Introduction
Fully Human: A Biblical Pursuit of Virtue
We live in a world and a time when it can feel like arrogance, hubris, pride, anger, and aggression seem to have become societal values, and our world appears to admire and reward those who practice them. Discussion of virtues and lifting up those who pursue them seem to have little place in our world today.
Yet, our Lord created us in His image and redeemed us by His blood so that, as we live out the salvation Christ has accomplished for us, we might live a life which pursues what it looks like to be Christlike for the sake of our neighbor. Jesus was humble, hospitable, generous…He lived a perfect life of virtue which revealed what it is to truly be human by God’s design. Dr. Joel Biermann, Professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, more fully examines this idea in his book, A Case for Character: Towards a Lutheran Virtue Ethics. I am grateful for his work, which, in part, informed this study, and I highly commend his book as a helpful resource on this topic.
In “Fully Human: A Biblical Pursuit of Virtue,” we begin to take a look at four key virtues from the perspective of Scripture. We’ll look at how these virtues were seen in the lives of those who knew God’s grace in the times of Scripture as well as how they are seen in the life of Christ Himself. We’ll also examine how these virtues are reflected in our own walk with our Savior. May the Lord bless you in your pursuit of a life of virtue to Christ’s glory.
Rev. Kristopher Whitby
Assistant to the President – Mission and Ministry
LCMS Northern Illinois District