Bible. D. A. Carson ongoingteachinglong Justice is not always done in this world; we see that everyday. But on the Last Day it will be done for all to see. And no one will be able to complain by saying, "This isn't fair." D. A. Carson lastseverydayjustice ... the worst possible heritage to leave with children: high spiritual pretensions and low performance. D. A. Carson heritagespiritualchildren
