On New Life
My wife, Kim, and I recently celebrated our son Isaac's turning two months old, and I realized I spent very little time reflecting on the experience of being a new parent. In addition to reflecting on parenthood, I've begun to reflect a little bit on life, and how it is a gift. I've been wondering and thinking about life (both present and eschatological) qua gift, particularly with respect to our understanding of salvation, and I wanted to process those thoughts through this blog. (This post is heavily influenced by John Barclay's work on the Gift.) In his book on justification, R. Michael Allen has a wonderful little concise definition of the gospel: the glorious news that the God who has life in himself freely shares that life with us and, when we refuse that life in sin, graciously gives us life yet again in Christ. What I appreciate about this definition is not only its concision but its emphasis on eschatological life . Perhaps this is because of my backg...