The Carson Center Podcast

In this lecture, Don Carson critiques Western individualism and its societal effects, explaining the church’s unique role as an eternal institution distinct from the world. Carson emphasizes the transformative power of biblical grace, contrasting it with harmful uses of religion and secular ideologies, and he explains the role of the Holy Spirit in empowering believers to live righteously. Carson highlights the global impact of Christian faith, illustrating how it leads to profound spiritual transformation and societal change. He teaches the following: * A biblical perspective on the church as the only eternal human institution * How Christianity is fundamentally different from other religious movements * The role of grace in transforming individuals and societies * How the cross has created peace between Jews and Gentiles * The role of the Holy Spirit as a helper to believers * Why suffering for Jesus is a privilege and a gift * How evangelism brings a spiritual transformation that secular efforts alone cannot achieve

In this lecture, Don Carson explores the concept of God's justice and righteousness, particularly as presented in Romans 3:21-26. Carson explains that all humans are guilty before God because of their sin, and justification comes through faith, not works, which is available to all. Carson highlights that faith must be rooted in the truth of Jesus's life, death, and resurrection, and is essential for salvation, excluding any boasting of personal merit. He teaches the following: * How Romans 1 argues the universality of human guilt before God * A contrast between Paul’s view with humanity’s contemporary self-perception * The absurdity of balancing good deeds and bad deeds for justification * The heart of all evil is rebellion against God * How rejecting God leads to self-destructive behaviors * God's righteousness is provided through Christ Jesus as the propitiation for our sins * How God's justice is demonstrated both in forgiving us and punishing sin

In this lecture, Don Carson explains the central role of Jesus's death and resurrection in Christian theology, stressing that understanding these events is key to grasping the gospel. Carson contrasts Jesus's death with that of other figures and highlights the unique nature of the canonical Gospels, particularly focusing on the ironies of Jesus's ultimate sacrifice. Carson emphasizes the importance of Jesus's resurrection and forgiveness of sins as foundational to Christian belief and reconciliation to God. He teaches the following: * Why understanding the gospel requires grasping the significance of Jesus's death and resurrection * The ironies in Matthew 27, a passage that records Jesus’s death * How Jesus's followers experienced a transformation of moral categories * The difference between historical accounts and cultural perceptions * The importance of internal moral imperatives in Jesus's life and teachings * An argument for Jesus’s resurrection as a factual historical event * Why Jesus's sacrifice is the only way to be reconciled to God

In this lecture, Don Carson explores the multifaceted nature of God's love as presented in the Bible, contrasting it with both historical and modern misconceptions. Carson outlines the five aspects of God's love and emphasizes that Jesus is the ultimate measure of this love. Carson concludes by highlighting faith, gratitude, and humility as the appropriate responses to God's love, which offers life and salvation through Christ. He teaches the following: * God’s love for both believers and unbelievers is a central theme in the Bible * God’s providential love is non-discriminating, extending to both the just and the unjust * The importance of understanding Scripture’s diverse expressions of God's love * Faith is the means by which we come to experience God's love and life * Repentance and gratitude are the appropriate responses to understanding God's love and salvation

In this lecture, Don Carson exposites John 3, explaining how spiritual birth is a transformative power from God that brings moral and spiritual change. Carson emphasizes the connection between this imagery, Jesus's death, and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Carson also explores the need for reconciliation to God, moral transformation, and the reversal of sin’s effects. New birth is not a result of human effort but a life-changing process enabled by the Holy Spirit. He teaches the following: * How the desire to challenge God and usurp his authority leads to social evils and strife * Rebellion against God results in death, but God's mercy leads to a new humanity through Abraham * God showed the need for sacrifice under the Old Covenant, promising a Redeemer from the Davidic line * Jesus's revelation is grounded in his identity as God's own self-expression * The new birth is grounded in Jesus's death, which provides the means for eternal life