Thoughts on a touchy subject

I find it hard to believe that the church I attended last summer is now letting their seniour pastor go. First, they asked him to just take a sabatical wherre a pastor would take a break for some months. But, then I suppose while he was on break he ended up feeling the need to leave the church he has planted and pastored at for over 35 years? I am not sure what is going on here. Not only that, the pastor is going to another church in Wheatherford. But, my dad who knows nothing and cares for nothing about the Scriptures or the gospel has stated that the pastor is smart and wants to go ahead and retire so that he may gain some funds from the old church and then go ahead and work for the new. That sounds fishy and I do not like it.
Another note is that my father has a mistress who the church I attended never said anything about nor did a did a church displine, was speaking to me about my comments I had made a couple of months ago about how the church is going to hell. To clear up some things, I said that the church if it is not preaching the gospel correctly - Jesus Christ and Him cruxified - then its not a true church and thus are sending people to hell. My father brings up the issue, seeing how I am reformed, sayinging, "my church is the only elect group." Well my father's mistress tries to cover up this argument by saying, "quiet, quiet." First of all, I see her way of handling matters is not Christ-like, and second, it shows that she is not yet saved.

Decree to Glorify Himself

This is how I would supply it: First God decrees to glorify Himself, Then he decrees to save some and condemn others, thereafter, to create them both, after that He then decrees to permit the fall of both of them, to finally provide salvation for His elect.

Although the first point - that God first decrees to glorify Himself is really implied in all of the Lapsarian view, I see fit that stating the logical order of God is grounded in the part that God intended first and foremost to glorify Himself and thus went about such a way to do that. The rest of the points show that God before either the elect or the reprobate did anything good or bad, God chose for His good pleasure and thus went about creating a world where He might be glorified in both saving some and condemning others.

On Supralapsarianism

This is not mine. I found this on a forum about it. Hopefully, however, this helps people understand it a little more further.

"Supralapsarianism is the doctrine that God decreed both election and reprobation before the fall.

The term "supralapsarianism" comes from the Latin words supra and lapsus; the decree of predestination was considered to be "above" (supra) or logically "before" the decree concerning the fall (lapsus).

Supralapsarians consider God's ultimate goal to be his own glory in election and reprobation.

The object of predestination, according to supralapsarianism, was uncreated and unfallen humanity.

The logical order of the decrees in the supralapsarian scheme is:

(1) God's decree to glorify himself through the election of some and the reprobation of others;
(2) as a means to that goal, the decree to create those elected and reprobated;
(3) the decree to permit the fall; and
(4) the decree to provide salvation for the elect through Jesus Christ.

Or, the Supralapsarian five-step view

1. The election of some men to salvation in Christ and the reprobation of the others. (Double election)
2. The decree to create the world and both kinds of men.
3. The decree that all men would fall.
4. The decree to redeem the elect, who are now sinners, by the cross work of Christ.
5. The decree to apply Christ's redemptive benefits to these elect sinners.

Or, the five-step Supralapsarianism of Gordon Clark

1. The election of some sinful men to salvation in Christ and the reprobation of the rest of sinful mankind in order to make known the riches of God's gracious mercy to the elect.
2. The decree to apply Christ's redemptive benefits to the elect sinners.
3. The decree to redeem the elect sinners by the cross work of Christ.
4. The decree that all men should fall.
5. The decree to create the world and all men."

On prayer, faith, and Jesus Christ

"Just as the bitten Israelites were healed by a look of faith, so the sinner may be saved by looking to Christ by faith. Saving faith is not some difficult and meritorious work which man must perform so as to give him a claim upon God for the blessing of salvation. It is not on account of our faith that God saves us, but it is through the means of our faith. It is in believing we are saved. It is like saying to a starving man, He that eats of this food shall be relieved from the pangs of hunger, and be refreshed and strengthened. Eating is no meritorious performance, but, from the nature of things, eating is the indispensable means of relieving hunger. To say that when a man believes he shall be saved, is just to say that the guiltiest of the guilty, and the vilest of the vile, is welcome to salvation, if he will but receive it in the only way in which, from the nature of the case, it can be received, namely, by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which means believing what God has recorded concerning His Son in the Holy Scriptures. The moment a sinner does that he is saved, just as God said to Moses, 'It shall come to past that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.'"

Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: ZondervanPublishing House, 1975), 133-34

Often times today in our Church the cross is diverted and distorted. The pastor, either willingly or not, has contrued the gospel into something else. Today, salvation is mainly the means of a prayer or by doing some type of good, or even negative work - such as viewing myself as evil. However, the truth is the gospel is the Cross, salvation is the means of the Cross. Christ righteousness is imputed by faith alone in His person and in His work done actively and passively. Arthur Pink has done a great job in ordering Soteriology rightly. As he says, "So the sinner is saved by looking to Christ by faith." Nothing less and nothing more.

Q: is the Christian faith reasonable?

A: I answer: Yes. For it is says that there is a Triune God who is Holy who has deal accordingly to His nature with His creation, which He has created, in His image, good, and so thereby pressing man to Live for the glory and enjoyment of God. The problem is that all of man by his own unrighteousness and through Adam's unrighteousness has fallen. They are thereby radically evil, although they may will good at times; there goodness is never truly good as that of the original state of Man. However, they are still in the state of the Image of God. What Christianity teaches is that there is a God who has revealed Himself in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and who has determined the means of the accomplishment of Salvation for the sins of many through His Son Jesus Christ, and has determined also the means by which Salvation is applied, through the calling and regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, who works in the sinner so that the sinner may repent and believe the good news of Christ and so thereby obtain Christ righteousness who not only came in the flesh to live the perfect life that no one else could by their own powers or willing live and has taken upon Himself the eternal divine wrath of God. This means that everyman should repent and believe (humble themselves), for if they do not and continue to act in rebellion (Pride) God has determined a date when all things will end and retribution will be declared (Rebels will be humbled) and receive the Divine wrath for all of eternity. I ask you to please turn from your sins and trust in Christ for your righteousness.

The Wisdome of God in Salvation

Jonathan Edwards says that Christ was the perfect Substitute. "For He was The Devine Son of God who was incarnated as a Man lived the perfect righteous life that no one else could live and died sinlessly (in obedience) on the Cross. Christ was perfect, because God had decreed that all things display his glory - his being (Each person of the trinity is seen in salvation) and his attributes and his sovereignty over not only the angels, but the demons. Thereby procuring on behalf of certain sinners peace with God and thus recieving favor for them so that they may find satisfying happiness in Him and so enjoy Him forever and through this believers are given every sort of good in Christ. What this means then is that God's dishonor is made for His glory, and God's attributes ordered sinful Man's destruction and also Salvation calls Sinners to repent and turn to Christ in faith. There is still hope for those who hear these words and repent and trust in Christ for righteousness alone. Ephesians 3:10"

Topics of Reality and Idealism

Kirk - Dr. Groza, can a realism take some of the aspect of idealism?
Adam - idealism is a form of realism
Kirk - What does idealism state exactly? I only know what I think the antithesis is of realism...
Adam -philosophical realism is the view that reality is ontologically objective and independent of our language, concepts, etc. Idealism is the view that reality consists in being percieved. Since God is always percieving, reality still maintains complete objectivity.
Kirk - ok. So to some degree trying to hold to a type of view between these two are i suppose futile?
or I guess would be vague and so I would have to say what exactly I see in each of them?
Adam - well, reality is either ultimately objective and real or it is not. Basically, your dealing with a correspondance theory of truth
Kirk - OK. I haven't taken Epistemology yet. So when you say that I am dealing with a correspondence theory of truth, what do you mean?
Adam - something is true if it corresponds to reality. So there is a reality. Thus, realism.
A reality vs. MY reality or OUR reality, which would be subjective expressions
Kirk - ok. So the way I saw it before was that Hell exist whether one knows it or not...
Adam - yes...that is an expression of realism. hell exists apart from whether you see it, believe it, or can talk intelligently about it.
Kirk - ok. Now could you say that reality for God is whatever he thinks (I suppose Idealism), whereas reality in the world corresponds with the reality of what God has ultimately willed to be (realism)?
Adam - No, reality in both cases is what is perceived. God's perception determines reality causally. Ours does not. God's perception is active...he sees what he wills. Ours is passive in that we percieve what God wills.

How God's glory should be our passion in relationships

So I have recently made the hard decision to not hang out with some people. The problem is that we do not agree on any of the truths layed out in scripture. For instance, their end is authentic relationships, and helping others. These are all good things to pursue, however, one must not make them your end. The truth is Christ is the end. He makes all things authentic. If one wants to have real, authentic, deep relationships then one must first make it their goal to live for the Glory of Christ and Enjoy Him forever. This is all for the glory of God in all things, not for the glory of people. People kill, lust, destroy, and steal, God gives life, loves, builds up, and freely gives to those who do not have.
Some people would think that God's glory is bad for it makes Him out to be a tyrant. The answer is that it is not. It is in fact good for it makes all things purposeful and with meaning. Partly their flaw is that they think God's glory is seperate from God. Not only so they also do not see that God's glory is his attributes. They also when they think of God's attributes, they think in terms of God's love... God's Justice... Whereas they should think of God glory - which is His holiness, or his being that we know of, because he has displayed himself through history - as a waffle if you will (I can't actually draw out what I am saying). The waffle is a circular shaped which is God's glory. Now the waffle has a bunch of square boxes inside of it which makes up that waffle. The square boxes are His attributes.... So God is not just love, but He is righteously omniciently good ect. A good book to read on this topic would be Wayne Grudem, systematic theology.

True Utopia

The Humanist people are always thinking this life is all that one has. Their belief is that if they may cause a sort of fake happiness to one, then things will be better. They look to build themselves an utopia that will only actually occur with Christ. Although, Christ is reigning now, sovereignly, Sin and evil are still here. It is not till Christ fully destroys these things and holiness prevails over the spiritual devils and the unregenerate men who are denying Christ till the end are finally thrown into the fiery lake, recieving God's just wrath.

The Atonement of Christ alone

One may say that they do not care how they are saved, but just that they are saved. However, it does matter to God how one may be saved.

Limited Atonement and its purpose

Ephesians 5:25-27

"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."

First Paul makes the statement for the husband to love his wife on the basis that Christ loved His Church. Throughout the Scriptures the Church is frequently called the Bride of Christ. It is intresting to note that Christ died not for all people around the globe, i.e. the reprobate, but he died for His Church, those who are part of His Corporate Communion. The atonement was not just an act that was not purposeful, it was purposeful - which these verses say the purpose. Christ died for the Church. This brings meaning and also makes the death of Christ more personalized. It is not that Christ died in hopes to save everyone. Sort of like how if I opened a door just sitting waiting for all to come with hope (wishful thinking). So not only does Christ death carry purpose, but it is personalized. He didn't just die hoping for people to come to him, no He died for me and for His elect.

The Purpose for Christ dying for His Church is to make her Holy which is seen the next verse which is also to bring about glorification - in other words, "to present her to himself as a radiant Church..."

Church function and Polity

When the Church of Christ makes it's end goal anything else than Christ Alone, then the Church becomes detrimental to the health of those around her. Particular speaking in my life there were times when I have became so depressed and emotional to where I could not control myself. It got to the point where I would call several of my friends for several times a day and for hours. By these actions of mine, I got the consequence of them just shunning me away. It was, looking back it now, as if their end goal was to reach perfection in relationships rather than in Christ. They wanted to become perfect in dealing with others and making others perfect as well in dealing with themselves and others that they would not deal with anyone with problems. Their moto was if you do this to change then perhaps they will call or ask to see you more.
The problem with this was it was detrimental to the my spiritual health and to my health in general. I currently praise God for good friends now and I pray I may not trample over the grace that is shown not only in the good friends who are seeking Christ, but also in Christ as well. Praise God, Soli Deo Gloria

What is Humility and Pride?

Humility is not acting to ones rights. Example Jesus Christ - Philippians 2:5-11

Pride is acting to ones rights. Example King David - 2 Samuel 11

The general/limited atonement theory

There is a group that agrees with most of the points of Calvinism, however they do not agree with the extent of the atonement, which reformed people agree with. I am planning informing you what they believe.

First they agree with all 4 other points of the Doctrines of grace.

Second they hold that although God's salvation is only bought by His Election and His Irresistable grace toward the dead sinner, Christ death is effected for those whom it is intended to save, but sufficient for the whole world.

The question is what does that mean?

It means that the death of Christ was not intended to be limited at all, but instead it was never suppose to be set to a particular value.

My response to this is if one reasons that the reason for the Cross - which is to show God's glory,
and if one also reasons that God also Elects people unconditionally before the foundations of the world and then sees that the Grace of God is effaciously irresistable, then it should show already that the Cross was limited. For why would God die for the sins of the people he was not going to propitiate His wrath towards in the first place?

It is because God is love that He hates sin. Sin is hatred towards God and God hates sin. Because God is love and God is righteous, His character cannot befriend sin.

A Purpose to be Joyful

David Crowders lyrics to a song Make a Joyful noise to the Lord is a good song and something that the redeemed people in Christ ought to reflect and think upon for if you are in Christ then you have tons of things to be rejoicful for. For it is in Christ and in Him alone that sins are departed and righteousness is imputed and we may live for God and His glory. This reminds me a bit about Romans 1:16-17, which the purpose is that the gospel is the power of God unto Salvation. God intends for the gospel to be the 'tool' that brings His elect people into the community of the people of God (once I was not of a people, but now I am). However, this gospel is to be taught and spoken to all people to the Jews first and then to the Greeks (not drawing an emphasis on the people, but rather drawing the fact that the Jews had the things pertaining to salvation, however their hearts were harden by God's good pleasure to bring in the gentiles who were also known as Greeks or the barbarians). In the gospel God's righteousness is revealed (not just his being righteous, but also the fact that believers are counted as righteous by the imputated works of Christ perfect obedience) for faith and by faith (the totallity of this gospel is by faith alone. One is justified not by works but by faith one believes and repents and so as Paul finishes out this small section, "the righteous shall live by faith."

Make a joyful noise to the Lord
All the earth
Make a joyful noise to the Lord
All the earth

The flowers of the field
Are cry'n to be heard
The trees of the forest
Are singing
And all of the mountains
With one voice
Are joining the chorus of this world

And I will not be silent
I will not be quiet anymore

Running through the forest
Dive into the lake
Bare feet on beaches white
Standing in the canyon
Painted hills around
The wind against my skin
Every ocean
Every sea
Every river
Every stream
Every mountain
Every tree
Every blade of grass will sing

The anguish of my soul is that the deep deep loning for the brethren to know you more deeply and intimately than they do now. How dried up this place is when there is no water to keep it damp O Lord. Yet you have called and therefore I believe this is where you will to have me at, although no one will go or follow. The great comfort is in knowing and trusting that you have sent me to this place for your purposes and no other but for your glory and pleasure alone.
Man is not content or happy until they find you and know you and seek to invite others to know you, that is the purpose of Man. Pleasure is only a by product of man glorifying you! Therefore I will say You are my stronghold and my hope.

It is more important for my life to be acceptable to God and not to man. Romans 12:1-2

What the true man of God says is not just because I have been saved I can therefore act just as I please, but, he says that because I have been brought into this kingdom of the Son of God so that I may not live as the world lives but being made into the image of Christ I may be like Christ - Rom. 6:4, Eph 1:4; 4:24, Col. 1:13; 3.

Let us not therefore slander one another in saying that we do evil so that the grace of God may abound even more so, but let us as dearly loved elect children of God, who have been brought out of the domain of the kingdom of darkness (Ephs. 2:1-3), now take hold of a new nature so that the one who has saved us will be glorified and pleased through us (Rom. 9).

Double Punishment

So the problem with the arminian's view of penal substitution is that it produces in and of it self a double punishment. That is Christ took the punishment of every single individual and not the elect, but however, the individual has free will whether they will accept it or not. It makes Christ's death weak and uncertain and God's justice unsure. It does not make Christ death sufficient, but makes men savable that is conditioned up their works.

1 Corinthians 1:18

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God."

The "For" in this verse is a preposition which explains verse 17.

The "word of the cross" is the gospel in this passage. Man is saved by faith for faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This "word of the cross" is folly. Which is a fact, not an exagerated statement. But to whom is it folly to? Those who are perishing. They are perishing now and will be in the last judgement day. I am reading these people as the reprobate of God. These people will never come to terms to goodness, and satisfaction of the gospel. They will continue to reject it by God's soveriegn and good will.

Now in this verse we get a transition with the preposition word "but." Which contrasts the last phrase of this verse "to those who are perishing."

"But" what Paul? "to those are being saved it is the power of God."

This again is speaking in the now sense. Those who are now believing will be saved. Salvation is not a past tense action. This part of the verse speaks of the the opposite of those who are the reprobate. It speaks of the Elect in Christ before the foundations of the world who are being saved. For they are the only ones who will see the goodness and satisfaction and joy of the gospel.

Theological Reasoning is the only way

As Theologians we do not say that Theology is seperate from reason. Indeed, theology is not dumb. But we do reject the other reasoning that is first removed from Scripture and is tried to be put together by those philosophers who call themselves also theological reasoners. For out of the mind comes things from man that God never said or wanted to say.

The Desires of the Elect

The conversion of the elect from darkness to light produces by the regenerating work and the sancifying work of the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:13) a longing to not only do good works (Philippians 2:12) for the glory of God alone (Eph. 2:10; Phil. 2:13) but actually do good works. That is as stated in verse thirteen, we are to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is working in us to 1. will and 2. act in accordance to His good purpose" (numerical emphasis were added), which is His will that is good, perfect, and pleasing to Him (Romans 1:1-2). Also Romans 1:1-2 already says we must have our minds renewed from the old way (or the way of the flesh and not the way of the Spirit which is the prideful sinful manner of the old way) as Ephesians 2:1-3 describes the manner that the Christians were in as the world is currently in NOW. This purpose of Regeneration is so that we may discern God and who he is to us and who we are to Him with accordance to our sinful selves and our need to have Righteousness imputed to us from Christ Jesus (Romans 10:1-4)

our new bondage

God in His infinite wisdom has ordained that His people, the redeemed, those who are by faith in Christ Jesus, become more and more like Him in Holiness. Therefore one should not say "if God elects then why do good for his will is done any way" but God's electing purposes is meant to cause and even stir us to do good by giving us hope, and a new nature that we might become more like Him, and a new family by which we call God 'Abba' (Father).
Romans 6:4; 1 Peter 1:1-20

The essence of Christianity.

This is drawn from a sermon on Isaiah 53 from John Piper.

"What is the essence of Christianity? What's at the heart and center of it all? Here is the answer. Let's use the words of verse 6: All humans have gone astray. All of us have turned to our own way. This is called sin. Turning from God and making ourselves our own master and our own treasure.
But God was not willing to leave us in this guilty and condemned condition. He planned from ages past to send a Suffering Servant, not mainly to model love for us, but to bear our sins as a substitute for us. "The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." This is the heart of Christianity. Jesus Christ came into the world to fulfill this prophecy – yes, many others to be sure, but this one is central and basic. He came to die. He came to die in our place. He came to die for our sins. This is our only hope. And the New Testament is all about how this happened and how it affects our lives now and in the ages to come. I urge you to pursue the knowledge of these things with all your heart and all your mind."

Philosophical concerns on Theological matters.

Why be concerned about details of Christian doctrine that produce nothing but quarrels and prejudice, when natural reason, a faculty common to all human beings, can answer the fundamental questions regarding God and human nature.


Natural reasoning can never inform us of who God is or who we truely are in consequence to knowing God, the philosophy that came about from the enlightenment. Although philosophy may try to answer the questions of whether there is a being out there (via. - cosmology, morality, and ontology) - philosophy in and of itself can never truely give us the answer of what is this being liek and our relation to Him and how to interact with Him. Calvin says to know ourselves (truly) we must know God and to know God we must hear the scriptures (Romans 10). As Romans 10 says faith comes by hearing and hearing from the word of Christ. Although some may say the Scriptures as a whole is what is meant here, and I think that could very well be, however I think the Word of Christ that is being meant here is the Gospel. Knowing ourselves through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Quite frankly every man has his reasons as every man has general revelation. But as Romans 1 says every man suppresses the turth by their own unrighteousness. As "what can be known about God is Plain to them, because God has shown it to them." So therefore as Paul says at the beginning of verse 18 the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness. So philosophy, although good, for it is good to defend the cause of theism and perhaps also deism, still falls short from theology that is grounded from the scripture and informs us of who God is and who we are in relation to Him. So respectful people like Giesler, Craig, and such who are considered as philosophers can never attain to what the scriptures say that man is totally depraved and if not for the free unconditional election of God and irresistible grace of God he would remain in such a state. As Ephesians 2:1-10 gives us the state at which the christians were in, as those who are of the world is currently in, and then God's means of saving us by grace through faith for His glory in Christ for good works which he has prepared for them who are trusting in His unfailing promises found in Christ alone. Philosophers are no theologians, and rightly so. For a philosopher to answer what or who is God like and our relation to Him would be to infringe on their subjects and thus not have authoritative voices.

Unregenerate man bound by his hopelessness

"The natural man has a 'wine' of his own. There is a carnal happiness enjoyed which is produced by 'the pleasures of sin' - the merriment which this world affords. But how fleeting this is! How unsatisfying! Sooner or later this 'wine,' which is pressed from 'the vine of the earth' (Rev. 14:18), gives out. The poor sinner may be surrounded by gay companions, he may be comfortably circumstanced financially and socially, yet the time come when he discovers he has 'no wine.' Happy the one who is conscious of this. The discovery of our own wretchedness is often the turning point. It prepares us to look to that One who can furnish the true 'wine,' the 'good' wine, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. He can satisfy the longing of the soul. He can quench the thirst of the heart. He can put a song into thy mouth which noteven the angels can sing, even the song of redemption. What then must you do? What price must you pay? Ah, dear friend, listen to the glad tidings of grace: 'Repent ye, and believe the Gospel.' (Mark 1:15)"

A.W. Pink.

To be sure

as 1 John 2:1-3 tells us Christ is the righteousness that is made available to sinful man before God. Everyone who repents from their sins and turns to Christ Jesus in Faith, trusting in His works alone will not perish but will be saved. For those who are stricken with anxiety and fear about whether or not they are saved, the question is not whether you were sincere or insincere, but are you trusting in Christ alone for complete righteousness NOW? The scriptures say that Whoever believes in Christ will be saved. Those who are believing, or as Paul says in Romans 10:1-4 those who trust not in their own merits or self-righteous deeds but in Christ works alone may have a relationship with God the Father and kept from God's eternal wrath.

The glory of God displayed through all things

"A supralapsarian believes that God first decrees (or elected) some for salvation, then decreed creation, the fall and then redemption. He elects some and then decrees to create them, decrees the fall and redemption to establish this relationship with the elect."

The reason for this is that God is concerned with His glory than anything else. So the whole purpose of History-Time-Creation-Redemption is to Magnify the glorious supremacy of God in all things. This founded based upon Scripture of course - Romans 9. The way for God to do such is if he does things in such a way that the Whole Persons of the Trinity are revealed in creation-redemption

The Quote comes from http://spurgeon.wordpress.com/2007/12/14/jonathan-edwards-and-supralapsarianism/

Although infralapsarianism is still a viable view I have been told.

Thoughts on John 4:23-24

"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

True Worshipers are those who are 1. Spirit filled, because God is Spirit and because man by nature is flesh and thus liable to sin and hates God by nature, he cannot rightly relate with God correctly because he is depraved and dead (Ephesians 2:1-3), So because God is Spirit and man is by nature depraved idolators and haters of God, the Spirit must regenerate the rebel and not only by His grace, make us alive with Christ, but also He must raise us up with us, and then He must then seat with Christ. So thus anything that the Christian (the one who has been regenerated and redeemed) in accordance with the Word and character of God is done in Spirit. 2. The Father seeks for those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. (This is going to be brief and made into one point rather than three different points. In other words, rather than a 3rd point, I will put this with 2.)It is necessarily to point out that the worshipers the Father seeks are those who worship Him in spirit. This means that the Father is seeking those who worship Him with emotion, rather than stoicy, hard, no feelings at all type of person. But it must be pointed out that He seeks those who Worship in Spirit (right emotion) and Truth. Which means that our worship must be grounded in the Truth of God's word and who He ultimately is and with right emotion which is grounded in the right knowleddge of God's word and who he has revealed Himself to be to us. Worship is not an arbituary ambiguous act, but one that is set by God Himself and set by the Truth of who God is and who we are, which produces right emotions.

John Piper rightly says, "Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy and a church full (or half-full) of artificial admirers (like people who write generic anniversary cards for a living). On the other hand, emotion without truth produces empty frenzy and cultivates shallow people who refuse the discipline of rigorous thought. But true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship." (Desiring God, pg. 81-82)

So Another verse for thought is Jude 18-19 which is pretty much the opposite of Worshiping by Spirit and Truth. Jude writes, "They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit."

Live Philosophers who may quote the dead ones

Harry Frankfurt, Paul Helm, Nelson Pike, Peter Kreeft, Robert Cain, John Martin Fischer, and John Taylor to name a few


-------------------------------------------- Update ----------------------------------


I have not read these guys and unless something draws my attention to these guys I will not read them. I have read, however, Peter Kreeft and know he is a Catholic. He believes that we are justified by faith and works as all Catholics do.

Thought on James

James 2:18-26

Reformed theology says that One is Justified by Faith alone in Christ Alone. James says that one is justified by works. This has brought some in Christendom (Mainly in Catholicism) to ponder is the Reformed theology right? and has confused many laymen of the Church. First, don't be led astray. James is not speaking of the same Justification as Paul speaks of in his letters. James speaks of a Show of Righteousness. Faith that is backed up by works but not works that save. Another thought is that some have said that because Faith and Works are inseperable that they are together and should be read as being the same (as in Faithing it) rather than simply having Faith. This is obviously a misguided assumption and fairytale and should be depleted right away. For it brings to it that one is Justified by Works and Not Soli Fide or Faith alone in Christ Alone which is all encompassed by Soli Gratia or Grace alone. One is in Fact Justified by Faith alone, but to say that Faith is 1. not real and 2. does not carry with it some form of fruit because it (Faith) has found its object of trust and treasure, is wrong.

Walking With God

Today I want to start the question on the statement that has been grounded all throughout the Scriptures "Walking with God" which particularly I have been reading Genesis and in a little section from chapter 5:21-24.

When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. (NIV)

I have read Philippians 2:5, where Paul tells us that we ought to "have this mind among ourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus" (ESV). Paul says this after he orders the Philippian Christians to Love and Humility with one another. Then Paul goes further and writes about the Humility which Christ had and this Humility stimulates Obedience. Christ came and emptied himself of His Rights to be ridiculed and placed upon a Cross in obedience to God the Father. Jude tells us that during the last days there will be people who will follow their own ungodly desires. These people are devoid of the Spirit and obey their own flesh. Paul even says elsewhere that these people take pride in their own righteous acts (Philippians 3:2) rather than in Christ.
So the question dawns What does it mean to Walk With God? Scriptures seems to say that walking with God means living in humility towards is words and as Romans 10:1-4 says taking confidents not in your own merits (to save) but in treasuring Christ put confidence in Him in all things so that He may be Glorified.

Fellow Members to the Household of God

I have been thinking a lot about Dispensationalism. Although I know some who are Dispensational in their beliefs and it is not my intent in down grading them in this post and would also consider that I am no scholar at what Dispensationalism is. This is what I have considered and came to understand what Dispensationalism is:

That there is the body of Christ made of Jewish believers and then Gentile believers. God has promised the Jewish believers that are solely for them and promises that the Gentile believers will inherite and it does not mean that God saves seperately from the works of Christ by grace through faith. However, the thing is that this view seems to be contradictory to the views of scripture and also difficult. Accordingly, Ephesians 3:10 - So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have bodlness and acces with confidence through our faith in him.

Moreover, Paul even tells us in Romans 10 - 11 the purposes of why the Jewish people do not believe and it is to fulfill God's purpose of election for His glory. But as he says in Romans 11 that it was because of the Jews unbelief that the Gentiles were able to be ingrafted.

God's acting in us and through us in unity

God's soveriegnty in Salvation actually upholds Evangelism. I look at this in two degrees. 1. Ontologically (Primarily as God is depicted in the Scriptures as being a Triune Person; God in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and 2. First Causes (Justification, Regeneration, Faith, Election, and Repentance).

My Scripture sources: Romans 12:1-2 and also Ephesians 2:8-10 for first causes and Galatians 3:1-14 for Ontological purposes.

My reason for this thought is that if all of History is for the Glory of God and God is by nature a triune God then that would mean that the Trinity is also at work in the salvation of His People and the purpose of Creation is to magnify the glory of Christ through the Cross and thus give heedance that if God the Father elects some to salvation, and Christ actually goes out and accomplishes that salvation on behalf of his Elect and then the Spirits job is to effectually call those that the Father has Elected and the Son has died on behalf for (Romans 10). For the reason is that the triune God does not work seperately but together, although they have different jobs they primarily work together in unity. (This is probably more of a Johnathan Owen argument) All this is to mean that in evangelism, the reason that evangilism is upheld with the person and nature of God is that the Spirit will not work without Jesus Christ and Him Crucified preached to the lost souls.

On the First Causes: Man's inability to come to God on his own unless the Spirit, who works through the preached word of Christ Jesus, regenerates the dead man and causes faith and repentance to come so that the dead man may believe and have faith in Christ Jesus and so may be Justified by faith alone in Christ Jesus Alone all by the grace of God alone.

Although I have seperated these two points they should really be read together as one. My whole point is that God soveriegnly saves men and women to be saved through the preached word of Christ Jesus that is the Gospel. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that our nature is changed to go out and evangelise those who are dead in their trespasses and sins Romans 6:4.

Free Will or Bondage?

First Question: whether or not people have free will? Scripture is clear on the issue. Most if not all would argue that free will is a given state given to men for the power to choose over good and evil. However, scripture doesn't state that is what free will is.

Question to the first question: So it depends on how it is defined? Jonathan Edwards wrote a great book called "Freedom of the Will" (which is a shortened title) that I would highly recommend.

Answer: If given the freedom to choose, it doesn't necessarily negate that one will choose what is good. John 3:16-18.- and given our current state, by which all of humanity has fallen, it does not follow that we can do anything that is good. Romans 8 depicts.- Scripture however is clear that men and women are under the bondage of sin - gen 3, romans 1-3;5, Eph. 2- and that the only way out of that bondage is found in Christ alone, by grace and faith alone. gen 15, all of Romans, Eph. 2, Gal. 2-3.

Question: So you would say man does not have free will? Or would you define it differently than libertarian free will?

Answer: does man have the power to choose or does he have free will - no

Another users Comment: My comment is that it doesn't matter. From the end user (us), we feel like we have free will, but we know that God's will will be done. So, there's really no difference.

Reply: I would say it does matter, because the approach to dealing with people's understanding and our need for God changes. Also, I think it should make us more humble and see God's power, love, mercy, and glory more vibrantly.

Humility

How does the Grace of God bring about humility?

Election - for one I did not deserve Salvation. The Scriptures say that all men fall short of the glory of God. There is no one who fears God (Romans 3). John 3:16-20 sets up the characteristic of those who walk in light and those who walk in darkness. First thing to note is that when one looks at his nature and sinfulness, he cannot help but realize that he is a sinner. In my life especially when I look at my own sinfulness of my past and current, I cannot help but notice that I am a wretched sinner saved by grace alone - not deserving of it at all. As Ephesians 2:1-3 shows first that the Christian was dead in their sins and trespesses obeying the desires of the flesh ruled by the ruler of this world deserving God's just wrath as the rest of the world, but they are now made alive, raised up, and seated with Christ in the heavenly realms by grace alone (Grace is what is causing the action). This ought to bring me especially very low as that of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5-11). The thought when one thinks of the whole world being lost and depraved hating God, should be leading question of location: where were they brought out from or where were they before being made alive in Christ Jesus? And on the purpose of Election, with this last question in step we should ask, 'why would God even choose to save anyone?' Of course we understand from Romans 9 why He would do so and the reason is of course for His own Glory, for His own pleasure. So thus Grace is undeserved through Election which is unconditional.

Humility - Because of the nature of this grace - it being undeserved it ought to bring about humility in how I live through my daily speech, walk and thought life. Which is reflected in my prayer life and devotional life to Him. (Phil. 2, Jude 18-25). What is Humility? It is that which honors God because it is 1) dependent upon God and 2) It does not boast in its own merits but on the righteousness of Christ alone (Romans 10:1-4) and 3) does not shout for rights that it probably deserves and 4) It, to say positively, obeys God fully, Which is what Faith does; Faith is a humble trust in the glory of God's gospel in which the focus is not man but God alone.

Soteriology

Supralapsarianism - According to what I understand as of this moment is that it means (Supra) "before or above" (Lapsa) "the fall" and it states that God first decreed the Cross, then secondly He decreed to elect certain individuals, and thirdly He decreed to permit the Fall. The whole point of creation was to bring glory and honor to God. God creates man so that man may glorify and enjoy God forever.
Man chose freely to disregard or to rebel against God in disobedience thus permitting the Fall of Humanity. Genesis 3.
Accordingly all of History points directly towards the Christ event. Thus as history progresses from the fall, as we read from the Old Testament, it anticipates the coming of Christ as the supreme Sacrifice to come, which ultimately shows the Glory of God in his righteousness and his mercy.
Now According to Romans 9, where Paul ask the question why are the Jews living in disobedience, for it was they who had all of the things that pertained to Salvation. Pauls answer is that 1. Just because one is born an Isrealite does not make them an Isrealite. For it is not the ethnic who are Isreal. "This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring" Verse 8. Pauls second answer is that this was to promote or ensure God's purpose of election, it was for God's own glory. "Though they (Esau and Jacob) were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, "The older will serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated" verses 11-13.
Now the ultimate point I want to make is that elect are the people who are loved by God and the repobate are the people who are hated by God. Just to be sure no one knows who are the elect and who are the reprobate and thus as those who profess faith in the Son - Jesus Christ - by the working of the Holy Spirit there is the need to go out and do evangelism. To put clear IF one is the elect, and yet does not come to faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, THEN he was never part of the elect.

Timothy Brindle - The Humility of Christ

In Jesus Christ Alone

In reading 1 John 1-2 and the various letter openings from the Apostles we see the exclusiveness of Christianity. That Christ by His life, death, and resurrection those who are trusting in His righteousness are Justified in Him alone, and It is through His death the Wrath of God is Pacified or appeased (as a baby sucks on a pacifyer to keep it from crying) towards the one who has Faith in Christ Jesus and through his resurrection, just as he lives for the praise and glory of God the Father, those who are in Him now and also ought to live for the praise and glory of God.

TULIP

Total Depravity - Man can do nothing spiritually good to gain them salvation before a Holy God, who justly gave the law. Through this depravity man's will is in bondage to their sins. This meaning that they can do nothing but to sin and has thus lost the ability to choose good over evil. This however does not mean that man can do no good, it just means man is so evil that if left to himself he would act accordingly without the grace of God. Ezekiel 36, and Romans 1-3 and Ephesians 2:1-3.

Unconditional Election - God's election of particular sinners is unconditional. It is not based upon man's desire or will or even effort, but on the choice of God for his glory alone. This being said, it needs to be stated that 1. it is after the elect are regenerated or become spiritually alive by the working of the Holy Spirit when they actually repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thus "those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ." As someone once said where the arminian says he owes his election to his faith, the Calvinist says he owes his faith to his election. Romans 8 and 9, Ephesians 1 and 2

Limited Atonement - Probably one of the most confused and misunderstood doctrines amongst many Christians is this. Christ death was a Substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin on behalf of particular sinners chosen by God for his own glory alone. Where in the doctrine of the election God chooses a particular people, in Limited atonement, Christ actually wins salvation for those whom God foreknew first and predestined. Romans 5, and Hebrews 9

Irresistible Grace - The Grace of God is effectual and irresistible, meaning that when the gospel is preached and the Holy Spirit is active in such a way in the persons heart, the person cannot reject it. Those whom are Elect will be saved and those who are not elect will not be saved. This being said it must be noted that the word preached once to a sinner and rejected does not necessarily mean he is part of the repobate. It may take months and years till the Spirit brings the sinner to salvation. "He is not limited by man's will or dependent upon man's cooperation for success." Acts 9 -Pauls conversion.

Perservance of the Saints - Those who are saved will never lose their salvation. In other words, "all who were chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved." Those who apparently move away from the faith can be said to have never actually been saved at all. It is a working of God that one is saved and not a working of the human will. "This doctrine does not maintain that all who profess the Christ faith are certain of heaven. many who profess belief and then 'fall away' do not fall from grace; they were never in grace. True believers fall into various temptations and commit grievous sins, but these sins do not cause them to lose their salvation or seperate them from Christ." Romans 8 and Jude 24-25

The Gospel

God is the Sovereign creator of all things that is here and He is Perfectly good and not evil, without and even hating sin (Holy). All men, though created by God, made to glorify Him by enjoying Him forever, rebelled against God and thus stand condemned before Him and deserving of His eternal wrath. The Scripture say that because Adam sinned all have sinned, sort of like a batch of dough with a little leaven added to it, thus all men being related to Adam stand marked as depraved through his disobedience and through our own action. But God being merciful and gracious sent Jesus Christ, Who being the Son of God was able to live the righteous life that no one can live commanded by God through the Law and being fully Man was able to take mans place on the Cross. Therefore through His righteous Life and death, His righteousness may be imputed (that is transfered to the sinner's bank account). Therefore through Jesus Christ righteous acts imputed to him, the sinner may have a relationship with God by repenting (turning away from sin and turning to God) and believing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Less the sinner repents and believes the good news he will surely die in his unrighteousness and recieve as a wage the wrath that is to come due to his own sin. "For the wages of sin is death and the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23. Although good works does not save one, the assurance that one is saved is not through church membership or a prayer, but is through good works. As Ephesians 2:8-10 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

The Old Gospel

"The Death of Death in the Death of Christ is a polemical work, designed to show, among other things, that the doctrine of universal redemption is unscriptural and destructive of the gospel. There are many, therefore, to whom it is not likely to be of interest. Those who see no need for doctrinal exactness and have no time for theological debates which show up divisions between so-called Evangelicals may well regret its reappearance. Some may find the very sound of Owen’s thesis so shocking that they will refuse to read his book at all; so passionate a thing is prejudice, and so proud are we of our theological shibboleths. But it is hoped that this reprint will find itself readers of a different spirit. There are signs today of a new upsurge of interest in the theology of the Bible: a new readiness to test traditions, to search the Scriptures and to think through the faith. It is to those who share this readiness that Owen’s treatise is offered, in the belief that it will help us in one of the most urgent tasks facing Evangelical Christendom today—the recovery of the gospel. This last remark may cause some raising of eyebrows, but it seems to be warranted by the facts. There is no doubt that Evangelicalism today is in a state of perplexity and unsettlement. In such matters as the practice of evangelism, the teaching of holiness, the building up of local church life, the pastor’s dealing with souls and the exercise of discipline, there is evidence of widespread dissatisfaction with things as they are and of equally widespread uncertainty as to the road ahead. This is a complex phenomenon, to which many factors have contributed; but, if we go to the root of the matter, we shall find that these perplexities are all ultimately due to our having lost our grip on the biblical gospel. Without realising it, we have during the past century bartered that gospel for a substitute product which, though it looks similar enough in points of detail, is as a whole a decidedly different thing. Hence our troubles; for the substitute product does not answer the ends for which the authentic gospel has in past days proved itself so mighty. The new gospel conspicuously fails to produce deep reverence, deep repentance, deep humility, a spirit of worship, a concern for the church. Why? We would suggest that the reason lies in its own character and content. It fails to make men God-centred in their thoughts and God-fearing in their hearts because this is not primarily what it is trying to do. One way of stating the difference between it and the old gospel is to say that it is too exclusively concerned to be “helpful” to man—to bring peace, comfort, happiness, satisfaction—and too little concerned to glorify God. The old gospel was “helpful,” too—more so, indeed, than is the new—but (so to speak) incidentally, for its first concern was always to give glory to God. It was always and essentially a proclamation of Divine sovereignty in mercy and judgment, a summons to bow down and worship the mighty Lord on whom man depends for all good, both in nature and in grace. Its centre of reference was unambiguously God. But in the new gospel the centre of reference is man. This is just to say that the old gospel was religious in a way that the new gospel is not. Whereas the chief aim of the old was to teach men to worship God, the concern of the new seems limited to making them feel better. The subject of the old gospel was God and His ways with men; the subject of the new is man and the help God gives him. There is a world of difference. The whole perspective and emphasis of gospel preaching has changed."

Working out Salvation

The effect of the Christian's (those who are Spirit-filled) salvation is to instill in them a greater desire to love and serve the Creator and Saviour, which will consequently glorify God. John 3:15-21; Romans 6:1-4, 8:1-30, 12-15:13; Ephesians 1-2; Philippians 1-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12; Jude 1-8, 18-25.

The Curse of Sin

"By sin the New Testament means not social error or failure in the first instance, but rebellion against, defiance of, retreat from, and consequent guilt before God the Creator; and sin, says the New Testament, is the basic evil from which we need deliverance, and from which Christ died to save us. All that has gone wrong in human life between man and man is ultimately due to sin, and our present state of being in the wrong with our selves and our fellows cannot be cured as long as we remain in the wrong with God."

J.I. Packer and Mark Dever, "In my Place Condemned He stood", Pg. 42.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

"The Holy Spirit is in us; He is working in us, and empowering us, giving us the ability...This is the New Testament teaching - 'Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.We have to do so. But note the accompaniment - 'Because it is God that worketh in you. Both to will and to do of His good pleasure'! The Holy Spirit is working in us 'both to will and to do.' It is because I am not left to myself, it is because I am not 'absolutely hopeless,' since the Spirit is in me, that I am exhorted to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling." Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges

Living as Christ Lives

the Christian's goal is not to become more generous, His goal is to have the same attitude of that of Christ Jesus in Love and Humility so that he may ultimately glorify the God who has justified him in Christ Jesus.

The Will of God

What is the will of God? I think it has something to do with Submitting Christ or being conformed to the image of Christ, who took punishment that the sinner deserved that the sinner may be justified through faith, which will in turn produce fruit for the glory of God in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 6:1-13; Ezekiel 37:1-14; Philippians 2:5-13, Romans. 6; 9-15; 1 thessalonians 4:1-12; Ephesians 2:1-10; Jude 3-8.

J.I. Packer

"The elect, who fear God, will be reformed by the Holy Spirit; the rest will perish unreformed."

The Bondage of the Will, (Chapter)2.(section)7. (pg)99, Martin Luther(translated by J.I. Packer)