1

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:13–14).

Humanity lay in a coffin of its own making, being “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). Men, women, and sadly children wallowed in the miry pit of their own sinful hearts and actions (Jer. 17:9; Ps. 40:2, 51:1–12). Their world was enshrouded in the darkness of unbelief and unrighteous living (Isa. 9:2; John 1:5). Their minds were blinded in futility (Eph. 4:17–18). Sin and its great consequence, death, were the spiritual conditions under which all of humanity existed, under the bondage of him “that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14).

No one was exempt.

The sin of the first man, Adam, and humanity’s subsequent sins, set the stage for the primary actor of the biblical narrative, God, the one “which is, and which was, and which is to come” (Rev. 1:8). The Creator and Sustainer of all--the self-sufficient One who needs nothing beyond Himself and the God who was sinned against--was about to enter the drama of human history in a way He had never done before. God was pleased to pursue the pinnacle of His creation by becoming just like sinful humanity, except without sin.  He entered this sinful world in order to bring the slaves of hell into heaven. This is the gospel of the incarnation.

From Daniel R. Hyde, God With Us: Knowing the Mystery of Who Jesus Is (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2007), 15.

Reformation Heritage Books is still selling this book for only $5 (65% discount!).

To read the rest of chapter 1, download the .pdf here.

My publisher (Reformation Heritage Books) of God With Us: Knowing the Mystery of Who Jesus Is is selling this title for the rest of this week (until Friday 5pm) for only $5.00. This is 65% off the retail price of $14.00.

Click here for the special price.

I just received the cover art for my soon-to-be-released, In Living Color: Pastoral Counsel on Images of Christ (Grandville: Reformed Fellowship, 2008). For now, here is the Table of Contents:

Foreward by Joel Beeke

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1—Man's Media: Images

2—God's Media: Preaching

3—God's Media: Sacraments

Conclusion

Scripture Index

Confessions Index

http://joshhlim.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/a-brief-review-with-heart-and-mouth-by-daniel-r-hyde/

Over at Creed or Chaos there is an ongoing review of my book, The Good Confession: An Exploration of the Christian Faith, by Inwoo Lee and Hagan Kelly. This week Hagan reviews chapter 3 on "Knowing God in His Word."

Here is a picture of Hagan and I after one of our current classes on The Good Confession.
[Photo courtesy of Michael Spotts]