538 results for tag: Brad Jersak

Q&R with Brad Jersak – A More Christlike Way

Question: I am finally getting around to reading A More Christlike Way. I’m curious about what you wrote on page 64, “We might go further to describe love as God’s heart and ours working as one because in Christ, God and humanity are united forever.” When you say, “in Christ, God and humanity are united forever,” can we assume that includes everyone who lived before Jesus? And if so, was it true for them during their lifetime or is it only true retroactively? Maybe the root of this question is this: theologically speaking, do you think there has ever been any separation or “un-united-ness” between God and humanity—in light of the ...

Heretics & Whetstones – Brad Jersak

"OUR HERETICS" For the record, I believe the word "heretic" has been weaponized as a dismissive label, a pejorative employed for condemning anyone who disagrees with the one making the accusation. As a tool of debate, we call attacks directed at the person rather than their position "ad hominem," and these are regarded as "logical fallacies." In simple English, calling someone a heretic because they don't agree with you is evidence of nothing, other than rudeness. Before accusing someone of heresy was a way to exclude, exile or martyr those who didn't conform to status quo religion, it was at least a little kinder. For one, "heretics" were ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Should we fear God?

Rather, from Genesis (26:24) to Revelation (1:17), God consistently answers with a word of comfort, “Fear not!” His people “walked (i.e., lived daily) in the fear of the Lord AND the comfort of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:31). Note the both/and in that verse.   

When “Never” means Never-ever” Brad Jersak

On at least four occasions, the Scriptures record God's promise, "I will never leave you or forsake you." The first occurrences are specific to God's promise to Israel that they would find their place in "the Promised Land": Twice in Deuteronomy 31:6-8 "Be valiant and strong, do not fear nor be afraid of them [the Canaanites], nor be terrified before them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes before you and with you and among you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." Then Moses called Joshua and said to him before all Israel, "Be valiant and strong, for you must go before this people to the land the Lord swore to ...

Why we say ‘Christ IS risen’ – Brad Jersak

"Christ is Risen!"  In the aftermath of Easter celebrations across the globe, the phrase "Christ is risen!" has been expressed with enthusiasm, perhaps 100s of millions of times by Jesus' followers of innumerable languages, nations and cultures. I was particularly struck by an image I saw here on Instagram... the wooden candlestand to the right, carved by an artisan in Malawi, Africa. The main figure is the risen Christ, and his body is comprised of people ("the Body of Christ") united with Christ in his death and raised with him in his resurrection. Above them, Christ holds up the “celestial village” (the kingdom of God). From ...

Confessions of a Write-Off by Brad Jersak

I was a write-off - I know, I know. We don't like to descend into the dehumanizing "worm theology" of those degrading faith traditions that spout our "total depravity." I firmly believe we're all precious children of our heavenly Father and no matter how disordered, we still bear the image of God. By using the term "write-off," I'm not talking about our identity in Christ. I'm describing my subjective experience... how I have often felt in times when the human condition gets the best of me. In those periods of cloudy introspection, it's easy enough to conclude, like David (in Psalm 22), "I'm a worm and not a man." It's not a statement of reality but ...

Judgment & Restoration: Delivered Over & Delivered From – Brad Jersak

"In Isaiah 26.9-10, judgment is identified in terms that instruct the inhabitants of the world and reveal a greater purpose toward Israel and mankind. Judgment is not an end goal but a means towards the greater purpose of restoration and salvation. In Isaiah, the purpose of God’s judgments is revealed as instructive and redemptive rather than destructive. That judgment is unto salvation and redemption is a major theme in the book of Isaiah as well as other prophets... In Isaiah 26:9-10 judgment is unto restoration. Divine Judgment is meant to bring deliverance as well as teach righteousness to all the inhabitants of the world. " --Nico Deschner ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Did Paul silence women? Four Views.

Question I am reading 1 Corinthians 14:34-36, where Paul says that women should not speak in church but just ask their husbands questions afterward at home. (What if their husband is not so bright?)   Does this still apply today? And why? Response Glad you asked. Let's start by reading the passage: 34 Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak but must be in submission, as the law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. 36 Or did the ...

Q & R: After Easter: Is Death Now Our Friend? Brad Jersak

Question: I read that because of Easter, death can now be our friend. What do you think? Here is the actual statement: "Easter is God’s 'victory over death.'  Death is no longer the curse that it was.  It is no longer the power that rules.  It is no longer the enemy to be feared.  But here’s the twist.  In doing so, Jesus also reclaims death and befriends it – not death in its perverted form, but death in its state of grace. Jesus reclaims death as a natural blessing to the rhythm of life and shows us that it is possible to befriend ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak: Sweating our Sorrows

Question: My question is about what Jesus went through in the garden of Gethsemane, before his arrest. The texts say that his anguish was so intense that he was sweating blood, which apparently is a real medical phenomenon that happens in extreme stress. The most common explanation I’ve heard in the church for the stress Jesus was experiencing is that he was going to bear the sins of the entire world and because of that, God was going punish him in our place, which means that the full wrath of God was going to fell on Him. Also God was going to turn his back on him while doing it, because Jesus was basically going to become sin, and God ...

Logos, Light & Lamb – Brad Jersak

THE LOGOS (WORD) OF GOD In the beginning was the Word [Logos]. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things came into existence through him; not one thing that exists came into existence without him (John 1:1-3, NTE). John the Beloved opens his beautiful Gospel with an echo of the Jewish creation story: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). It’s important to note that “beginning” here means far more than “first” or “at the start.” This beginning is like laying a foundation on which everything is built and remains, or like an overture that ...

Does God Save Us from God? Brad Jersak

Twitter statement: “God saves us from God. The One who mercifully drags us out of the rebellious city is the same One who rains down fire upon it.” Thus wrote a popular tweeter whose handle I’ll withhold out of respect and concern. God saves us from God? How so? Penal substitution continues to be the most popular Western answer to the question, “Why did Christ die?” and is the default interpretation for Scripture’s assertion that “Christ died for our sins.” Rather than treating it as one of many atonement theories, major denominations are now doubling down, dogmatizing it as a non-negotiable essential to the gospel and ...

Q & R: What do you make of Luke 13:23-28? – Brad Jersak

Question: I am wondering, in light of A More Christlike God, what your take is on Luke 13:23-28. It seems like an instance of a not very Christlike Christ! Response: In the future, I plan to write something in greater detail about these type of difficult texts, which are similar to some of Jesus parables in their dire rhetoric. In the case of Luke 13:23-28, a number of interpretive factors come into play and I'm still sorting through how to weight each of them for relevance. The passage goes this way: 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter ...

April 2023

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Brad Jersak: Logos, Light & Lamb – pg. 2 Greg Albrecht: Everything Happens for a Reason? – pg. 4 Greg Albrecht: Nailmarks, Scars & Doubts – pg. 7

Are You ‘Saved’? (uh…) – Brad Jersak

A constellation of questions, common to some Christian traditions, increasingly makes me cringe. Are you saved? Is he/she saved? When were you saved? I know what is intended. They are identifying ‘saved’ with the moment I ‘invited Christ into my heart’ through the faith confession involved in ‘the Sinner’s Prayer.’ If that is how and when I was saved, I suppose you could say I was ‘saved’ when I was six-years-old. That’s when I personally and consciously responded to the grace of God. So why does that give me the heebie-jeebies? Was that when I was saved? It caused me to pause and explore how various Christians use the ...

The Evolution of Heavenly Fire – Brad Jersak

I recently came across the citation from St Athanasius (via creativeorthodox.com) that beautifully compares the resurrection of Christ to a fire that completely consumes death as if it were dry straw. The comparison reminded me of the range and frequent use of fire as imagery associated with the person or acts of God. A brief survey serves as a healthy meditation, not only on the various comparisons, but also how these evolve with our illumination by the Spirit, who is also linked with fire at times. Ancient peoples would have experienced fire as destruction before they ever learned to employ it for light or heat, and when the fire of destruction ...

Q&R: Chains, Stains & Jesus’ Judgment – Brad Jersak

Question: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." - 2 Corinthians 5:10 I wanted to ask how is it that we will be judged as believers if we have already been forgiven for our sins? If we are forgiven, why are our sins brought up again at the judgment seat? Response: Great question. That could almost sound like a contradiction! There is a very real and important sense that we were all forgiven for all our sins at the Cross. Jesus said, "It is finished," after all. Yet I wonder...&...

CWR Video – On the Word of God – Brad Jersak

March 2023

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Come Out of Her and Come to Me! – pg. 1 Confronted by Christ – pg. 2 Which Thief Are You? – pg. 5 Master Potter – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

Q&R with Brad – “Why pray for forgiveness if we’re already forgiven?”

Question: The sin issue is cropping up again. I lose my temper.  I get stressed out.  I am short with my family... but I have gotten to the point where I feel as though Christ once and forever dealt with sin (alienation, darkness) at the Cross and my constantly asking Christ directly for forgiveness (again and again) for the same sins seems hopelessly pointless. Response: The reason why I regularly pray, "forgive us our trespasses," is first of all, because Jesus taught us to do so. He quite literally says, "When you pray, pray this: Our Father,..." And while some folks dismiss this prayer as "pre-cross" and "old covenant" ...