Caring about TRUTH

"If God exists, then he is the measure of all things, and what he thinks about all things is the measure of what we should think. Not to care about truth is not to care about God. To love God passionately is to love truth passionately. Being God-centered in life means being truth-driven in ministry. What is not true is not of God. What is false is anti-God. Indifference to the truth is indifference to the mind of God. Pretense is rebellion against reality, and what makes reality reality is God. Or concern with truth is simply an echo of our concern with God. and all this is rooted in God's concern with God, or God's passion for the glory of God."

John Piper, "God's Passion..." p97

Hell

John Piper:
Hell is unspeakably real, conscious, horrible and eternal - the experience in which God vindicates the worth of his glory in holy wrath on those who would not delight in what is infinitely glorious. If infinitely valuable glory has been spurned, and the offer of eternal joy in God has been finally rejected, an indignity against God has been committed so despicable as to merit eternal suffering. (GPFHG 38)

Jonathon Edwards has a sermon dedicated to the justification of hell:
Wicked Men Useful in Their Destructin Only
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/edwards/sermons.destruction.html
Proverbs 16:4 "The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble." (ESV)




Footnote: GPFHG stands for God's Passion for His Glory. Any quote prior to page 125 is from the preface written by John Piper. Starting at page 125 is Edwards work " The End for Which God Created the World"

God's glory shown in mercy

John Piper:
God's righteousness is his unwavering commitment to uphold and display the infinite worth of his glory in all that he does, which would seem to require punishment for all who have "fallen short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). But since God's righteousness (his commitment to his glory) and his mercy (his commitment to our joy) are not ultimately at odds, he made a way to "be both just and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus" (Rom. 3:26) GPFHG p. 33

Evan:
God created this universe and the angelic dimension to show forth (exhibit) all of His attributes.

As a Trinity, God already had/displayed love. This may be why the Bible says that “God is love”. However, there would be no display of judgment, wrath or mercy.

If the goal of creation is to display forth all of the attributes in their perfection, His numerous attributes WILL be shown in their perfection. Thus, there both heaven and hell, mercy and judgment.

Praising God

C.S. Lewis wrote
"I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation." (Reflections on the Psalms p.95 GPFHG)

We quickly and gladly tell people about a good restaurant we've eaten at.
We are excited to talk of a quality movie.

How much more should we be caught up in the joy of knowing the creator of the universe. The sustainer of all things. The savior of our souls who indwells us and promises an eternity with Him!
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I found this story among my father’s belongings:
Betty, aged four, was taken by her governess to have tea with an aunt.
Presently she began to eat a piece of very rich cake.

“Oh, I just love this chocolate cake!” she exclaimed. “It’s awfully nice.”

"Betty, dear” corrected her governess, “it is wrong to say you love cake,
and I’ve frequently pointed out that ‘just’ is wrongly used in such a sentence.
Again, ‘awfully’ is quite wrong, ‘very’ would be more correct, dear.
Now repeat your remark, please.”

Betty obediently repeated: “I like chocolate cake; it is very good.”
“That’s better, dear,” said the governess, approvingly.
“But it sounds as if I was talking about bread,” protested the little girl.


We have the treasure of God incarnate, the indwelling Holy Spirit, adoption as children of God – do we SHOW IT?