About
I am a guy whose life has been transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don’t believe it’s the things that we do that define our identity, but rather, our core beliefs. And from these core beliefs come the way I live my life. But first, a brief explanation of the gospel.
The Gospel
I’ll explain this very briefly, using the four-movement framework that Jeff Vanderstelt wrote in his book, Gospel Fluency. Of course, there is so much to be said here, so feel free to reach out and ask me for more!
Creation
God, in His eternal power and divine nature created the world from nothing with a simple word from His mouth. Having created the world, He defined what is good (and conversely, what is not good) which in essence is, “that which tends to the ordering of the world and is aligned with the glory of God”. The pinnacle of all creation was humanity, as they were, “made in the image of God” (representatives of God within the physical world).
Ref: Rom 1:20, Gen 1-2
Fall
The first man and woman (Adam and Eve) however, did not trust and live within God’s will, and rebelled against Him (this is known as “sin”). By sinning against God (who is infinitely holy — that is, “unparalleled in His majesty”, and, “unblemished in moral purity”), the God who authored all of life, they were condemned to death (physical, relational, and spiritual) for all of eternity.
Ref: Gen 3
Redemption
God however, did not desire for the complete and utter destruction of humanity, though He would be fully just in destroying them on the spot. Instead, God worked throughout all of history, redeeming His people to Himself through various means (the law, judges, kings, and prophets). However, this would have never fully resolved the problem of sin. So at the right time, God sent His son, Jesus, to intervene. Jesus, being fully God in nature, took on human form (thus, being fully man as well), lived the perfect, sinless life no one could ever live, became the perfect substitutionary sacrifice by dying on a cross for all our sins, was buried, and rose three days later, as He had foretold. By these very actions, Jesus became a bridge between God and humanity, so that, whoever confesses with their mouth that Jesus is LORD, and believes in their heart that God raised Him from the dead, will be saved from their sin.
Ref: Ezek 18:32, Rom 3:21-26, Rom 5:6-11, Phil 2:6-11, Rom 10:9-10
New Creation
Having been reconciled to God by the cleansing of sin, God transforms His people’s hearts to walk in His will and ways, by the power of His Holy Spirit. Having died to the old, sinful self, and brought to new life, the Christian seeks to do all things to the glory of God, and thus, takes part in bringing about a “new creation” through the ordering of this broken world, living out what was intended for man from the very start. Ultimately, the Christian seeks for souls to be saved and for the world to be renewed, to the glory of God!
Ref: Col 1:15-23, Col 2:6-7, 2 Cor 5:17, 1 Cor 10:31
Numerous Interests
I’m a naturally curious person, and love to learn just about anything! While I am a quiet person at heart, you can always strike up a conversation with me, and I’ll listen and ask questions, especially if it pertains to the following:
- Ministry: it’s a great joy and privilege to take part in this, as it is so amazing to see souls saved and the world transformed for the better.
- Photography: you probably have noticed that some of the photos featured on this website are mine! I love to share of adventures (and plans), moments, and just solid, stunning shots.
- Reading & Writing: I mostly do this with respects to my faith, but I do also hope to just write and share more casually 🙂.
- Food, and anything food-adjacent: I love to cook my own food and share it with others! I’m also trying to learn how to pair drinks with food, so if you’re knowledgeable in that area, we need to talk. Bonus points if you’re a fellow tea enjoyer 🍵! One day, I hope to branch out into being more self-sustainable (especially with food), so if you’re already doing that, I’d love to hear from you.