The Cross Was Damnation, and He Took it Lovingly

by Staff March 30, 2015

Was there ever such love?

Rabbi Duncan was a great old Reformed teacher in New College, Edinburgh, a hundred and more years ago. In one of his famous excursions in his classes, where he would move off from the Hebrew he was supposed to be teaching to theological reflections on this or that, he threw out the following question: "Do you know what Calvary was? What? What? What? Do you know what Calvary was?" Then, having waited a little and having walked up and down in front of them in silence, he looked at them again and said, "I'll tell you what Calvary was. It was damnation, and he took it lovingly." The students in his class reported that there were tears on his face as he said this. And well there might be. "Damnation, and he took it lovingly."

—J.I. Packer, Knowing Christianity

How does God's Word impact our prayers?

God invites His children to talk with Him, yet our prayers often become repetitive and stale. How do we have a real conversation with God? How do we come to know Him so that we may pray for His will as our own?

In the Bible, God speaks to us as His children and gives us words for prayer—to praise Him, confess our sins, and request His help in our lives.

We’re giving away a free eBook copy of Praying the Bible, where Donald S. Whitney offers practical insight to help Christians talk to God with the words of Scripture.