God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act.
Wayne GrudemWhen Jesus invites sinners, 'Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,' he immediately adds,'take my yoke upon you, and learn from me' (Matt. 11:28-29). To come to him includes taking his yoke upon us, being subject to his direction and guidance, learning from him and being obedient to him. If we are unwilling to make such a commitment, then we have not truly placed our trust in him.
Wayne GrudemIn one sense the doctrine of the trinity is a mystery that we will never understand fully.
Wayne GrudemIt is scripture alone, not conservative Evangelical tradition or any other human authority, that must function as the normative authority for the definition of what we should believe. The authority of the scripture means that all the words in scripture are God's words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.
Wayne GrudemI think that ultimately we will attain much more depth of understanding of Scripture when we are able to study it in the company of a great number of scholars who all begin with the conviction that the Bible is completely true and absolutely authoritative.
Wayne GrudemGod does not need us or the rest of creation for anything, yet we and the rest of creation can glorify him and bring him joy.
Wayne GrudemI do not believe that God intended the study of theology to be dry and boring. Theology is the study of God and all his works! Theology is meant to be LIVED and PRAYED and SUNG! All of the great doctrinal writings of the Bible (such as Paul's epistle to the Romans) are full of praise to God and personal application to life.
Wayne GrudemThe pressure to conform to 'politically correct' speech is primarily a pressure not to use certain expressions. But when our freedom to use certain expressions is taken away, then our ability to think in certain ways is also curtailed.
Wayne GrudemThe idea that all the words in Scripture are God's words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.
Wayne GrudemThe clarity of Scripture means that the Bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all who will read it seeking God's help and being willing to follow it.
Wayne GrudemIf we pray little, it is probably because we do not really believe that prayer accomplishes much at all.
Wayne GrudemThe inerrancy of Scripture means that scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact.
Wayne GrudemIf God is not unchanging, then the whole basis of our faith begins to fall apart, and our understanding of the universe begins to unravel. This is because our faith and hope and knowledge all ultimately depend on a person who is infinitely worthy of trust - because he is absolutely and eternally unchanging in his being, perfections, purposes, and promises.
Wayne GrudemNowhere in Scripture do we find doctrine studied for its own sake or in isolation from life.
Wayne GrudemOur justification from sins takes place at the point of saving faith, not at the point of water baptism, which usually occurs later. But if a person is already justified and has sins forgiven eternally at the point of saving faith, then baptism is not necessary for forgiveness of sins nor for the bestowal of new spiritual life. Baptism, then, is not necessary for salvation. But it is necessary if we are to be obedient to Christ, for he commanded baptism for all who believe in him.
Wayne GrudemThe sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contained all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly.
Wayne GrudemElection is an act of God before creation in which He chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of His sovereign good pleasure.
Wayne GrudemGod's faithfulness means that God will always do what He said and fulfill what He has promised.
Wayne GrudemIt is important to insist on the historical truthfulness of the narrative of the fall of Adam and Eve. Just as the account of the creation of Adam and Eve is tied in with the rest of the historical narrative in the book of Genesis, so also this account of the fall of man, which follows the history of man's creation, is presented by the author as straightforward, narrative history
Wayne GrudemGod's wisdom means that God always chooses the best goals and the best means to those goals.
Wayne GrudemIt is not just that we exist and God has always existed, it is also that God necessarily exists in an infinitely better, stronger, more excellent way. The difference between God's being and ours is more than the difference between the sun and a candle, more than the difference between the ocean and a raindrop... God's being is qualitatively different.
Wayne Grudem