ARTICLE GUIDE
At a Glance
This study contrasts Christian and Islamic accounts of divine love and human relationship with God. It traces incarnation, the cross, adoption, and the Spirit’s assurance through the promise-plan and engages Islamic objections to relational monotheism.
How do divine love and the Spirit of adoption shape Christian identity?
This guide introduces the argument developed in the complete article and its main lines of investigation.
Key Claims
- The essay argues that Trinitarian love supplies the foundation for divine self-giving rather than depending on creation.
- Incarnation and inlibration are distinguished as different accounts of primary divine revelation.
- The Prodigal Son and Pauline adoption language frame the study’s contrast between servanthood and inheritance.
- The Spirit’s indwelling, seal, and down payment connect present assurance with future redemption.
- The argument retains Israel’s irrevocable calling within the one people of God.
Primary Textual Anchors
- 1 John 4:8, 16
- John 1:14
- Luke 15:11–32
- Romans 5:5; 8:15
- Galatians 4:4–6
- Ephesians 1:13–14
- 2 Corinthians 1:22
- Romans 11:28–29
Scripture Connections
1 John 4:8, 16; John 1:14; Luke 15:11–32; Romans 5:5; 8:15; Galatians 4:4–6; Ephesians 1:13–14; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Romans 11:28–29
Selected Scholarship
- Bailey, K. E. (2005). The cross & the prodigal (2nd ed.).
- Kaiser, W. C., Jr. (2008). The promise-plan of God.
- Tanagho, S. (2017). Glad news! God loves you, my Muslim friend!
- Stott, J. R. W. (2006). The cross of Christ (20th anniversary ed.).
Related Guides
- The Eternal Sonship of Christ: A Biblical-Theological Appraisal Within the Promise-Plan Architecture and Christian–Muslim Polemics
- The Triune God of the Promise-Plan: Biblical Theology, Hebraic Monotheism, and the Inter-Religious Critique of Islamic Tawḥīd
Continue on Substack
Read the complete article on Substack, with Watch and Listen resources where available.
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