4In a highly polarized society, how are we to know which position on an issue reflects God's will? Christians commonly appeal to what the Bible says to determine God's will. "The Bible says!" They assume it must be God's will because the Bible says it.

The Bible does teach us how to know God's will, but it points beyond itself to a way of thinking shaped by the Spirit--what the book of Colossians calls spiritual wisdom and understanding. We discern God's will by thinking theologically. Knowing God's will requires more than knowing what the Bible says. How to think theologically about what the Bible says is needed.

God's character as reflected in Jesus of Nazareth is the key to thinking theologically. In our efforts to know God's will, we Christians must interpret what the Bible says in keeping with who Jesus revealed God to be. We must embrace understandings and positions that reflect the spirit of Jesus.

This book presents seven markers, grounded in the character of God as revealed in Jesus, for understanding what the Bible says, so that our understanding reflects the love of God we see in Jesus. Borrowing an image from the prophet Amos, these seven markers make up God's Plumb Line. They outline a way of thinking theologically so that our hearts align with the heart of God and our minds with the mind of Christ.