Today my discipleship class at WFPC will be talking about the Westminster Documents, prepared in London between 1645 and 1649. Among the extensive writings is the following answer to the question, “who is God?”

Take a moment to read it, it’s just marvelous:

There is but one only living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him; and withal most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty. (from The Westminster Confession of Faith)

The turbulent historical backdrop to the Westminster “Assembly of Divines” is fascinating, complex, occasionally devious, and loaded with amazing stories (if you don’t know your 16th-17th Centuries, I’d recommend some further study). The key issues at hand involved reformation, politics, civil war, governance, power, the coming (temporary) fall of the monarchy, treachery, boycotts, and religious polarization. Far too much to begin to cover in this post…

BREATHTAKING: But the core statements of faith are breathtaking, they are deep, they are authentic, and they sparkle with clarity. Sometimes it makes good sense to sit down with a Bible, a pen and paper (or a computer), a bunch of hard questions, a few friends with sharp minds and wide-open hearts, and figure out exactly what is important in terms of the core principles of our faith.

Personally, it’s something I’m always thinking about. How about you?

In Christ, and because God’s love is real – DEREK