Stephen Charnock on God’s Judgment and Mercy

Posted on February 17, 2026 by inwhirlwindandstorm

Stephen Charnock, from The Existence and Attributes Of God from the discourse The Patience of God:

God will vindicate his own glory, and have his right on his enemies in a way of punishment, if they will not give it to him in a way of obedience. It is three times repeated, to show the certainty of the judgment; and the name of “Lord” added to every one, to intimate the power wherewith the judgment should be executed. It is not a fatherly correction of children in a way of mercy, but an offended Sovereign’s destruction of his enemies in a way of vengeance. There is an anger of God with his own people, which hath more of mercy than anger; in this his rod is guided by his bowels. There is a fury of God against his enemies, where there is sole wrath without any tincture of mercy; when his sword is all edge without any balsam drops upon it. Such a fury as David deprecates (Psalm 6:1): “O Lord, rebuke me not in thy anger, nor chasten me in thy sore displeasure,” with a fury untempered with grace, and insupportable wrath.

Posted in They, being dead, still speak, Well Said | Leave a comment

The Glorious Wisdom of the Puritans and Reformers

Posted on February 17, 2026 by inwhirlwindandstorm

I’m thinking of nicknaming this feature as “theology from a bunch of dead guys,” but I fear my sense of humor might come across as irreverent instead of demonstrating the immense gratitude I have for the wisdom and insight these men have. I enjoy reading the works of the Reformers and the Puritans and those who are likeminded because they, by and large, write with the aim of proclaiming the majesty of God in everything. Jonathan Edwards often gets a bad rap from those who are unfamiliar with many of his works, including his personal journals/memoirs. The first quote below is from his memoirs. His passion for God is extraordinary. The next series of quotes are from John Calvin from his Institutes of the Christian Religion.

Quotes:

“Sometimes, only mentioning a single word caused my heart to burn within me; or only seeing the name of Christ, or the name of some attribute of God. And God has appeared glorious to me, on account of the Trinity. It has made me have exalting thoughts of God, that he subsists in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The sweetest joys and delights I have experienced, have not been those that have arisen from a hope of my own good estate; but in a direct view of the glorious things of the gospel. When I enjoy this sweetness, it seems to carry me above the thoughts of my own estate; it seems, at such times, a loss that I cannot bear, to take off my eye from the glorious, pleasant object I behold without me, to turn my eye in upon myself, and my own good estate

Edwards, Jonathan. 1974. The Works of Jonathan Edwards. Vol. 1. Banner of Truth Trust.

Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected together by many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth to the other. For, in the first place, no man can survey himself without forthwith turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives and moves; because it is perfectly obvious, that the endowments which we possess cannot possibly be from ourselves; nay, that our very being is nothing else than subsistence in God alone. In the second place, those blessings which unceasingly distil to us from heaven, are like streams conducting us to the fountain. Here, again, the infinitude of good which resides in God becomes more apparent from our poverty. In particular, the miserable ruin into which the revolt of the first man has plunged us, compels us to turn our eyes upwards; not only that while hungry and famishing we may thence ask what we want, but being aroused by fear may learn humility.

Excerpt, Section 2: On the other hand, it is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he has previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself. For (such is our innate pride) we always seem to ourselves just, and upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced, by clear evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity. Convinced, however, we are not, if we look to ourselves only, and not to the Lord also —He being the only standard by the application of which this conviction can be produced.

Sect. 2 (cont.): So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms and seem only less than demigods. But should we once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and reflect what kind of Being he is, and how absolute the perfection of that righteousness, and wisdom, and virtue, to which, as a standard, we are bound to be conformed, what formerly delighted us by its false show of righteousness will become polluted with the greatest iniquity; what strangely imposed upon us under the name of wisdom will disgust by its extreme folly; and what presented the appearance of virtuous energy will be condemned as the most miserable impotence. So far are those qualities in us, which seem most perfect, from corresponding to the divine purity.

Excerpt, sect 3: Hence that dread and amazement with which as Scripture uniformly relates, holy men were struck and overwhelmed whenever they beheld the presence of God. When we see those who previously stood firm and secure so quaking with terror, that the fear of death takes hold of them, nay, they are, in a manner, swallowed up and annihilated, the inference to be drawn is that men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.

John Calvin on Knowing God: Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1, Chapter 1, Section 1-3 (excerpts)

Posted in Behold your God!, They, being dead, still speak, Well Said | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Explore God’s Nature: Essential Reads on Theology

Posted on February 17, 2026 by inwhirlwindandstorm

Theology is often seen as the generic and broad study of biblical doctrines derived from the Scripture. However, when focused exclusively on the character and attributes of God, we refer to “theology proper.”

Here are several recommendations of varying levels of knowledge to become familiar with theology proper. I have linked to each one’s Amazon site, but there may be lesser expensive or alternative media available that suits you better. Those that have Logos Bible Software might prefer that option. There are also online versions of these that are free either as web pages or PDF files. Those that have the inclination will find those sources better on their bank account and library space.

Beginner:

The Attributes of God, A. W. Pink.

These are short but well written explanations of various attributes of God. They were originally part of a series of articles written for a monthly publication he put out called Studies in the Scriptures, which were later compiled and published as a book.

Gleanings in the Godhead, A. W. Pink

This is the bigger brother to Attributes and a fuller treatment of the attributes for God but adds an additional section for the Attributes of Christ.

The Sovereignty of God, A.W. Pink

Pink filled my bookshelves as a teen. He is readable and reverent. His treatment on the sovereignty of God is excellent and filled with Scripture. This is meatier than the previous two as he delves into the topic with more depth, but because his style is so readable, I still consider it to be at the beginner level. He was talented at speaking to the layman.

The Holiness of God, R. C. Sproul

This is the most influential work I have read besides the Scriptures. It focuses on a proper understanding of the holiness of God in a most reverent and compelling manner. Linked above is a three – in – one volume with two other excellent works.

The Supremacy of God in Preaching, John Piper

While this is aimed at preachers primarily, it is also intended for all Christians to have a glimpse of what true preaching has as its goal. Though misattributed to Cotton Mather in his book, a quote from John Rhyland (who wrote an introduction to a work of Cotton Mather’s, likely the source of the confusion) summarizes the aim of the book, “The grand design and intention of the office of Christian preacher are to restore the throne and dominion of God in the hearts of men.”

Knowing God, J.I. Packer

One of the first books I read (possibly the third or fourth when I was in my teens). This gives a very thoughtful and warm introduction to who God is and is one of Packer’s most popular works.

The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer

Tozer writes in a simple, yet compelling manner about God. He begins with the reasons why we must think rightly about God and smoothly moves into his discussion of the attributes of God. While I do not agree with him on everything he writes, in many ways, I find him to be a kindred spirit.

Intermediate:

All That is in God, James Dolezal

This book addresses an important, but often neglected discussion of the character of God known as the Simplicity of God. Dolezal is not splitting hairs or “making a mountain out of a molehill.” This is a fundamental understanding of God. Written in a readable style, it is in the intermediate section due to what could be considered a general lack of familiarity and so new concepts, or concepts that are only of passing familiarity to many Christians. There are some heady concepts, but it is not aimed at the scholar. It is intended for the “man in the pew.”

The Mystery of Providence, John Flavel.

John Flavel was a Puritan pastor and wrote an excellent discussion on the providence of God. I placed this in the intermediate section with a bit of hesitancy. Parts of this are very readable for the layman. Because he is a Puritan some of his syntax can be difficult to follow. However, there are abridged versions of this work that have been edited to be readable for modern. I linked to one version above.

Advanced:

The Existence and Attributes of God, Stephen Charnock

This is a two-volume work that represents some of the most brilliant Puritan thinking on these subjects. In true Puritan fashion, he draws every thought out of a passage of  Scripture and writes in a way that stirs the heart and stretches the mind. Even being familiar with his style and theology, I find myself reading a page or two, stopping and contemplating what he wrote for a good bit before reading more. I am giving my heart and mind a chance to reconnect before taking another step. It is heady at times, but always rewarding. AW Pink cites from him a lot. You will see why.

Theoretical-Practical Theology, Peter van Mastricht, volume two

This is a 5 volume (eventually, it will be seven), but he addresses the nature of God in volume two (but, everything he writes is worth reading).  He emphasizes the practical aspect of theology believing that if theology only affects the mind then it did not actually affect the mind. For, if it truly affected the mind it would have affected the heart and the hands as well. If knowledge does not lead to godliness (Tit 1:2), its lessons were not learned. It is in the advanced section because it requires some familiarity with the history of theology as he engages the controversies of the time and has to use their terms. (Full set, as of today)

Reformed Dogmatics, Herman Bavinck, volume two

Bavinck was a masterful theologian and follows in the steps of Mastricht.  It is a 4 volume work (although I think they are releasing a fifth soon). He, two, emphasizes the practical aspect of theology, however, he also addresses the historical and contemporary controversies of his day and can be quite heady. It takes some time to become familiar with his style of writing. He writes in a way where, for example, he cites an opponent and explains their argument clearly and faithfully. Because if this, those who are not used to reading a sustained argument over many pages might think he is advancing the argument of his opponent when he is only trying to represent it honestly before he completely dismantles it. Make no mistake, volume two requires work, but those who master Bavinck do not consider such effort to be a waste of time. (Full set)

Posted in Behold your God!, They, being dead, still speak | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Understanding Our Role as Theologians

Posted on February 17, 2026 by inwhirlwindandstorm

Everyone’s A Theologian

Years ago, Dr. R.C. Sproul wrote a book entitled, Everyone’s a Theologian. It is a layman’s level systematic theology written so that “the man in the pew” can be exposed to the great doctrines and truths of Scripture without having to have an advanced degree in theology to comprehend it.

There are, of course, professional theologians who make their living by delving deeply into these grand topics. It is a mixed bag, however. Some theologians make the pursuit more of an academic exercise, devoid of any impact upon their own hearts, much less the hearts of those who read them. Even if they are substantially helpful in some degree, great or small, I consider them poor theologians who do not have any sense of passion or reverence in their writing when we consider just about whom it is that they write!

There are other theologians who dig deeply into the area of dogmatic theology who one can easily sense the genuine love they have for their God. I think of names of men such as John Calvin (Institutes of the Christian Religion), Peter van Mastricht (Theoretical-Practical Theology, 5 volumes), and Herman Bavinck (Reformed Dogmatic Theology, 4 volumes). Though their writing can be heady at times (especially Bavinck!), they write with a clear reverence.

But, while there a those professional theologians in the strictest meaning of that term, there is a broader application which applies to anyone who has any inclination toward God. In that sense, everyone is a theologian. The question is not, “Are you a theologian?”, but rather, “What kind of theologian are you?” In that regard, there are good theologians and bad theologians. Those who study sound doctrine and those who are engaged in error. Those who have fear and trembling and those who have a scholastic dispassion for his name.

The Westminster Assembly met over the course of 10 years (1643-1653) in order to debate matters of church government and theology, particularly revising the Thirty-nine Articles of Faith of the church of England. In their time, they created many theological works, one of which is the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

The first question of the WSC is, “What is the chief end of man?” The question wishes to compel a man to answer what his highest, ultimate purpose. A lot can be determined of a man by judging how he answers that question. Henry Scougal in his work, The Life of God in the Soul of Man observed:

The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love. He who loveth mean and sordid things doth thereby become base and vile, but a noble and well-placed affection doth advance and improve the spirit into a conformity with the perfections which it loves.

That is, contrary to the motto that is repeated with an aggressive persistence, love is not love. Love of evil is not godly or good. And a love of that which is evil and vile does not endear the heart to goodness. The Psalmist asks “How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?” (Ps 4:2b) To love evil is to suggest that there is something within it that is lovable, or worthy of love. It is here that our modern culture, and even the church, finds itself confused on how to properly express love. It assumes that in all instances we are to love without discernment. But, this is a topic for another time.

If we take Scougal’s thoughts and weld it to Question One, we can see that the answer given will tell us what a man loves as that becomes his chief end.

The answer that the WSC provides is, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” The greatest purpose of man is to both glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Contemplating God’s incomprehensibility reshapes Christian life in several interconnected ways. At the attitudinal level, humility becomes the appropriate response, appreciating both God’s grandeur and our own contrasting limitations. This isn’t mere intellectual acknowledgment but a posture that orients the entire spiritual life. As one theologian notes, mystery functions not as a question demanding an answer but as “an object inviting contemplation,” requiring “an attitude of humble and wondering contemplation.”

This contemplative stance guards against a particular spiritual danger. The primeval temptation to “be like God” can subtly persist in us, leading to what Luther called a theology of glory rather than a theology of the cross, causing us to forget who we are, where we are, and when we are. Recognizing God’s incomprehensibility anchors Christians in their proper place within creation and redemptive history.

Practically, acknowledging incomprehensibility also disciplines theological expectations and fosters intellectual honesty. While some Christian convictions — such as the Spirit’s personhood — are nonnegotiable, the precise relations within the Trinity and speculative theological claims belong to the realm of Christian opinion and speculation rather than settled doctrine. This distinction prevents overconfidence while maintaining essential convictions.

Finally, contemplating God as receivers of accommodated glory rather than creators of intellectual reality shapes how we speak and think about the divine nature, requiring a posture of necessary theological humility and reverence throughout the theological task. Rather than paralyzing faith, God’s incomprehensibility paradoxically deepens it—we encounter a God genuinely beyond our control, yet graciously making himself known.

Seminar Outline: Attributes of God

I. The Chief End of Man: Glorifying and Enjoying God

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Q1
    • Question: What is the chief end of man?
    • Answer: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
  • Biblical Foundation
    • 1 Corinthians 10:31 – Do all to the glory of God in whatever you do.
    • 1 Peter 4:11 – Serve and speak so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
  • Explanation of Glorifying God
    • Ultimate purpose: Worship God as the lifeblood and holy passion of the Christian life.
    • Meaning: To show that God is great, beautiful, glorious, and worthy of our thoughts, words, and deeds.
    • Key Aspects (the “A”s of glorifying God):
      • Appreciation — Esteem God above all else; desire nothing besides Him (Psalm 73:25).
      • Adoration — Worship with reverence, praise, and awe (private and corporate: prayer, singing Psalms, preaching, sacraments).
      • Affection — Love God supremely with heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37); delight, not mere duty (Psalm 1:2).
      • Subjection — Obey commands cheerfully; submit all of life to His will (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17). Mundane acts become worship when done for God’s glory.
    • Coram Deo — Living all of life before the face of God; all of life is worship.
  • Enjoy Him Forever
    • Prevents a cold, joyless religion; enjoyment is integral to glorification, not optional.
    • Enjoyment Now — Taste God’s goodness through union with Christ, indwelling Spirit, assurance, answered prayer, church fellowship.
    • Enjoy Him Forever — Full, uninterrupted enjoyment in glory: presence as fullness of joy and pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11; Rev. 21:3; 22:4). Heaven is eternal beholding and communing with God.

II. Where Do We Begin? The Incomprehensibility of God

  • Starting Point for Studying God’s Attributes
    • Necessary humility: We begin here because God is infinite, eternal, and immeasurable—far beyond full human understanding.
    • God must condescend to reveal Himself at our finite level.
  • What Incomprehensibility Does NOT Mean
    • Not that God is unknowable, incoherent, or illogical.
    • We can know God truly (through revelation), but never exhaustively or comprehensively.
  • Biblical Themes Supporting Incomprehensibility
    • God’s Thoughts Transcend Human Understanding
      • His ways higher than ours as heavens above earth (Isa. 55:8–9).
      • Only the Spirit knows the depths of God (1 Cor. 2:11).
    • God’s Nature Remains Unsearchable
      • Depths deeper than Sheol, higher than heavens (Job 11:7–8).
      • Greatness and understanding unsearchable (Ps. 145:3; Isa. 40:28).
      • We grasp only fringes/whispers; thunder beyond us (Job 26:14).
    • God’s Wisdom and Judgments Exceed Human Reason
      • Depths of riches, wisdom, knowledge; judgments unsearchable, ways unfathomable (Rom. 11:33–34).
      • Rhetorical: Who has counseled or encompassed God’s Spirit? (Isa. 40:13–14).
    • The Limitation Is Permanent Yet Not Total
      • Secret things belong to God; revealed things to us and descendants (Deut. 29:29).
      • Now we see dimly/know in part; future face-to-face (1 Cor. 13:12).
      • Eternity in hearts, but cannot fully discover His works (Eccles. 3:11).

III. Transition to Specific Attributes of God (Suggested Next Steps for Seminar)

  • Build on incomprehensibility by exploring God’s revealed attributes (as in Westminster Shorter Catechism Q4: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth).
  • Common Theological Framework:
    • Incommunicable Attributes (unique to God; emphasize transcendence and distinction from creation): e.g., infinity, eternity, immutability, aseity (self-existence), omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence.
    • Communicable Attributes (reflected analogously in humans, though imperfectly): e.g., wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, truth, love, mercy.
  • Goal: Deepen awe, worship, and humble pursuit of glorifying/enjoying this incomprehensible yet knowable God.
Posted in Behold your God! | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Return

Posted on February 9, 2026 by inwhirlwindandstorm

There use to be a commercial that is memorable to me for one reason: It shows something at an early stage, such as a child in a high chair and the doting parents look at the child, then each other and then at the child who is now of college age. The ending line is, “Life comes at you fast!” I don’t even know the product, so I guess that means the ad agency was not successful, but that point did come across.

The last number of years have flown by with life and challenges. Without going into details, I am grateful to know that I have more time to be able to put my thoughts down and will hopefully be consistent.

Many of my thoughts will be some of my notes and thoughts from a seminar I am teaching at Grace Baptist Church in Glendale, AZ on the Attributes of God. These won’t be the pure notes as I will be adding some editing and modifications to them, but hopefully they will be useful.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

In Whirlwind and Storm

Posted on April 7, 2015 by inwhirlwindandstorm

The destruction of Nineveh in the book of Nahum is a stark reminder that God is the judge of all the earth, even of those who do not commit themselves to Him.

God did not judge Nineveh, a pagan nation, by natural law, nor did he judge them by their own laws. God judged them according to His Law.

Men may not accept it, believe it, or like it. But all are subjects to the throne of God and are accountable to Him.

If He has not acted, it is not due to His acceptance of a wicked lifestyle. It is due to His patience. He does not look upon evil with favor, but with long-suffering, for God, “endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.

We learn from the book of Nahum that God is sovereign over His creation and directs history to suit His plans.  History records the destruction of Nineveh in 627 B.C. at the hands of the Medes and the Babylonians, former vassals of Assyria.  Yet, when this prophecy was delivered, Assyria was still at the height of its power.  The absurdity of the greatest military power on earth being subjugated by its current vassals would be as profound as believing that the United States or Russia would be subjugated by two lesser nations in the world in 2015 A.D.

Nineveh fell because it presumed upon the patience of God.  It abused this patience by assuming that the patience of God suggested that God was on the side of the Assyrians.  Rather than seeing His patience as an opportunity to repent and submit themselves to God, instead they entrenched themselves in idolatry and wickedness.

The title of this blog is derived from the first chapter of Nahum, verse three.  In this passage, we see that God “has his way” in whirlwind and storm.  It signifies the great power of the destroyer as well as the sense of utter helplessness that is the state of Nineveh.  Just as we have no control and no means of preventing a tornado or a great storm, so Nineveh was unable to prevent what was about to happen to it.  God’s wrath is not gentle, but fierce.

But, would they have considered this to be the end of their reign, or just another battle to face on their way to continued dominance? How much if history is filled with fallen nations who have presumed restraint from God as being favor from God?

The great lesson from Nahum is this:

Do not confuse the patience of God as being at peace with Him.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment