The content of Jesus' preaching was narrow, exact, and often exacting.  But truth, of whatever sort, is by its very nature always narrowly inclusive, rigidly exclusive, absolute, and precise.  As witnessed by thousands in His life on earth, He was undeniably a gentle, compassionate Man, broader and more expansive than the universe in His love, grace, and understanding of existential realities, the best teacher and example we have known.  But He was also a man of tough words and hard, often enigmatic, sayings, which were always direct and grace-filled but often difficult to accept or understand in their fullness, words and actions that carried unique and deeply penetrating divine authority, power, and effect, those things having one highly focused purpose.

I believe that He came to tell, live, and be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth concerning ultimate, existential realities (and succeeded perfectly in doing so, unlike us), in order to accomplish the very specific, gracious purpose of His Father in opening the way into His eternal kingdom thereby bringing many to glory (Heb 2:10-11) by means of His unique, sacrificial incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension.  If so, then we can only enter into life through the God-given means of genuine belief in Him and must unreservedly, wholeheartedly commit to Him, the Truth, as He commands.  May God, by means of His Word and Spirit, grant us grace to understand the reality of our profound spiritual need and to respond to Him daily with authentic, repentant, ever-growing faith and holiness.

On this site it is my intention, in a biblically faithful, simple, clear, precise, and evangelical manner (a tall order!) to:  1) show why we all are desperately in need of a perfect, fully divine and fully human, outside (alien) truth-teller and truth-liver and 2) provide help and inspiration to all true Pilgrims on the Way, those who, solely by the wholly undeserved, merciful grace of God, have been divinely chosen, called, and birthed into this unique pilgrimage through the strait gate of genuine faith (authentic knowledge, profoundly grateful assent, & ever growing trust) in Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Son of God.  As the only capable and perfectly obedient Wrath-Curse-Sin Bearer in place of those divinely chosen from eternity, He became the one, the only, all-sufficient Savior, of all who truly believe, from the Father's otherwise inescapable, justly deserved wrath for our sins and sinfulness that inescapably flow from our universally inherited spiritually dead (and therefore sinful) nature and actions we willingly choose, consequences each of us otherwise would have to endlessly endure ourselves.

In closing, it is crucial to understand that true pilgrims, increasingly less sinful in this life while bound for glory and perfection, are those who, like Abraham and Sarah of the Old Testament and multitudes since, having been divinely chosen from eternity then called to and imparted with eternal life, spend their time on this earth looking for a city whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:10, 13-16).  As J. Calvin wrote, "There will be no inheritance for us in heaven unless we are pilgrims (strangers just passing through) on earth".  May we be such people who, at the end of our life's journey, will be well fitted to hear and personally, divinely approved to hear the most rewarding words ever, spoken to us by God himself, "Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over little, I will make you ruler over much.  Enter into the joy of your Lord."  (Mt. 25:21).

Amen.  Soli Deo gloria . . .

In Christ,

Doug Wallace

Simul Justus et Peccator

Colorado, USA

* Views expressed on this site are not necessarily those of Coram Deo Reformation Church or the URCNA.

Videos (clockwise from upper left): 

1) Redeemer - Nicole Mullen

2) Psalm 147 - Scottish Acapella

And a final word from one sinful theologian to another . . .

I suppose that you may be wondering how I know that you,  perhaps a complete stranger, are a sinful theologian too.  That is a good question!

Part of the answer has to be that each of us is a theologian of some sort, of some quality and degree.  Whether atheist, agnostic, pantheist, theist, hedonist, stoic, existentialist, materialist, rationalist, gnostic / mystic / relativist / pagan, subjectivist, or whatever – everyone of us has somewhat definite ideas and beliefs about ultimate reality / ultimate truth, and we all, without exception, exist on a theological spectrum ranging from solidly grounded to dully unreflective or even unreachably deluded in that most essential of things, knowing and being divinely transformed by authentic, objective, ultimate, loving reality.  Because of that, it becomes critical we have an accurate, trustworthy guide to that reality, which only true, inspired, accurate, revelation can yield.  So while we are all theologians, some are clearly more genuinely conversant with ultimate reality / realities than others.

In addition to being theologians of varying quality and degrees, we are all also inescapably radically dead and dying sinners, both by conception and choice, sin being any deviance from or lack of perfect (but creaturely) conformity to ultimate reality in any aspect of our beings.  We are all deeply (and irremediably in this life)  inflicted and infected with moral, ethical, intellectual, physical, and volitional imperfections, which radically impact our ability to grasp anything outside of our limited area of purview, but are also willfully sinful in varying degrees (with, of course, one unique, outstanding Exception) and find ourselves firmly embedded in one of two distinct, exclusive groups (no fence sitting here and no third categories).

In the first group, the one in which we all initially find ourselves, are those sinners upon whom God’s holy wrath, from conception on, continues to rest; those not having been granted His full pardon and once-for-all acquittal of moral, existential infractions and rebellion against His sovereign authority.  Perhaps there are many in this group whom God has yet to call and give spiritual life / birth tobring into the second group, something He does at His own, perfect discretion, will, and timing with no help from us.

In the second group are those whom God, as the sole, true, ultimate reality and at His loving, free, and wise discretion, has declared to be fully and permanently pardoned of all sin solely on the basis of Another’s unique, sufficient being and actions; that is, repentant believing sinners whom God has adopted into His family and who increasingly are being shaped by His sovereign, divine nature and will, those upon whom His wrath against sin no longer rests, having been fully placated by Another.   For more details, please see Jn 3:1-21.

So this site is for ALL sinful theologians whom God is calling to know, love, worship, be conformed to, and trust Him as He actually is, the perfect, eternal being and the One Who is the only Goal that finally matters and in Whom we can never find true rest, fulfillment, and love until that is found in Him.  And to make, perhaps, a tiny contribution in calling God-called theologians, the Church, back to the central, foundational teachings and practices of the classic, historic Christian faith in being, thought, and practice.  All other theologians necessarily remain in the first group, vainly attempting to find truth and fulfillment elsewhere.

Please enjoy exploring the many treasures as those are added to these pages, from a rich variety of pilgrims whom God graciously, and at the greatest possible cost, gifted with spiritual life, initial & ongoing repentant faith, full & permanent forgiveness of all sin, and adoption into His family, the One Who justifies from among the ungodly as He chooses and then unfailingly carries those through this life into His glorious, eternal kingdom as a vital part of His divine, eternal plan.  Among those spiritual pilgrims destined for glory are the inspired authors of Holy Scripture (aka The Holy Bible) and many others who, in genuine, obedient, God-given faith, held fast in full grateful, loving submission and with the totality of their beings (as well as imperfect, sinful humans can) to those divine words and truths as empowered by a patient, loving God, gradually learning in this life to know and love supremely a God not of their own making but the One Who actually (thankfully) is, the One Who alone is love, power, and perfection.