A Not-So-Stuffy Theologian on the Love of God

It has been too long since there was a post on this blog from Mr. Strom, so I thought I would give a little food for thought, since there has been plenty of examples of food for eating.

These four things in the highest manner commend the love of God towards us: (1) the majesty of the lover; (2) the poverty and unworthiness of the loved; (3) the worth of him in whom we are loved; (4) the multitude and excellence of the gifts which flow out from that love to us. (a) God loves us (who, constituted in the highest preeeminence and happiness, needs us not and is not bound to love us; indeed can most justly hate and destroy us if he so willed). (b) Men are beloved, not only as empty and week creatures, but as sinners and guilty, rebellious servants, who so far from deserving it, are on the other hand most worthy of hatred and punishment. (c) He in whom they are beloved is Christ (Eph. 1:5-6), the delight of his heavenly Father and the "express image of his person" (Heb. 1:3), than whom he could give nothing more excellent, nothing dearer, even if he had given the whole universe. (d) The effects of his love are both man in number and great in value (viz., all the benefits by which salvation is begun in this life and perfected in the other and, what is the crown and sum of all the blessings, the gift of God himself, who imparts himself to us as an object of fruition both in grace and in glory). --Francis Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology

What manner of love is this?!

Running Again!

Running season is here!!! Actually, it started a few weeks ago for me. I am currently training for the Philadelphia Broad Street 10 mile run, and very very excited about it. Our treadmill has been the means to my continued running this winter, which I am grateful for. Come January, I decided it was time to sign up for a race. The Broad Street Run is the largest 10 mile race in the country, reaching 30,000 participants in recent years. In February, my official training began, and my week now consists of 5-6 days of running, currently reaching 25-30 miles per week - 2 days of speedwork, 1 long run, and 2-3 days of easy recovery days. Just 5 more weeks to race day! I'm already plotting for a potential marathon this fall...... :)