Everyone has that one song that gets them all fired up and ready to dance around the room like a deranged lemur that sat on a loaded nail gun.
  Pounding on Wittenberg's Door, by Steve Camp, has that affect on me.  It's an awesome fact that God will always preserve His remnant, and will hopefully bring about another reformation when He deems it necessary.  It seems like a minor one may already be in the making, and I hope it is proceeded by a much larger one.  May God's will be done. 

  I can already hear the objections, "But Andrew, your lemurish actions are always evident, with our without hearing this song."  And although that may be true, my lemurish behavior will have to wait for another, and much longer post.

Enjoy!

Coram Deo
Soli Deo Gloria
Semper Reformanda

These last several days I've been lost in thought.  Pondering the Arminian doctrine of Free Will, and how it relates to Scripture and the Calvinist's opposing doctrine Total Depravity.

While technically Total Depravity was written as a response to Free Will, I do not believe Total Depravity satisfactorily responds to everything that is found within Free Will.  Total Depravity responds well to the Free Will's claim that man is still capable of accepting Christ, but there is more at stake.

Free Will is an assault upon the Sovereignty of God.  Free Willianites claim that God has released His control over salvation and given man full authority to decide who will be saved and who will not (based entirely on the will and good pleasure of man, not God).  This directly defies God's Sovereignty which states that He is in control over all things simultaneously.  Of course the Arminian will never say that he denies the Sovereignty of God.  In fact he will strongly insist that he does.  I don't know how Arminianism defines the Sovereignty of God, but the definition must differ.  The most common Arminian definition that I've heard is as follows "God has the ability to be in control of all things, but He chooses not to in the area of salvation."  I call this doctrine "Potential Sovereignty" as God could potentially be in control over all things, but somehow "His power is displayed in a better sense when men freely come to Him, instead of when He un-justly forces them to come."  I've never gotten a full explanation of how the doctrine of Potential Sovereignty works, and where it is found in Scripture, and I have a feeling I never will.

But as I've been considering these things, one passage keeps coming to mind.

Isa 46:8-11
8 "Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, you transgressors,
9 remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
10 declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, 'My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,'
11 calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it.
ESV


It's when I see Scripture verses like these that I lament that the fact that Free Will is still a widely accepted doctrine.  I see absolutely no mention of man within in this passage, or even a note of respect for what man's will might be.  All I see is God stating that He will do exactly what He has purposed (with zero consideration with what man would prefer).  The phrase "I will" is used three times in this passage alone (referring to God of course) and is used continually throughout Scripture. And when God says "I will", He makes it clear that His will is the only will that matters, and no other will, will be able to stand before His.

Coram Deo
Soli Deo Gloria
Semper Reformanda

One of the most popular proof texts for the Arminian doctrine of "Free Will" is Matt 23:37

Matt 23:37

37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!
ESV

Arminians love to point out Jesus' words when He says "How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under wings, and you would not!"  that Jesus deeply desired to bring the Jews to Himself, but they were not willing to come to Him.  Therefore rendering the concept of God's Sovereign power in election un Scriptural.

I will admit that for a time I was puzzled by this passage, wondering why Jesus seems to advocate man's Free Will.  But thanks to a very well written explanation of the passage by Dr. James White in his book "The Potter's Freedom" I have come to understand exactly what the passage means.  After carefully performing exegesis, and placing the passage in context, we find that Matt 23:37 does not advocate Free Will, what a shocker huh?

Arminians would almost always rather take a passage at its "face value" than perform exegesis (which is very wise of them).  After all, attempting to understand passages in their correct context and actually making an effort to explain what the passage is says would be very counter effective to the Arminian cause (Arminians who are in the habit of performing exegesis, often times end up abandoning their Theological traditions for a Theology that is based on the word of God....quite interesting).

After due consideration, I have decided to simply type out what Dr. White has to say on the issue instead of attempting to explain it on my own.  Dr. White's words are far more clear and concise than anything I could write.  I'm also confident that what Dr. White has to say will be MUCH shorter than what would punch out.

So without further adieu, I present James White's explanation of Matt 23:37, taken from his book "The Potter's Freedom" Chapter 6, pg. 136-139:  One more quick note, in this book, Dr. White is responding to Norman Geisler's book "Chosen but Free,"  That is why this section starts off with a quote from CBF (which is how Dr. White refers to Chosen but Free).  The reasoning for Dr. White writing a detailed exegesis of Matt 23 is due to the continued use of the passage by Dr. Geisler, although Dr. Geisler refuses to perform any exegesis or even an explanation of the passage.  He, like many other Arminians, choose to explain the passage away with simply a "face value" exegesis (which is no exegesis at all).

"CBF offers no in depth exegesis of this passage (Matt 23).  Instead, we are given two sentences that summarize Geisler's interpretation of it:

Also, Matthew 23:37 affirms emphatically that Jesus desired to bring the Jews who rejected Him into the fold but could not because they would not.  He cried, "Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing."  God's grace is not irresistible on those who are unwilling.

We first note that "irresistible grace" is a reference to God's sovereign regeneration of his elect:  any other use of the phrase is in error.  Hence, it would seem to be  that Dr. Geisler is promoting the following ideas regarding this text:  1) that Jesus wanted to save the Jews to whom (or about whom) He was speaking in this passage; 2) That though this was Christ's desire he could not fulfill His desire; 3) Christ could not bring these Jews into the fold because they "would not."  The conclusion then is, God's race is dependent upon the will of man.  If a man is willing, God's grace will prevail.  But grace cannot change the will of man.
     Of course, these are assertions that are not given with any interpretational foundations.  No exegsis is offered, just conclusions.  How Dr. Geisler arrived at these conclusions, we are not told.  Later we are informed that it is the "plain meaning" of the text, and are asked rhetorically "What could be more clear:  God wanted all of them, even the unrepentant, to be saved."
     This verse is then used in conjunction with 1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9 as evidence that it is God's desire to save every single man, woman and child on the earth.  But is that what this passage is teaching?  Let's provide an exegetical interpretation of the passage and compare it with the presentation in CBF.
     The first fact to ascertain in examining any passage of Scripture is its context.  This passage comes in the midst of the proclamation of judgment upon the leaders of the Jews.  Matthew 23 contains the strongest of denunciations of the scribes and Pharisees in all of the Gospels.
     Who, then, is "Jerusalem?"  It is assumed by Arminian writers that "Jerusalem" represents individual Jews who are, therefore, capable of resisting the work and will of Christ.  But upon what warrant do we leap from "Jerusalem" to "individual Jews"?  The context would not lead us to conclude that this is to be taken in a universal sense.  Jesus is condemning the Jewish leaders, and it is to them that He refers here.  This is clearly seen in that:

1:  It is to the leaders that God sent the prophets;
2:  It was the Jewish leaders who killed the prophets and those sent to them;
3:  Jesus speaks of "your children," differentiating those to whom He is speaking fromt hose that the Lord described to gather together.
4:  The context refers to the Jewish leaders, scribes and Pharisees.

A vitally important point to make here is that the ones the Lord desired to gather are not the ones who "were not willing"!  Jesus speaks to the leaders about their children that they, the leaders, would not allow Him to "gather." Jesus was not seeking to gather the leaders, but their children.  This one consideration alone renders the passage useless for the Arminian seeking to establish freewillism.  The "children" of the leaders would be Jews who were hindered by the Jewish leaders from hearing Christ.  The "you would not" then is referring to the same men indicated by the context:  the Jewish leaders who "were unwilling" to allow those under their authority to hear the proclamation of the Christ.  This verse, then, is speaking to the same issues raised earlier in Matthew 23:13:

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

John Gill added this insight:

     That the persons whom Christ would have gathered are not represented as being unwilling to be gathered; but their rulers were not willing that they should.  The opposition and resistance of the will of Christ, were not made by the people, but by their governors.  The common people seemed inclined to attend the ministry of Christ, as appears from the vast crowds which, at different times and places, followed him; but the chief priests and rulers did all they could to hinder the collection of them to him; and their belief in him as the Messiah, by traducing his character, miracles, and doctrines, and by passing an act that whosoever confessed him should be put out of the snyagogue; so that the obvious meaning of the text is the same with that of verse 13...and consequently is no proof of men's resisting God, but of obstructions and discouragements thrown in the way of attendance on the external ministry of the word.

So we can now plainly see that CBF has absolutely no basis for its assertion that it is the "plain meaning" of the text that God wanted "all of them, even the unrepentant, to be saved."  One of the three primary passages used in CBF is seen, then, to have no connection with the application made of it over and over again in the text." - James White, from his book "The Potter's Freedom" pg, 136-139 

Praise be to God for great defenders of the faith like James White and John Gill who valiantly have stood up the erroneous teachings that have been presented regarding God's Word.

Once again we see that the Arminian's doctrine of Free Will has no ground to stand on and is nothing more than a man made concoction that desires to de-throne God and place Him at the feet of man.  Which of course is the ultimate goal of the flesh.  It's a shame to see the desires of the flesh made manifest in the Theology of so many Christians.  Let us all search out and find the areas in our Theology where the desires of our flesh are evident.

God Bless!

S.D.G
C.D
S.R

Anyone who has ever discussed Theology with me, even for a short time, will quickly find out that I have little tolerance for the doctrine known as "Free Will."

Ever since I was 12 and read R.C. Sproul's book "Chosen by God," I have been an adamant opponent of "Man's Free Will."

The definition of Free Will given by www.thefreedictionary.com states:

"The power of making free choices that are unconstrained by external circumstances or by an agency such as fate or divine will."

Which basically translates to me as "God has absolutely no say the comings and goings of mankind.  That He is forced to watch man's activities from a distance and attempt to persuade them to "do" certain things that please Him."  This is probably what I find so offensive about the doctrine.  It's hard to see it when you've been literally "indoctrinated" in Free Will, but the truth remains that Free Will directly undermines the power of God by placing man in a position of high authority than God.

Those who acknowledge Free Will often attempt to find Scriptural proof to back up their claims.  Of course, they are more likely to find  truth in the speeches given by President Obama.  One who takes time to view the list of Scripture verses that Free Willianites present will almost always find that their "Scriptural Proof" is based entirely on words such as "receive" and "accept."  Showing that men do in fact receive salvation is very weak Scriptural evidence, especially when you find out that those who oppose Free Will (those who embrace The Sovereignty of God) also believe that men "accept" or "receive" salvation.  The only difference is that Sovereignists believe that God enabled those who "received" salvation, to actually be able to "receive it."

Another favorite passage cited by Free Willianites is Matt 23.  But since time forbids me to examine Matt 23 at the moment, I shall make Matt 23 the subject of my next post.

Until then, God Bless!

Coram Deo
Soli Deo Gloria
Semper Reformanda

Well, after many failed attempts to actually keep this pathetic excuse of a Blog going, I'm going to try once again.

And yes I know what your thinking (aside from the fact that your never supposed to begin a sentence with a conjunction) "Come on Andrew, you've tried this before man, your out of your league.  You know for a fact that you can't write, and look at your Blog Archive, you've been posting on and off since 2007!"

It's all true, but you obviously can't stop a fool from trying.

So...let's see if I can put my soul and brain together and bang it against my keyboard hard enough to come up with something interesting...only time will tell.

Of course, this post may just sit here till sometime in June when I'll post something similar....I guess that's one way to rack up the post count!

While driving home from the fantastic town of McPherson, I was thinking about the wonderful cup of coffee that awaited me at home, and going over my current memory verse, which is 2nd Peter 1.

I was pondering on verses 5-8:

2 Peter 1:5-8

5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

ESV

While dwelling on the qualities mentioned here, I found that none of them aptly describe myself.  But above all, steadfastness is the quality that I lack the most. 

I'm so easily sidetracked and I have difficulty staying on course.  For instance, instead of pointing out my character flaws on my Blog, I should be studying for my history COOP.  

So, I'm going to put a stop to this right now........

My prayer is that God would withhold my fleshly tendencies and grant me grace so that I may be strengthened, through Him, in the area of steadfastness.  Knowing that if these qualities are mind, and are increasing, they shall keep me from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ.

For the passed few weeks, some of my friends and I have been discussing the ever popular and controversial topic of Christ's work on the cross.

The modern day sentiment towards the atonement is that Christ has fully atoned for all the sins of all people.

Although the growth of this view shocks reformed/calvinist minded people, it should not be surprising that in today's age of anti-intellectualism that this view is so popular.

Since my interest in this topic has once again been perked, and due to some extra time on my hands, I am going to attempt to write a few posts focusing on the main verses the Arminians use as strongholds for their view of Unlimited Atonement.

The first stronghold is 1 John 2:2:


1 John 2:2
2  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
ESV

The Arminian will immediately point out that the verse indicates that Christ has payed for the sins of the "Whole World."  And although at first glance this does seem to be the case, a closer look will reveal the truth.

Firstly, who was John's audience?  From the little research I did, it seems that most scholars agree that 1 John was written to the Church at Ephesus.  Ephesus was a town in Asia Minor (modern day turkey), we can therefore assume that most of the congregation were of Gentile descent, with perhaps a few Jews or Judiazers .
The Jews still believed the promise of salvation belonged to them and them alone, except perhaps for the occasional sojourner.  The reason we find the use of universal terms like "Whole World" and "all" used in the context of salvation is because the apostles were demonstrating to the Gentiles that salvation was for people from every tribe, tongue and nation.  They were also attempting to correct those Jews and Judiazers who still believed the promises were their's alone.

Secondly, it is important to note the use of the word propitiation.

Propitiation as defined by Webster is:  "The act of regaining goodwill or favor."  If a fallen human is to regain God's favor, his sin must first be atoned for/justly payed for in full.  And that is exactly what Christ does.  He payed the full price for the sin of His people.

But if what the Arminians says is true, and Christ has made propitiation for the "Whole World" how can any human justly go to hell?  If their sin has all been payed for, and Christ has suffered the full curse for them, what is left for them to suffer for?  Is it not unjust for God to send someone to hell whose sins have been atoned for?

The Arminian will undoubtedly respond by saying that those who go to hell do so because they rejected Christ.  But isn't rejecting Christ a sin of omission? And if Christ really did make atonement for the sin of the "Whole World" wouldn't He of atoned for the sins of omission?

These are greatly disturbing issues.  For we see that if Unlimited Atonement is true, it makes God to be an unjust Judge and therefore fallen by His own standard.

In the end we see that 1 John 2:2 does not point to an Unlimited Atonement.  On the contrary, 1 John 2:2 is some of the strongest evidence in Scripture for the doctrine of Limited Atonement.  For John clearly teaches an atonement that was perfect, and accomplished Salvation for everyone that it was intended for!

S.D.G

In theology, when it comes to debating Arminianism and defending Calvinism, one name stands out...James White.

James White is the founder of Alpha and Omega Ministries and is the author of masterpiece The Potter's Freedom.  James White is an excellent orator and debater who jumps at each and every challenge that is presented to Biblical Orthodoxy.

Two years ago James White came out with two youtube videos commenting on a conference that had happened earlier in the year, known as the John 3:16 conference.

I'm sure Dr. White could of spent hours commenting on the entire conference. However, he chose to wield his sword against two specific instances (which I will post below).

I found these videos to be both instructive and humorous, so without further adieu, Dr. James White:

Of all the hymns that I love so dearly, William Cowper's "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" is my favorite.

Whenever I feel vexed, stressed or depressed, this song is one of the first places I go.

This hymn brings me great comfort for two reasons:

1:  It clearly demonstrates God's Almighty sovereignty and control over all things.

2:  It also displays the deep love and compassion our Lord shows His children in all that He does.

This is one of the few hymns I can play by memory on the piano, and I've spent a lot of time just sitting there....playing it over and over again.

Anyways, I posted the song below, enjoy!

Earlier this week I had a chance to discuss the issue of infant salvation with some of my friends from college.

Although opinions differed greatly we did come to a general agreement that Scripture has not spoken much on the issue and therefore we must trust in God to do what is good and just in His eyes.

Although we somewhat resolved the issue, I would like to ramble on for a bit and give some thoughts that I have had on the issue.

The ordeal of Infant salvation is a though one to discuss in todays culture.  In America alone we are surrounded by the murder of thousands of babies each year in abortion clinics, not to mention the ever present sad occasion of a still born child or other sad mis happenings.

Most humans have a tender spot in their hearts for new born babies, infants and toddlers, and I am no exception.  I think those feelings probably comes from the beauty we see in God's creation of the newness of life, that's what makes this specific issue of infant salvation so hard to discuss, especially for the Calvinist.

As a Calvinist, I believe Scripture teaches that when Adam fell, as our Covenant representative, we all fell IN him.  Therefore, all descendants of Adam are born with his corrupt nature which they receive at conception.

That being said, I do not believe it possible (or in line with Scripture) to state that all human children that die at birth or infancy are immediately ushered into heaven.

However, we look around today at the modern day church, or even to those church's who claim to be "reformed" or "Calvinistic," we see that many people today hold strongly to this doctrine.  People state different reasons for why they believe this, some of the more popular reasons are that "They are Innocent!"  This idea that children are born sinless and therefore cannot be held accountable for doing any evil.  Another popular statement is that "God is to merciful to send a child to hell."

Although both these reasons are appealing to our flesh, I believe that neither of them are in line with Scripture.

The first argument made (that human children are born innocent) I believe is in error due to the simple fact that all children are born with Adam's radically corrupt nature, and therefore all humans from birth justly deserve eternal punishment away from the face of God.

⁵Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
   and in sin did my mother conceive me.

-Psalm 51:5

The second argument made (God is to merciful to send a child to hell) I also must must frown upon from Scripture's view point.  As sad as it may seem, a child is still a human and still possesses a radically corrupt nature, therefore from the beginning of life they deserve what every other human deserves, separation from God.

So does this leave all those who die an infant to certain doom?  I believe this is not the case.  Due to by reformed beliefs, I acknowledge that since salvation requires no cooperation from the human, no prior learning is necessary to be regenerated and receive salvation.  How this happens, I don't understand, however I believe we get a clear snapshot of this from within Scripture:

   And the LORD afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. ¹⁶David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. ¹⁷And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. ¹⁸On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, "Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm." ¹⁹But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" They said, "He is dead." ²⁰Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. ²¹Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food." ²²He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, 'Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' ²³But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me."
2 Sam 12:15-23


David seems to be very clear in his speech that he will soon be reunited with His son in paradise.


This is really the only  Scripture we have that touches on the subject, and even this passage isn't real direct with it's message.


All in all, it really boils down to God will do what pleases Him and He will bring total glory and honor to His name in all that He does.  


And you can be 100% sure, that every single last thing that He has done, does and will do, is entirely Just in every aspect. 

As I was browsing Drudge this evening I came across this article that caught my gaze and I decided to quickly browse what it said and search for any decent information.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31839.html

I found it quite entertaining that the shocked Democrats, after losing a seat held by one of their own for 46 years, are done biting their tongues and have announced that they are finished blindly and aimlessly going along with this administration's ideals and goals.

I remember when the Health Care Bill first passed through the house, it seemed like nothing could stop it from reaching the President's desk.  True, there were many other difficulties that still had not been worked out, but it appeared that this would be a breeze for push and shove method of Obama's White House.  As any other citizen who has any idea what this country was founded on and has any comprehension of what freedom means, I was very concerned with what this bill might have in store for America, not to mention what it may lay the foundation for.  However, I did take solace in the fact that we have a Sovereign God who has passed through the heavens.  I knew from Scripture that nothing has ever happened that God has not ordained.  Therefore, I also knew that God had complete and total control over what was to happen to this bill.  However I DID not know why God would bring such a thing to pass, but once again I took solace in the words of Deuteronomy 29:29:

29 "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

ESV

Whatever God's reason for bringing this bill into existence, it was obviously not for me to know.

But after reading this article and seeing the anger that burns against Obama's administration, not only from Conservative America BUT ALSO FROM HIS OWN PARTY!  I am hoping that the reason God brought this bill before us is to show America the stupidity of those we have elected as well as to point us in the direction that we should go, which is of course a return to His word.

The Lord has begun the mock our elected officials by turning their so called "accomplishments" into a living nightmare for them.

I have no idea what God has planned, but I do know that it's to wonderful for me to imagine.  Therefore, I will continue to trust in Him, for as it was written:

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;

the Lord holds them in derision.

5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,

and terrify them in his fury, saying,

6 "As for me, I have set my King

on Zion, my holy hill."

Ps. 2:4-6 ESV

Soli Deo Gloria

In Christ,

Andrew

Well after not posting on my very neglected Blog for over a year, I think it's probably high time I at least put a little effort once again in attempting to write something worth while.

This evening, the Covenanting heads of households of Coram Deo Fellowship met in our family's basement to begin a mens Bible Study that will eventually cover the rich and profound texts of Romans.  Unfortunately, due to the business of life not all could be present, but for those of us who were able to attend we enjoyed a very blessed time of studying the very foremost part of Romans.

First off we covered the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of Romans.  We discussed the Author, Paul, and how he wrote the inspired book of Romans through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as an Apostle of Christ.  We also covered the affect that the book has had throughout the past and how it has transformed the lives of many important Theologians and Scholars as well as laymen.  We discussed the date and the era that Romans was written so that we could put in perspective what troubles the church may have been going through when Paul was writing this Epistle.

After this brief introduction, we preceded to start reading Romans verse by verse and to discuss what these verses mean in the context of what we had discussed earlier and also how it fits in and brings together the rest of Scripture.

We enjoyed a lot of great conversation, but most notably we discussed the meaning of the word Servant in verse one of chapter one.

 ¹Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God

Romans 1:1 ESV

My Father pointed out that some versions use the words "bond servant" in place of servant.  We then began to search the Scriptures in order to find out exactly what a bond servant was, which we found in the reading of the law in the Old Testament. 

¹"Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. ² When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. ³If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. ⁴If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out alone. ⁵But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,' ⁶then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

Exodus 21:1-6 ESV

We see through the context of the Old Testament law, that a bond servant is one that chooses to serve his master for the rest of his/her earthly life.  It then follows that Paul, after being chosen by God as a member of His elect, has chosen to be a bond servant to God forever.  Serving Him by guarding Christ's church and teaching and preaching the word of God to His elect.

In light of this we also talked about how the terms "servant" or "slave" can be so offensive to people in the Postmodern era, especially in America where we so proudly flaunt our "freedom."  But we also realize that the slavery or servant hood of the Old Testament times (at least in the land of Israel) was more of an employer/employee relationship.  Obviously there are vast differences, but it is a much better picture than that of a beaten, abused and overly used human who is forced to labor at the commands of a demanding and violent master.  Obviously, God would not condone humans to be treated that way. 

This is just a very simple overview of what was discussed this evening, I am very much looking forward to our future studies and drinking deeply from the beautifully layed out and inspired book of Romans.

In Christ,

Andrew 

18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. ESV

This is one of those sections of Scripture that when I read it causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. 2nd Timothy 3:16 says "All Scripture is breathed out by God" which should be enough to cause us to tremble at the hearing of His Word. I'm going to take a few minutes and share a few comments on this particular passage in Scripture.

Verse 18 says: 18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Pretty scary verse, but what does it mean when it says "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness?" As Dr. D. James Kennedy says "All does not mean all, all of the time," is this one of those moments when all only means a certain amount or a select few? Lets read it in that context: "For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against a select few of the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." It seems to me that this interpretation contradicts God's character as a just God who always punishes sin and always maintains His Holy Name. From what we see of God from His word, He is not the type to "Turn His Head" or to "Look the other way" at what we might call a few minor sins. God cannot tolerate sin, from that viewpoint it is easy to see that NO sin is a minor sin to Him. But God has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and his love is never ending toward His elect. Even so God never lets sin go unpunished. Something that should strike terror into our hearts, and at the same time cause us to be thankful for His ever abounding mercy.

Verse 19: 19For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

"God has shown it to them," what is the antecedent of "them"? I think if we go back to verse 18 we find it's "men." Now another question arises, to who exactly does "men refer?" I am open to correction on this but from what I understand "men" refers to all mankind. So from what I see, Paul is saying that the evidence of God has been shown to all mankind and "plain to them." How has it been made plain to them? Lets look at the next verse.

Verse 20: 20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

It has been made plain by the things that He has made. By his attributes, and Paul goes on to share a few of the many. God's creation is such an overwhelming and complex system that it clearly demonstrates God's existence. The alternate ideas, which the flesh has invented with are so ridiculous that "they are without excuse." Dr. Richard Dawkins of Oxford University, what would he say to God at the end of time answered "Why did you take such pains to hide yourself." This answer is unacceptable, when Dawkins says this he is suppressing the truth and is "without excuse." I am reminded of the words of Romans 3: 19: 19Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. Romans 3:19. My guess is that Mr. Dawkins will not ask God that question.

Questions or Comments? Please feel free to contact me at andrew32693@yahoo.com

Up to this point we have looked at the five points that provide the base of Arminian and Calvinistic Theology. I have attempted to show my belief on these points and I hope it will be used for God’s glory. This is just a quick short sum up post about what we have discussed.

Arminian Theology

First off man really isn’t that badly hurt by the fall and he can really make it on his own. Also man chooses his salvation thus bringing glory to man. God cannot penetrate man’s free will which gives man power over God. God is forced to let everyone have a chance to be saved, why? Because man says if it were different it would not be fair. God’s grace is not irresistible and if God calls someone they can resist Him. Last off, it is up to man to keep His salvation and also watch out because he can loose it showing that God has no ability to keep Christians on the straight and narrow path.

Calvinistic Theology

We see that God is entirely and completely sovereign and that man has absolutely no power over his Creator. Number one, man is in a completely fallen state and has a nature that only continually seeks sin and is at enmity with God. Man has no ability to choose God because of his nature and only God can bring about the salvation of a man bringing full glory to Himself. God’s call is irresistible and no man can resist it, if it is God’s will that someone will be saved that person will be saved no matter what. If a man is saved then he can never loose his salvation showing God to be a God of His word and promise!

Which Theology sounds like the one preached in Scripture? It comes down to one question in my mind, who is Sovereign? Is Man Sovereign, or is God? Who deserves to be glorified, the creation, or the Creator.

Ok I won’t rant anymore on this post. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Season! God Bless! Andrew

We have now come to the last of the “five points” of the Calvinistic faith, “Perseverance of the Saints.” The Arminians have an opposing view, which is called “Falling from Grace”. It appears that all Arminian doctrines glorify man and diminish God. Is “falling from grace” different? Perhaps this Arminian doctrine will finally give glory to God? However, the opposite is true – man is again glorified while keeping his salvation. As I have said before, you can sum up the Arminian faith in four simple words; “Man first, God Second.” Here are the definitions of these two doctrines, taken from http://www.the-highway.com/compare.html:

Calvinistic View

Perseverance of the Saints

All who are chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved. They are kept in faith by the power of Almighty God and thus persevere to the end.

Arminian View

Falling from Grace

Those who believe and are truly saved can lose their salvation by failing to keep up their faith, etc. All Arminians have not been agreed on this point; some have held that believers are eternally secure in Christ - that once a sinner is regenerated, he can never be lost.

Again, we go back to the very same point, how do these doctrines fulfill man’s primary purpose, which is to “Glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Let’s look at the Calvinistic view; God makes His elect to persevere through their whole Christian walk and thus brings glory to himself by showing His faithfulness to the elect. Look at John 10:27-29:

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. –John 10:27-29

Now let’s look at how the Arminian doctrine “supposedly” brings glory to God. The some-what powerful God, who is forced to submit to His creations choice, cannot assure anyone that he or she will always have the salvation that they have accepted. He can only tell them that they better sit up straight and follow His laws or else they will lose their salvation. If man makes it through life, and still has faith in Christ, then he should be praised that he made it on his own without falling away. So, show me where God receives glory in that? It’s basically God, leaving it all up to man, hoping, just hoping that they will remain on the narrow path or otherwise He can’t take them to heaven with Him. It also shows that God isn’t powerful enough to bring them all the way home like He promises. Why? Perhaps, because His power is limited by man’s power (Free Will)? I believe this is absurd!

Also, how do you know when you have become “un-saved?” Where is the yardstick which tells us when we are no longer one of God’s children? I can’t find it anywhere in Scripture. Where is it? And what about Hebrews 10:10, which says:

10And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. –Heb 10:10

We see here that Christ died once for all. So what about the backslider who loses his salvation? Does he get to receive God’s salvation over and over again? It seems to me here that Christ died once for all the elect, and so how can one receive the gift again if he has already thrown it away? Arminians contradict their view and try to draw these backsliders to Christ, even though to remain consistent with their view every one should only get one chance at the Christian Walk because Christ died for everybody once.

Some Arminians believe that the doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints “spells” disaster. They believe that this doctrine opens up the idea “Once saved always saved.” This statement is true, even though it’s not the statement I would choose to represent this doctrine with. It gives the impression that once you’re saved you can do whatever you want because once you’re saved you’re always saved. This is the ground on which Arminians attack perseverance of the saints. Of course, if God changes someone’s heart then that person will have a heart that wants to please God. This is because whatever God does, He does well and therefore none of the people He changes will still have a nature that craves after sin. Those who profess faith, but do not live according to His statutes and laws however were never saved. Look at Matt 7:21-23:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” –Matthew 7:21-23

Notice God says “I never knew you.” Not “I knew you and then because you failed to keep my law I ceased to know you.”

Finally here are some Scripture verses supporting this doctrine:

“‘He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail.’” -1 Samuel 2:9

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” –Psalm 23:6

“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.” –Isaiah 43:1-3

“‘For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,’ says the LORD, who has compassion on you.” –Isaiah 54:10

“And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.” - Jeremiah 32:38-41

“And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.” -Luke 8:13

In the next post I will give a sum up over-view of both Reformed Theology, and Arminian Theology.

If you have any questions or objections you can contact me at andrew32693@yahoo.com. God Bless!

This was too bad =(. Posted from http://www.stevenspointjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071127/SPJ0101/71127043

Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died early Tuesday, a day after the Pro Bowl player was shot at home by what police say was an intruder. He was 24.Family friend Richard Sharpstein said Taylor’s father told him the news around 5:30 a.m.“His father called and said he was with Christ and he cried and thanked me,” said Sharpstein, Taylor’s former lawyer. “It’s a tremendously sad and unnecessary event. He was a wonderful, humble, talented young man, and had a huge life in front of him. Obviously God had other plans.”Taylor died at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he had been airlifted after the shooting early Monday, Sharpstein said.Two carloads of mourners, including the athlete’s father, arrived at the house Tuesday morning. They remained inside and did not speak to reporters. A single bouquet of flowers was left by a palm tree just outside a front gate. Beside the mailbox, an untouched newspaper lay with news of Taylor’s shooting.Doctors had been encouraged late Monday when Taylor squeezed a nurse’s hand, according to Vinny Cerrato, the Redskins’ vice president of football operations. But Sharpstein said he was told Taylor never regained consciousness after being transported to the hospital and that he wasn’t sure how he had squeezed the nurse’s hand.“Maybe he was trying to say goodbye or something,” Sharpstein said.Taylor, the fifth overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft following an All-American season at the University of Miami, was shot early Monday in the upper leg, damaging the key femoral artery and causing significant blood loss.“According to a preliminary investigation, it appears that the victim was shot inside the home by an intruder,” Miami-Dade County police said in a statement. “We do not have a subject description at this time.”But police were still investigating the attack, which came just eight days after an intruder was reported at Taylor’s home. Officers were sent to the home about 1:45 a.m. Monday after Taylor’s girlfriend called 911.Sharpstein said Taylor’s girlfriend told him the couple was awakened by loud noises, and Taylor grabbed a machete he keeps in the bedroom for protection. Someone then broke through the bedroom door and fired two shots, one missing and one hitting Taylor, Sharpstein said. Taylor’s 1-year-old daughter, Jackie, was also in the house, but neither she nor Taylor’s girlfriend were injured.Police found signs of forced entry, but have not determined if they were caused Monday, or the previous burglary.The shooting happened in the pale yellow house he bought two years ago. Eight days before the attack someone pried open a front window, rifled through drawers and left a kitchen knife on a bed at Taylor’s home, according to police.“They’re really sifting through that incident and today’s incident,” Miami-Dade Detective Mario Rachid said, “to see if there’s any correlation.”Taylor’s death comes nearly a year after Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was killed in a drive-by shooting following an argument at a Denver nightclub on Jan. 1. University of Miami defensive lineman Bryan Pata was shot to death in November 2006 several miles from Taylor’s home in an unsolved killing.Taylor starred as a running back and defensive back at Gulliver Prep in Miami. His father, Pedro Taylor, is police chief of Florida City.

The more I read and learn about Irresistible Grace, the more I see its a question of Sovereignty. Is man Sovereign? Does he have the power to resist the Spirits call? Or does the Creator have power to do what He wants with what is His? I think its very clearly said in Isaiah:

8"Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, 9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me,10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done,saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,'11 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. - Is. 46:8-11

Here is the two views on this doctrine:

Calvinistic View

The Efficacious Call of the Spirit or Irresistible Grace

In addition to the outward general call to salvation which is made to everyone who hears the gospel, the Holy Spirit extends to the elect a special inward call that inevitably brings them to salvation. The internal call (which is made only to the elect) cannot be rejected; it always results in conversion. By means of this special call the Spirit irresistibly draws sinners to Christ. He is not limited in His work of applying salvation by man's will, nor is He dependent upon man's cooperation for success. The Spirit graciously causes the elect sinner to cooperate, to believe, to repent, to come freely and willingly to Christ. God's grace, therefore, is invincible; it never fails to result in the salvation of those to whom it is extended.

Arminian View

The Holy Spirit Can Be Effectually Resisted

The Spirit calls inwardly all those who are called outwardly by the gospel invitation; He does all that He can to bring every sinner to salvation. But inasmuch as man is free, he can successfully resist the Spirit's call. The Spirit cannot regenerate the sinner until he believes; faith (which is man's contribution) proceeds and makes possible the new birth. Thus, man's free will limits the Spirit in the application of Christ's saving work. The Holy Spirit can only draw to Christ those who allow Him to have His way with them. Until the sinner responds, the Spirit cannot give life. God's grace, therefore, is not invincible; it can be, and often is, resisted and thwarted by man.

As Stephen Mansfield once said (This isn't word for word but its pretty close) "The thing that I find funny in our culture today is that God is this lonely old man with beard up in Heaven hoping, just hoping someone will accept Him. Jesus is knocking on the door, hoping, just hoping someone will open it. In reality God goes after His elect." First thing I see in resistible grace is this, making man feel good, giving him the glory, and most importantly making sure man has a say in his salvation. Absolutely crazy, not crazy heretical!

Lets talk about the outward call and the inward call. The definition of the outward call is this: The call that humans themselves provide when they preach the good news, this call never results in salvation though. The definition of the inward call is this: The process where the Holy Spirit enters into one who has been predestined before the foundation of the world and saves him/her. The first call is only the work of corrupt man, it can't penetrate man's total depravity. The second call is done by the in-corruptible God, and can penetrate anything! So man can plant the seed, but its the work of God to nurture it, water it, and provide the light! Isn't that amazing, we get to help God gather His elect! Does God need our help? Of-course not! He could very well do it by Himself, but He allows us to plant the seed!

The main problem I see when I look at the Arminian view is that God's sovereignty is challenged. Again as I have pointed out before, God, having to stoop to obey man's decisions! That is the whole concept of the Arminian faith, Man first, God second. They would of-course deny that, I mean its blasphemous. But that is what it confirms in every single doctrine of their faith. I will comment on this more later. Here the words of R.J. Rushdoony:

The debate on irresistible grace, was not between some law intermingled with a doctrine of chance miss-called freedom, on the one hand, and the doctrines of rigid Calvinism on the other, but simply between God and chance. If an iota of chance is allowed into the universe then God's Sovereignty is denied, and God is not God. -R.J. Rushdoony

Last but definitely not least, I will add Scripture to back this doctrine.

Deuteronomy 30:6, 8 “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live…And you shall again obey the voice of the LORD and keep all his commandments that I command you today.”

Deuteronomy 29:4 “But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.”

Job 31:4 “Does not He see my ways and number all my steps?”

Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”

Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

Matthew 16:15-17 “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’”

These are just the very few that support not only Irresistible Grace, but also God's Sovereignty!! I don't know how you could argue against these doctrines, its so blatantly set forth in Scripture! Well if you have any questions or objections contact me at andrew32693@yahoo.com . God bless!

Ahhhh yes, its Thanksgiving again! I've always loved the good food, the wonderful time with the family and the old Esping thanksgiving tradition, shooting blue-rock. But the question I ask myself now is, am I thankful enough for all the blessings God has bestowed on me? I am faced with the obvious answer, no. I don't appreciate all the things God has given me, most of the time I take them for granite! God's Word says that we need to be thankful at all times, and I always fall short of that. Look at what the Bible says on this matter:

15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. -Col 3:15

17I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. -Ps. 7:17

1I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. -Ps, 9:1

20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, - Eph 5:20

These are just a very few that tell us to give thanks to God. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. And don't forget to give thanks to our Savior for all the blessings He gives us!

I got this from my Aunt in her last e-mail, it makes me just sick! May God have mercey on us corrupt humans. Thus article posted from
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/10/perspectives_does_the_golden_c.php

It all started with a phone call I received several months ago. A concerned mother called to tell me about The Golden Compass, an upcoming film from New Line Cinema. Several more phone calls followed the first one as did a plethora of emails expressing disgust over this movie -- and rightly so.
I plan to review the movie, but I haven't had the opportunity to see it yet. So, in the meantime, here is some information that will help you understand why the film has the potential to be extremely dark and dangerous.
According to CNSNews.com, leading atheist writers and intellectuals are engaged in a "scientific" quest to ultimately destroy organized religion, particularly Christianity. Oxford professor Richard Dawkins, author Sam Harris and journalist Christopher Hitchens are some of the big names leading this "new atheism" initiative. Evidence of their agenda is seen in efforts such as the Out Campaign and the Blasphemy Challenge.
CNSNews.com defines the Out Campaign as "a movement started by Dawkins to encourage Americans to proudly display their atheism." ABC News describes the Blasphemy Challenge as a way "to challenge people to make videos of themselves denying, denouncing or blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and then post them on YouTube." ABC News also calls it "the cutting edge of a new and emboldened wave of atheism."
The Blasphemy Challenge targets teens while an upcoming movie that may have a similar agenda is likely to appeal to families, especially children.
The Golden Compass is a film from New Line Cinema based on the first book of a series, His Dark Materials, written by English atheist Philip Pullman. It is set to release December 7 in theaters nationwide. From watching the trailer, it's easy to see that the film has a C. S. Lewis/Narnia feel to it, but don't be deceived.
Pullman's book trilogy is the story of "a battle against the church and a fight to overthrow God," BBC News reported. The Guardian, a British newspaper, goes even further to describe the books as "metaphysical fantasies encompassing parallel worlds, the death of God and the fall of man ...."
"I don't know whether there's a God or not. Nobody does, no matter what they say," Pullman said in an interview posted on his website.
Therefore, without yet seeing the film, at least one pro-family group -- the American Family Association -- is alerting Christians to the potential dangers of The Golden Compass. Because of Pullman's clearly articulated anti-Christian motives, AFA is warning all viewers to run from the film.
The Golden Compass is set in an alternative world with a sinister Magisterium. It is about a girl named Lyra who sets out to rescue her friend Roger who has been kidnapped by an organization known as the Gobblers. Roger's rescue turns into an epic quest to save two different worlds -- one in which people's souls manifest themselves as animals. These manifestations are known as "daemons," and Pullman says they help a person grow toward wisdom.
In addition, the movie website allows visitors to answer a set of questions and create their own daemons that journey alongside them in life.
"One of the [book] series' main themes -- the rejection of organized religion and in particular the abuse of power within the Catholic Church -- is to be watered down," according to the Telegraph, a newspaper in the U.K. "But when the film is released in December the Magisterium will be shown as a critique of all dogmatic organizations, thereby avoiding a religious backlash."
Although the film has supposedly been stripped of the books' key denunciation of religion to prevent offending Catholic audiences, that doesn't appease the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. The Catholic League still views The Golden Compass as bait for Pullman's books, which the group says are representative of the author's two-fold agenda "to promote atheism and denigrate Christianity. To kids."

Here is probably one of the most hated doctrines by Arminians today, Limited Atonement. Have you ever heard the phrase Four point Calvinist? Obviously one who denies one of the five points of Calvinism, usually the denied doctrine is Limited Atonement. Sometimes they refer to themselves as Christmas Calvinists since NOEL as in No L in T.U.L.I.P. My Father refers to them like this "A four point Calvinist is just another word for an Arminian." Reason being that all five points work together and if even one is missing then they don't add up with Scripture. OK I'm rambling, back to Limited Atonement.

Calvinistic View

Particular Redemption or Limited Atonement
Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ's redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation, including faith which unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ died, therefore guaranteeing their salvation.

Arminian View

The Holy Spirit Can Be Effectually Resisted
The Spirit calls inwardly all those who are called outwardly by the gospel invitation; He does all that He can to bring every sinner to salvation. But inasmuch as man is free, he can successfully resist the Spirit's call. The Spirit cannot regenerate the sinner until he believes; faith (which is man's contribution) proceeds and makes possible the new birth. Thus, man's free will limits the Spirit in the application of Christ's saving work. The Holy Spirit can only draw to Christ those who allow Him to have His way with them. Until the sinner responds, the Spirit cannot give life. God's grace, therefore, is not invincible; it can be, and often is, resisted and thwarted by man.

Copied from http://www.the-highway.com/compare.html

OK, first thing I notice when I read the the Arminian doctrine is this, "The all powerful God is limited in power and forced to submit to the wishes of His creation and cannot interfere with them in the matter of redemption." Please forgive the sarcasm, but it kind of makes me frustrated. I mean man limiting God on what God can do with the SALVATION WHICH HE GAVE US! Look at the Scripture I used in the Unconditional Election post Romans 9:17-23. It seems very clear to me that God does what He wants with His creation. But the response to such a statement is usually this, "It wouldn't be fair for God it interfere in humans lives, He should let them make their own decision." *Blinks* Umm.. OK, where in Scripture does it say that? If you find it I would really like to see it. Also, who are you oh man to say what God should do? Number one, if God just set salvation in front of us so that we would accept it, we would not. We have no ability to do so. When our Representative Adam sinned the Original sin we were all made unclean and unable to seek for the things of God, slaves to sin. Number Two, not fair, really, you know what fair could have been? Fair is sending every single human in existence to suffer the penalty of sin for eternity in hell, that would have been fair. Which also would be what would happen if God had left salvation up to us. Number Three, like I said before, this idea takes away some of God's glory! God provides, man chooses a fifty fifty deal. But our existence is to only bring Glory to God, nothing else. So basically we are taking the glory due God and giving it to us! I have heard some say that "If God where to choose whom would be saved and Whom would not then that would interfere with Man's free will." First off, man does have a free will, not human ability. We have the free will to choose what we will wear, what we will eat and so on and so on, which of course all happens under God's Sovereignty. But we do not have human ability, that is the human ability to choose God. We lost that in the fall, and now only are able to choose one thing, sin. You see in the fall our nature changed, from a Godly nature, to a sinful nature. We cannot change our sinful nature, if we could then we could say that we are going to stop sinning and actually be able to do it! That just shows you how impossible it is for us to change our nature. God can change our nature however, and He changes those of whom He has chosen.

Lets look at this from a different view, God has three choices.

1. Save absolutely no one and let everyone receive their just punishment. This would be fair and just.

2. Save everyone by His grace and compassion. This also would be fair and just.

3. Save some by His grace and compassion and let some receive their just reward. This is just and fair.

So, which one can you find fault with? I can't find anything wrong with any of them. To quote R.C. Sproul in his teaching series "What is Reformed Theology" he says "I don't know why God doesn't save everybody, I don't know why He saves anybody!" Personally though I'm not going to try to figure it out either. I'm sure mostly all Christians (including me) wish God would save everybody. It seems right to our depraved human minds. But we are humans and do not have the same reasoning as God, not even close.

Lets look at the word "can" and "may" for a second. The Arminian doctrine is stated as this "Any human, of his own ability, CAN choose Christ and save himself." The Calvinistic doctrine says this, "Any human, of his own ability, MAY choose Christ and save himself." Can you tell the difference? Can has to do with ability, may has to do with permission. So basically we may choose Christ, but we can't choose Christ. God gave us permission to choose Him, but we do not have the ability to choose Him.

One more fact before I close. There is a question that remains un-answered in the Arminian theology. If Jesus died for every one's sins and payed the penalty for every human being how can God justly sentence anyone to hell? He can't, if Jesus died for every one's sins then everyone is pure and clean in God's eyes, so no one can go to hell, their sins are all payed for. But Scripture plainly tells us that some will go to hell, take Luke 16 for instance. A contradiction is plainly set forth, it doesn't add up. Whenever I debate Limited Atonement my opponents have never been able to give me a straight answer on this question. Why? Because there is none. Its simple, Jesus did not die for everyone, or everyone would be saved.

In closing I would like to share some Scripture supporting my belief:

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 17:1-2 “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.’”

John 17:9, 20 “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours…I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.”

Romans 8:32-34 “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things. Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”

Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”

Hebrews 2:14-17 “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham . Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

Hebrews 9:15 “Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”

Hebrews 10:14 “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

1 Peter 1:1-2 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”

1 Peter 1:20-21 “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

If you have any questions or objections feel free to contact me at andrew32693@yahoo.com. God bless you