It is only because of God that I have life and a life that is meaningful. Without at all losing sighof the tremendous distinction between Creator and creature, I would rather say that God is my meaning and God is my life. "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). I can make a list of all the really important things that have happened to me throughout my life and career - all of the special moments of accomplishments, all of the things which have communicated joy or dignity or purpose, all of the things which have deep meaning for my life - and over against that list, I still say from the bottom of my heart, "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:25).
With the simple and few wrds that I have, then, I would say that God has always been to me an inescapable and holy presence (cf. David's testimony in Psalm 139). God has been a secret source of personal acceptance and forgiveness, when at times there were doubts about any human source of the same. God has been a stabilizing strength as well as the fire of eagerness, whether in negative situations of adversity or positive mes of opportunity. God has been my ideal of moral perfection and, thus, both a constant rebuke to my falling short of His glory and a gentle guide in the right direction. God has been the sovereign and incomprehensible governor of every detail of my life - something which has (ironically to those who dispute such a portrayal of Him) filled me with a sense of freedom and understanding.
There is no religion for me apart from the historical work of the Son of God, applied to me in the power of the Holy Spirit. The story of Christ's incarnation, life, miracles, teaching, self-sacrificial death, powerful resurrection and glorious ascension is to me the story of stories - the historical truth which provides the paradigm for interpreting everything about myself. Life has been for me, on a day to day basis, a matter of seeing ever more fuller, deeper, and clearer how that saving story provides the integration and meaning of everything that has happened to me - of everything I am or hope to be. Many years ago I chose as a testimony verse Galatians 2:20. I understand better now than thn how appropriate it was. "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." - Greg L. Bahnsen
Dr. Greg L. Bahnsen, one of the most effective Christian apologists of the twentieth century, consistently underscored the abiding authority of the word of God and the requirement to apply it to all olife. In addition to apologetics, his seminarl work, "Theonomy in Christian Ethics", is still challenging the church to honor all of God's word as the only perfect standard of righteousness.
Known for his rigorous logic and theological depth, Dr. Bahnsen's scholarship and teaching always delivered sixteen ounces to the pound. His intellectual gifts and debating skills won many devoted friends - and foes. The hard work of the theological precision is rarely accomplished without controversy. Nevertheless, Bahnsen's love the Christ and His church enabled him to press on through the inevitable battles. Bearing the standard of God's word as the only inerrant rule by which men must live, Bahnsen stood fast and firm in a day of ethical relativism and ecclesiastical compromise.
On December 11, 1995, Dr. Bahnsen, 47, was taken home to be with the Lord. This festschrift seeks to pay homage to the enormous contribution Dr. Bahnsen offered to the Christian church - a contribution that has strengthened and will continue to strengthen citizens in the kingdom of God. Each of the contribors to this volume owes a debt of love and gratitude to Dr. Bahnsen not only for the labor and instruction he provided but also for his friendship and affection.
About the Author
Dr. Bahnsen was an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and full-time scholar-in-residence for e Southern California Center for Christian Studies. He received the B.A. (magna cum laude, philosophy) from Westmont College, then simultaneously earned the M.Div. and Th.M. degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary. He earned his doctor of philosophy from the University of Southern California, specializing in the theory of knowledge. His book publications, along with thousands of lectures and sermons on audio and video cassetts, continue to be distributed and used throughout the world today
