Jarvis Williams, associate professor of New Testament and Greek at Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, Ky., and a four-time graduate of Southern Seminary, recently published an article about the pursuit of practical maturity in the gospel at the Desiring God Blog.

In the article, "The Foundational Action of God," Williams, who is also a visiting professor at Southern, proposes that Christians' obedience results from God's action in them and for them through Christ. Focusing on Romans 8:29-30, he explains that God's purpose to conform believers to the image of his Son will assuredly come to pass. He writes:

God’s design for us to pursue practical maturity in the gospel didn't begin after we believed the gospel. Rather, it began when he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to believe the gospel in order that we would become conformed into the image of Christ.

Williams' entire article is available at the Desiring God Blog.

Additionally, Williams will be a plenary speaker at the 2012 Desiring God National Conference in Minneapolis, September 28-30. The conference will also feature SBTS Dean of the School of Theology Russell D. Moore as a plenary speaker. More information is available at the conference website.