At times I get tired of being asked why I don't just preach the "simple gospel." You have to preach the simple gospel so that it is simple to the person to whom you are talking, or it is no longer simple. The dilemma of modern man is simple: he does not know why man has any meaning. He is lost. Man remains a zero. This is the damnation of our generation, the heart of modern man's problem. But if we begin with a personal and this is the origin of all else, then the personal does have meaning, and man and his aspirations are not meaningless. Man's aspirations to the reality of personality are in line with what was originally there and what has always intrinsically been.
It is the Christian who has the answer at this point -- a titanic answer! So why have we as Christians gone on saying the great truths in ways that nobody understands? Why do we keep talking to ourselves, if men are lost and we say we love them? Man's damnation today is that he can find no meaning for man, but if we begin with the personal beginning we have an absolutely opposite situation. We have the reality of the fact that personality does have meaning because it is not alienated from what has always been, and what is, and what always will be. This is our answer, and with this we have a solution not only to the problem of existence of bare being and its complexity -- but also for man's being different, with a personality which distinguishes him from non-man. -Francis A. Schaeffer, He Is There and He Is Not Silent, Ch. 1
03 September 2009
29 August 2009
A response to a friend on TULIP
Total Depravity
Whether right doctrine or error, let Scripture decide;
Genesis 8:21 "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth."
Jeremiah 13:23 "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil."
Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?"
Ecclesiastes 9:3 "Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead."
Psalm 51:5 "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me."
Psalm 58:3 "Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies."
Romans 3:10-18 "As it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes."
Ephesians 2:1-2 "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient."
John 6:43-44 "Stop grumbling among yourselves, Jesus answered. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day."
1 Corinthians 2:14 "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
John 8:31 "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' They answered him, 'We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?' Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.'"
Psalm 130:3-4 "If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared."
Psalm 143:2 "Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you."
Proverbs 20:9 "Who can say, 'I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin'?"
Isaiah 53:6 "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Isaiah 64:6 "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."
Romans 3:9 "What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin."
Unconditional Election
Whether right doctrine or error, let Scripture decide;
Deuteronomy 7:7-9 "The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands."
Psalm 65:4 "Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple."
John 6:37 "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."
Matthew 11:27 "All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
John 17:6 "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word."
Acts 13:48 "And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed."
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 "But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Thessalonians 5:9 "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Peter 1:1-2 "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood."
2 Timothy 1:8-12 "So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."
Ephesians 1:3-11 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment-- to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."
Romans 8:28-30 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."
Romans 9:10-13 "Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls--she was told, The older will serve the younger. Just as it is written: Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
Romans 9:14-15 "What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.'"
Romans 9:16-18 "It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: 'I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.' Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden."
Romans 9:19-24 "One of you will say to me: 'Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?' But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? 'Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-- prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?"
Limited Atonement
In contrast to the Arminian view, when we speak of "limited atonement" we are presenting a far greater view of the work of Christ on Calvary when we say that Christ's death actually accomplishes something in reality rather than only in theory. The atonement, we believe, was a real, actual, substitutionary one, not a possible, theoretical one that is dependent for its efficacy upon the actions of man.
Whether right doctrine or error, let Scripture decide;
Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
1 Timothy 1:15 "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst."
Hebrews 7:24-25 "But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
Hebrews 9:11-12 "When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption."
1 John 2:1-2 "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (see also John 11:51-52; Rev. 5:9-11).
John 17:9 "I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours."
Matthew 20:28 "Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Isaiah 53:11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities."
John 10:11, 15 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep....just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep."
Ephesians 2:5, 25-27 "...just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God....husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."
Romans 8:32-34 "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."
Titus 2:13-14 "While we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."
Matthew 1:21 "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Hebrews 10:10-14 "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."
Irresistable Grace
While it is often asserted in some way that the Calvinistic view of God characterizes man as a "robot" or puppet, what is really being said is that a sovereign God cannot produce living responsible beings. Unless man is absolutely free to determine his own destiny (autonomous), then he is not free but simply a puppet or robot.
I don't believe in a God who would force people to be saved. Dead men have not ability to resist the sovereign grace of God, so how can the word "force" have any meaning? God never forces anyone to do anything against their "will", for those who are left in their sin are enslaved to evil and do not desire to follow after God. Men are no more "forced" to be saved than Lazarus was forced to come out of the tomb.
Whether right doctrine or error, let Scripture decide;
John 3:3, 5-7 "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.'"
"...Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'"
John 5:21 "For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will."
John 6:37 "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."
John 6:45 "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me."
Acts 16:14 "A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul." (Lydia was a worshiper of God, yet we are told she was still dependent on the work of the Spirit of God in her heart.
2 Timothy 2:10 "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."
1 Corinthians 1:30-31 "And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'"
Galatians 1:15 "But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles..."
Titus 3:5 "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit."
Perseverance of the Saints
Truly God never fails at what He sets out to accomplish.
Whether right doctrine or error, let Scripture decide;
John 6:37-39 "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day."
John 10:26-30 "But you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
John 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."
John 17:11-12, 15 "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name-- the name you gave me-- so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled....My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." (Could the Christ fail to do the will of the Father, or the Father fail to answer the prayer of the Son? May it never be!)
Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Romans 5:1 "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Matthew 7:23 "And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'"
Romans 8:31-35, 38-39 "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-- more than that, who was raised to life-- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Ephesians 1:13-14 "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory."
1 Corinthians 1:8-9 "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."
Colossians 3:1-3 "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."
Jude v. 24-25 "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy--to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."
Isaiah 42:5-9 "Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: 'I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.'"
It would seem to be wise to listen closely to He who gives us our very breath, our very life. In verse eight Yahweh proclaims His name. Yahweh's name is glorious (Psalm 72:19), and because it represents His very nature and being, God is jealous of that name. He will not allow His glory to be given to another, or His praise to idols.
Isaiah 43:1-7 "But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.'"
God's promise is not that Israel will not pass through the waters, or walk through the fire. God does not remove His people from living in a fallen world. But the promise is to be with His people through these trials and ordeals. The phrase "I will be with you" is the first person way of saying "Immanuel!" He is the faithful covenant God of Israel.
[these are but a few examples]
For a further look check out The Sovereign Grace of God by James R. White (which contributed to this post) for a biblical study of the doctrines of grace.
Whether right doctrine or error, let Scripture decide;
Genesis 8:21 "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth."
Jeremiah 13:23 "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil."
Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?"
Ecclesiastes 9:3 "Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead."
Psalm 51:5 "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me."
Psalm 58:3 "Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies."
Romans 3:10-18 "As it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes."
Ephesians 2:1-2 "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient."
John 6:43-44 "Stop grumbling among yourselves, Jesus answered. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day."
1 Corinthians 2:14 "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
John 8:31 "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' They answered him, 'We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?' Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.'"
Psalm 130:3-4 "If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared."
Psalm 143:2 "Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you."
Proverbs 20:9 "Who can say, 'I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin'?"
Isaiah 53:6 "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Isaiah 64:6 "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."
Romans 3:9 "What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin."
Unconditional Election
Whether right doctrine or error, let Scripture decide;
Deuteronomy 7:7-9 "The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands."
Psalm 65:4 "Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple."
John 6:37 "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."
Matthew 11:27 "All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
John 17:6 "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word."
Acts 13:48 "And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed."
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 "But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Thessalonians 5:9 "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Peter 1:1-2 "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood."
2 Timothy 1:8-12 "So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."
Ephesians 1:3-11 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment-- to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."
Romans 8:28-30 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."
Romans 9:10-13 "Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls--she was told, The older will serve the younger. Just as it is written: Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
Romans 9:14-15 "What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.'"
Romans 9:16-18 "It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: 'I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.' Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden."
Romans 9:19-24 "One of you will say to me: 'Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?' But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? 'Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-- prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?"
Limited Atonement
In contrast to the Arminian view, when we speak of "limited atonement" we are presenting a far greater view of the work of Christ on Calvary when we say that Christ's death actually accomplishes something in reality rather than only in theory. The atonement, we believe, was a real, actual, substitutionary one, not a possible, theoretical one that is dependent for its efficacy upon the actions of man.
Whether right doctrine or error, let Scripture decide;
Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
1 Timothy 1:15 "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst."
Hebrews 7:24-25 "But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
Hebrews 9:11-12 "When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption."
1 John 2:1-2 "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (see also John 11:51-52; Rev. 5:9-11).
John 17:9 "I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours."
Matthew 20:28 "Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Isaiah 53:11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities."
John 10:11, 15 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep....just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep."
Ephesians 2:5, 25-27 "...just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God....husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."
Romans 8:32-34 "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."
Titus 2:13-14 "While we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."
Matthew 1:21 "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Hebrews 10:10-14 "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."
Irresistable Grace
While it is often asserted in some way that the Calvinistic view of God characterizes man as a "robot" or puppet, what is really being said is that a sovereign God cannot produce living responsible beings. Unless man is absolutely free to determine his own destiny (autonomous), then he is not free but simply a puppet or robot.
I don't believe in a God who would force people to be saved. Dead men have not ability to resist the sovereign grace of God, so how can the word "force" have any meaning? God never forces anyone to do anything against their "will", for those who are left in their sin are enslaved to evil and do not desire to follow after God. Men are no more "forced" to be saved than Lazarus was forced to come out of the tomb.
Whether right doctrine or error, let Scripture decide;
John 3:3, 5-7 "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.'"
"...Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'"
John 5:21 "For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will."
John 6:37 "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."
John 6:45 "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me."
Acts 16:14 "A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul." (Lydia was a worshiper of God, yet we are told she was still dependent on the work of the Spirit of God in her heart.
2 Timothy 2:10 "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."
1 Corinthians 1:30-31 "And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'"
Galatians 1:15 "But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles..."
Titus 3:5 "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit."
Perseverance of the Saints
Truly God never fails at what He sets out to accomplish.
Whether right doctrine or error, let Scripture decide;
John 6:37-39 "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day."
John 10:26-30 "But you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
John 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."
John 17:11-12, 15 "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name-- the name you gave me-- so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled....My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." (Could the Christ fail to do the will of the Father, or the Father fail to answer the prayer of the Son? May it never be!)
Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Romans 5:1 "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Matthew 7:23 "And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'"
Romans 8:31-35, 38-39 "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-- more than that, who was raised to life-- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Ephesians 1:13-14 "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory."
1 Corinthians 1:8-9 "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."
Colossians 3:1-3 "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."
Jude v. 24-25 "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy--to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."
Isaiah 42:5-9 "Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: 'I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.'"
It would seem to be wise to listen closely to He who gives us our very breath, our very life. In verse eight Yahweh proclaims His name. Yahweh's name is glorious (Psalm 72:19), and because it represents His very nature and being, God is jealous of that name. He will not allow His glory to be given to another, or His praise to idols.
Isaiah 43:1-7 "But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.'"
God's promise is not that Israel will not pass through the waters, or walk through the fire. God does not remove His people from living in a fallen world. But the promise is to be with His people through these trials and ordeals. The phrase "I will be with you" is the first person way of saying "Immanuel!" He is the faithful covenant God of Israel.
[these are but a few examples]
For a further look check out The Sovereign Grace of God by James R. White (which contributed to this post) for a biblical study of the doctrines of grace.
05 August 2009
The Virtues of Virginity on Apologetics.com Radio
http://www.apologetics.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=377:the-virtues-of-virginity&catid=43:kkla-995-fm-los-angeles&Itemid=74
The Virtues of Virginity: The new Apologetics.com Radio Show
In our culture there is a war against virginity. It is viewed as a problem or even an aberration; something to be destroyed as soon as possible in order to be thought of as "normal" in the court of public opinion. The mounting pressures from educators, peers, and the media have become constant and brazen. Any sentiment toward a sensible purity is regarded with suspicion or out right animosity. Is it really such an offense to regard oneself as holy? To view our special createdness in the image of God as demanding that a tremendous value be placed upon one's most intimate relations? There will always be those that refuse to think of intimacy as anything more than mere animal functionality. Some interpret every love as trivial or common. But the glory of God demands the same things that the educated conscience desires and our practice of purity, fidelity, charity, chastity, and continence while in the state of virginity is the means that God uses to prepare us for the graces of matrimony. The groundwork of who and what we are in Christ is to be laid in a state of virginal purity, apart from the cares of marriage, and certainly apart from the serial sexual relationships that have become the cultural prerequisite to marriage today. Virginity, Marriage, and Widowhood are particular stages in the developed life. Everyone begins their life in the virginal state and in that protected environment continues until ready for the creation of new life within the life long bond of marital fidelity. In Christian thought, there is a need to consider ourselves and our value within the gifts and tender care of God. He has held nothing back from us in His love and affection. And this means that we should see our holiness as something that is very important to what we are in Christ. We ought not to sell ourselves cheaply. There is, even today, a vital interest in the Christian retaining their purity and distinguishing themselves from the world as much by what we do as what we believe.
The Virtues of Virginity: The new Apologetics.com Radio Show
In our culture there is a war against virginity. It is viewed as a problem or even an aberration; something to be destroyed as soon as possible in order to be thought of as "normal" in the court of public opinion. The mounting pressures from educators, peers, and the media have become constant and brazen. Any sentiment toward a sensible purity is regarded with suspicion or out right animosity. Is it really such an offense to regard oneself as holy? To view our special createdness in the image of God as demanding that a tremendous value be placed upon one's most intimate relations? There will always be those that refuse to think of intimacy as anything more than mere animal functionality. Some interpret every love as trivial or common. But the glory of God demands the same things that the educated conscience desires and our practice of purity, fidelity, charity, chastity, and continence while in the state of virginity is the means that God uses to prepare us for the graces of matrimony. The groundwork of who and what we are in Christ is to be laid in a state of virginal purity, apart from the cares of marriage, and certainly apart from the serial sexual relationships that have become the cultural prerequisite to marriage today. Virginity, Marriage, and Widowhood are particular stages in the developed life. Everyone begins their life in the virginal state and in that protected environment continues until ready for the creation of new life within the life long bond of marital fidelity. In Christian thought, there is a need to consider ourselves and our value within the gifts and tender care of God. He has held nothing back from us in His love and affection. And this means that we should see our holiness as something that is very important to what we are in Christ. We ought not to sell ourselves cheaply. There is, even today, a vital interest in the Christian retaining their purity and distinguishing themselves from the world as much by what we do as what we believe.
12 June 2009
The Ethics of God: A Beginners Class on Traditional Christian Ethics (Pt.2)
The Ethics of God: A Beginners Class on Traditional Christian Ethics (Pt.2) \
Visit Link or search iTunes for Apologetics.com Radio for the program: http://apologetics.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=362:the-ethics-of-god-a-beginners-class-on-traditional-christian-ethics-pt2&catid=43:kkla-995-fm-los-angeles&Itemid=74
Written by Christopher Neiswonger
Saturday, 06 June 2009 00:00
What are the basic presumptions common to all "Christian" ethical systems? The moral law of God and the cultivation the traditional Christian virtues.
1. The existence of God.
2. The identity of God and the uniqueness of Christianity.
3. The veracity, historicity, and inerrancy of Holy Scripture.
4. The presentation and defense of a basic orthodoxy.
5. The promotion of a healthy spiritual life in faith and practice.
6. The understanding of a consistent Christian ethic applied to all of life.
7. Communicating the coherence and defensibility of the Christian faith with clarity, kindness, and grace to any that might be inclined to hear and teaching those that desire such how to do the same.
The Classical form for Individual and Social Justice
The Moral Law of God-
“Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself; on these hang all of the Law and the Commandments”
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
“What you have done unto the least of these you have done to me.”
“Have mercy on the little children and do not keep them from coming to me for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.”
The Cultivation of the traditional Christian Virtues-
Faith, Hope, Love, Wisdom, Justice, Courage, and Self Denial
Faith- “Without faith it is impossible to please God because to please God one must first believe that He exists and that He is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.”
Hope- “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Love- “These three remain: Hope, faith, and love, but the greatest of these is love…”
Wisdom- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
Justice- “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Courage- “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Self Denial- “Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Christopher Neiswonger and Lindsay Brooks
Visit Link or search iTunes for Apologetics.com Radio for the program: http://apologetics.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=362:the-ethics-of-god-a-beginners-class-on-traditional-christian-ethics-pt2&catid=43:kkla-995-fm-los-angeles&Itemid=74
Written by Christopher Neiswonger
Saturday, 06 June 2009 00:00
What are the basic presumptions common to all "Christian" ethical systems? The moral law of God and the cultivation the traditional Christian virtues.
1. The existence of God.
2. The identity of God and the uniqueness of Christianity.
3. The veracity, historicity, and inerrancy of Holy Scripture.
4. The presentation and defense of a basic orthodoxy.
5. The promotion of a healthy spiritual life in faith and practice.
6. The understanding of a consistent Christian ethic applied to all of life.
7. Communicating the coherence and defensibility of the Christian faith with clarity, kindness, and grace to any that might be inclined to hear and teaching those that desire such how to do the same.
The Classical form for Individual and Social Justice
The Moral Law of God-
“Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself; on these hang all of the Law and the Commandments”
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
“What you have done unto the least of these you have done to me.”
“Have mercy on the little children and do not keep them from coming to me for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.”
The Cultivation of the traditional Christian Virtues-
Faith, Hope, Love, Wisdom, Justice, Courage, and Self Denial
Faith- “Without faith it is impossible to please God because to please God one must first believe that He exists and that He is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.”
Hope- “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Love- “These three remain: Hope, faith, and love, but the greatest of these is love…”
Wisdom- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
Justice- “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Courage- “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Self Denial- “Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Christopher Neiswonger and Lindsay Brooks
06 June 2009
The Ethics of God: A Beginners Class on Traditional Christian Ethics (Pt.1)
The Ethics of God: A Beginners Class on Traditional Christian Ethics (Pt.1) on Apologetics.com Radio
Written by Christopher Neiswonger
Saturday, 30 May 2009 00:00
What are the basic presumptions common to all "Christian" ethical systems? The moral law of God and the cultivation the traditional Christian virtues.
1. The existence of God.
2. The identity of God and the uniqueness of Christianity.
3. The veracity, historicity, and inerrancy of Holy Scripture.
4. The presentation and defense of a basic orthodoxy.
5. The promotion of a healthy spiritual life in faith and practice.
6. The understanding of a consistent Christian ethic applied to all of life.
7. Communicating the coherence and defensibility of the Christian faith with clarity, kindness, and grace to any that might be inclined to hear and teaching those that desire such how to do the same.
The Classical form for Individual and Social Justice
The Moral Law of God-
“Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself; on these hang all of the Law and the Commandments”
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
“What you have done unto the least of these you have done to me.”
“Have mercy on the little children and do not keep them from coming to me for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.”
The Cultivation of the traditional Christian Virtues-
Faith, Hope, Love, Wisdom, Justice, Courage, and Self Denial
Faith- “Without faith it is impossible to please God because to please God one must first believe that He exists and that He is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.”
Hope- “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Love- “These three remain: Hope, faith, and love, but the greatest of these is love…”
Wisdom- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
Justice- “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Courage- “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Self Denial- “Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Written by Christopher Neiswonger
Saturday, 30 May 2009 00:00
What are the basic presumptions common to all "Christian" ethical systems? The moral law of God and the cultivation the traditional Christian virtues.
1. The existence of God.
2. The identity of God and the uniqueness of Christianity.
3. The veracity, historicity, and inerrancy of Holy Scripture.
4. The presentation and defense of a basic orthodoxy.
5. The promotion of a healthy spiritual life in faith and practice.
6. The understanding of a consistent Christian ethic applied to all of life.
7. Communicating the coherence and defensibility of the Christian faith with clarity, kindness, and grace to any that might be inclined to hear and teaching those that desire such how to do the same.
The Classical form for Individual and Social Justice
The Moral Law of God-
“Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself; on these hang all of the Law and the Commandments”
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
“What you have done unto the least of these you have done to me.”
“Have mercy on the little children and do not keep them from coming to me for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.”
The Cultivation of the traditional Christian Virtues-
Faith, Hope, Love, Wisdom, Justice, Courage, and Self Denial
Faith- “Without faith it is impossible to please God because to please God one must first believe that He exists and that He is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.”
Hope- “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Love- “These three remain: Hope, faith, and love, but the greatest of these is love…”
Wisdom- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
Justice- “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Courage- “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Self Denial- “Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
09 April 2009
26 February 2009
Os Guinness at Trinity Law School’s God and Governing Conference
Here is a lecture given by Os Guinness at Trinity Law School’s God and Governing Conference.
For more information about Trinity Law School
Visit www.TLS.edu or Call 800-922-4748
20 February 2009
My World Vision
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.
There is a notorious sub Christian ethic floating around that implies that the care for the poor, the sick, and the persecuted is somehow a work of the State to resolve, or worse something that should not be resolved because it was determined by God as a sign of the End. Whatever the source of the confusion, the Church as the Kingdom of God on the Earth is always commissioned with social justice and beating back the effects of the fall in history. That means we care for the poor and the oppressed. They will know we are Christians by our love.
-Chris Neiswonger
15 February 2009
Free at Last, Free Indeed: Christian Thinking on Liberation on Apologetics.com
What does Christianity offer oppressed people? What's wrong with a "preferential option for the poor and vulnerable?" What does liberation mean? Doesn't Jesus endorse an agenda of liberation in Luke 4:17-21 as he claims to fulfill the Prophet Isaiah's saying, "The spirit of the lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the lord?" The matter is complicated by the politics of race, the politics of wealth, a dalliance with socialism & a liberal rise of historical criticism vivisecting the Scriptural witness.
Clicky> http://apologetics.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=324:free-at-last-free-indeed-christian-thinking-on-liberation&catid=43:kkla-995-fm-los-angeles&Itemid=74
Lindsay Brooks hosts a discussion with Pastor Ken Jones of Greater Union Baptist Church and Associate Pastor Darryl McKillian of ACTS: A Church That Studies on the subject of how a global and omni-cultural Church that is expressed in local bodies should approach Liberation Theology, Black Liberation Theology and the Social Gospel.
99.5 KKLA in Los Angeles. Webcast at www.kkla.com and podcast on iTunes and www.apologetics.comClicky> http://apologetics.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=324:free-at-last-free-indeed-christian-thinking-on-liberation&catid=43:kkla-995-fm-los-angeles&Itemid=74
12 February 2009
Progress in Theology - J. Gresham Machen
[F]ar from advocating progress in theology, the current pragmatism really destroys the very possibility of progress. For progress involves something to progress to as well as something to progress from. And in the intellectual sphere the current pragmatism can find no goal of progress in an objective norm of truth; one doctrine, according to the pragmatist view, may be just as good as an exactly contradictory doctrine, provided it suits a particular generation or particular group of persons. The changes in scientific hypotheses represent true progress because they are increasingly close approximations to an objectively and externally existent body of facts; while the changes advocated by pragmatist theologians are not progress at all but the meaningless changes of a kaleidoscope.
As over against this pragmatist attitude, we believers in historic Christianity maintain the objectivity of truth; and in doing so we and not the Modernists become advocates of progress. Theology, we hold, is not an attempt to express in merely symbolic terms an inner experience in different terms in subsequent generations; but it is a setting forth of those facts upon which experience is based. It is not indeed a complete setting forth of those facts, and therefore progress in theology becomes possible; but it may be true so far as it goes; and only because there is that possibility of attaining truth and of setting it forth ever more completely can there be progress. Theology, in other words, is just as much a science as is chemistry; and like the science of chemistry it is capable of advance. The two sciences, it is true, differ widely in their subject matter; they differ widely in the character of the evidence upon which their conclusions are based; in particular they differ widely in the qualifications required of the investigator: but they are both sciences, because they are both concerned with the acquisition and orderly arrangement of a body of truth.
-J. Gresham Machen - What is Faith?
As over against this pragmatist attitude, we believers in historic Christianity maintain the objectivity of truth; and in doing so we and not the Modernists become advocates of progress. Theology, we hold, is not an attempt to express in merely symbolic terms an inner experience in different terms in subsequent generations; but it is a setting forth of those facts upon which experience is based. It is not indeed a complete setting forth of those facts, and therefore progress in theology becomes possible; but it may be true so far as it goes; and only because there is that possibility of attaining truth and of setting it forth ever more completely can there be progress. Theology, in other words, is just as much a science as is chemistry; and like the science of chemistry it is capable of advance. The two sciences, it is true, differ widely in their subject matter; they differ widely in the character of the evidence upon which their conclusions are based; in particular they differ widely in the qualifications required of the investigator: but they are both sciences, because they are both concerned with the acquisition and orderly arrangement of a body of truth.
-J. Gresham Machen - What is Faith?
24 January 2009
Obama begins his war on the unborn
Excellent article by Chris Neiswonger @ http://apologetics.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=311:obama-begins-his-war-against-the-unborn&catid=51:christopher-neiswonger&Itemid=67
05 January 2009
Christian Character
"The Bible tells us how we are to respond to those who contradict us:
-James R. White, The King James Only Controversy p. 247
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will (2 Timothy 2:24-26, KJV).Blustery words and insulting invective are for those who have little substance to back up their position. A true Christian scholar is a lover of truth, and one does not need to adorn truth with mean-spiritedness. Calling it 'plain speaking' does little to cover up the simple fact that it is behavior unbecoming a professing Christian."
-James R. White, The King James Only Controversy p. 247
