Interesting items from the Interwebs, from all over the world.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Reformed Theology
As I have studied, read and thought about Reformed Theology more in the past year, I am even more convinced of these concepts all throughout scripture. And we should thank God for it, because without his Grace we would all be lost in our sins. We are dark sinful people, totally depraved,not as bad as we could be but we are capable of anything. There is no limit to the depth of sin that we are capable of. Not a popular subject today. People don't want to hear of the need of a savior. People don't want to hear of their own sinfulness. They would rather hear what Jesus can do for them. They would rather hear things that tickle their ears, smooth things, easy to hear, not a call to action for me to change anything in my life, or my behavior.
I want to talk about repentance, forgiveness, God's wrath on sinners, and how by His grace, we don't have to be condemned. Those that God has saved, are no longer under condemnation. A holy God must punish sin. That's why He sent His Son to die on the cross. he desires sacrifice, a holy, perfect, blameless sacrifice. This is why our sin was imputed on Jesus on the cross. Not only that, but he goes further to impute Jesus righteousness on to us, so now there is no condemnation to the people of God, the elect. No one can condemn us no one can get take it away, no one can take that away. Not the devil that is not anything in this world we are secure he will complete the work he began in us no one can snatch us out of the father's hands we have done nothing to earn salvation we can do nothing to lose it it is only by Gods grace the overused phrase there but by the grace of God go I it's actually true without God's grace will be lost in our sins unable to save ourselves we were dead in our sins notches drowning but already did at the bottom of the ocean lungs full of water not waiting for a lifesaver that already did and through his miraculous mercy you save those by His stripes we are healed we are now called holy and righteous in His sight ambulance forward to the day we'll see him in heaven total dependence on God for everything all of our needs not just our physical needs the great promises of God are true he saved us and justified us and in the process of sanctification.
- T. Meiers
Inerrancy of Scripture
Start with the belief that Scripture is inerrant That is the basic foundation.
Perfect, true, trustworthy, unchanging, pure, inspired, Word of God.
If there is something that you read in one book of the Bible that seems to contradict somewhere else, guess who is wrong?
If you start with inerrancy, it has to be you.
Your exegisis is wrong. It's you.
Context is so important. Who is it written to? Why is it being written? What time period? What came before and after this?
What do other parts of the Bible have to say on this same subject or area?
Many people spend time and energy trying to find one little area that they can say "Aha, I found the mistake. " Some people have made it their life's work. But, if we accept inerrancy in the beginning and all throughout, there is no need to look for any discrepancy, because there is none.
Whatever we see as a contradiction, or mistake, has to be because of us. None of us: understand God's word fully.
Mark Twain famously said "It's not the parts of the Bible that I don't understand that bother me, It's the parts I do understand."
And so if goes with us. Some, even some Christians, get so hung up on one little fact that seems like a contradiction, that they miss the parts that are clear to everyone.
When Jesus said "You must be born again" and "Go and sin no more." These are pretty clear commands.
- T. Meiers
The Bible is Complete
"The Bible is the grand repository ... It is the complete system of divine truth, to which nothing can be added, and from which nothing can be taken, with impunity. Every attempt to disguise or soften any branch of this truth, in order to accommodate it to the prevailing taste around us, either to avoid the displeasure, or to court the favour, of our fellow mortals, must be an affront to the majesty of God, and an act of treachery to men."
- John Newton
Loving God
What does it mean to love God?
Jesus, who was God in the flesh, said If you love me you will keep my commandments.
That's where it starts. The commandments in the Bible. Not just the 10 commandments, but everything God has told us. Not just the red-letter things He said on this earth, but all of His commands.
The ones that are easy for you, and the hard ones. He has already given everything that we need to know in the Bible.
Hardest ones for me, and probably for all of us, is loving people. Jesus says to even love your enemies. Really? You want me to love this person who hates me? This person who did this terrible thing to me?
Jesus says "yes, I do." But Jesus, we say, you don't understand what this person did. This terrible thing, my situation is different, surely you don't mean that I have to forgive them. Jesus says "Yes, I know exactly what that person did, and I want you to love them." And we say I can't. And that's right. We can't. Nor on our own strength. Only through God can we love these people, because it is only through God that we are lovable, nothing in ourselves.
And not only love them, but also forgive them. Forgive them as Christ has forgiven us. There is no other option.
And this is one evidence that we are one of God's children. That we love others, and forgive them. They will know we are Christians by our love for one another. (John 13:35) That is fruit.
I'm not saying it's easy. Not by any earthly means. But only by God's strength.
- T. Meiers
Freedom from Sin
We have been shown this tremendous freedom from the slavery of sin. Sometimes we don't understand, once we tell people, why they don't "get it."
Our responsibility is to tell others and make disciples, and step out of the way, die to self, like John the Baptist, I must become less so He can become more.
The Holy Spirit will convict and bring others to repentance, and lead them to confession of sins, justification in Christ, and begin the process of sanctification. Illumination.
We gather to worship, to learn, to fellowship. (Definition of fellowship, I aways thought it was coffee and donuts after the service. I grew up in a church that said "after the service we will have a time of fellowship." But, it's everything's we do, Greek meaning, it's what we are doing right now.)
The church is for the people of God. If an unbeliever comes in, hopefully they will see the love of Christ manifest, and the Holy Spirit will speak to their hearts, and change their heart of stone to a heart of flesh.
(I love that analogy, a stone cold, dead, still, unfeeling heart, to a warm, alive, beating, loving and living heart of flesh.)
Then we scatter to evangelize. To change our little part of the world.
Ever since our children were small, my prayer has been that they would go out into this world and influence what and who they can, wherever they are, in their part of the world. And now, our oldest is a college student living on campus, meeting and influencing others and carrying on that legacy.
We are all born in sin, it's in our nature, its our default, our natural tendency. Just look at a baby, the most selfish creature ever.
They will let you know if they are hungry, or tired, or their needs are not being met. Some of us are still selfish. We can be very selfish, if things don't go exactly the way we had planned them, or they way we think they should. This is why we need God to change our hearts.
The most honest statement I have ever heard from a preacher, was years ago, and I paraphrase: "I was making stir fry on the stove top and some hot oil crackled out of the pan and landed on my hand. I let out a word that I don't usually say, but it came out, it was my default." He was admitting that he was human, sinful, and capable of the depths of sin. Many preachers would never admit to such a thing, and attempt to put up a front of Holiness, as a "man of God." and that is so wrong. We are all sinners saved only by God's grace to us.
Unmerited, Holy, perfect grace.