reformed theology

Theological Entrapment

Posted in bibling, know what you believe, reformed theology on October 29th, 2008 by genepensiero – 6 Comments

–
in our men’s morning study we’re going through romans 9, 10 and 11.

so far the 20 minute devotions have been really wonderful. today we came to Romans 9:19-24.

as many of you know, these 3 chapters are ‘champion’ chapters of reformed theology, specifically calvinism, which we don’t agree with.

we don’t agree with arminianism either. we believe that the Bible teaches and demonstrates that God is sovereign and man has free will.

can i wrap my little brain around that? no. but it is what the Bible shows us.

something i hadn’t really thought about specifically was brought up by my dad this morning.

it’s what i’m dubbing ‘theological entrapment’ (i’m sure someone else has used the term).

if God is sovereign and man has no freewill, then God causes all things.

if God causes all things, then the purity of God’s justice is in question.

because if man has no freewill, then when God condemns a person to hell, He is holding that person responsible for a sin that the person did not commit. God would be holding someone responsible for a wickedness that was constructed for, then forced upon them.

that is not just.

in fact, that is unjust. it is a perversion of justice.

i had never really thought about it that way before.

thoughts?

Positive Post Tuesday

Posted in bibling, know what you believe, positive post tuesday, reformed theology on October 21st, 2008 by genepensiero – 1 Comment

it’s tuesday.

today’s positive post is for forgivenness.

in my reading through Isaiah this morning, i came to this verse:

In these ways we have continued;
and we need to be saved.

Isaiah 64:5b


there are 2 irrefutable truths that, frankly, transcend any other discussion or issue:

1 – we need forgiveness

2 – God forgives

to think about the fact that God forgives is just breath-taking.

we, as people, who continue in sin and imperfection, people who need salvation, deserve nothing from God but disappointment and judgment. He is perfect and we are not, and perfection cannot be mingled with imperfection.

this is why each religion man has concocted boils down to what we must do for God that He might be pleased with us, or that we might earn forgiveness for our failure and imperfection.

yet, when we look at the Bible we find something different. we find that God loves and forgives unconditionally. He provided salvation before we were repentant.

no, that doesn’t mean everyone is saved, but anyone can be. anyone can be forgiven. anyone can be removed from the way of man and placed in the way of God. and, what we find in God’s word, is that while i was yet a sinner, Christ died for me. while i was yet unsaved, God loved me. unconditionally.

as we discussed this past sunday, God is our refuge. and the way to Him, though exclusive, is easy. not easy because nothing is required, but easy because the only requirement is that we believe on the Lord and enter into a relationship with Him. simple. salvation.

we need salvation. but salvation is readily available to all who would call on the name of the Lord.

and that is an amazing thought.

be positive!

Isaiah 53 Or So

Posted in bibling, in general, know what you believe, reformed theology on October 9th, 2007 by genepensiero – 1 Comment

–

i’m still loving Isaiah. today was Isaiah 50-55.

i purposefully try to not post on the topic i’m posting on because it is inherently inflammatory and usually the following discussion isn’t edifying, but this morning i feel compelled to encourage anyone who might be reading this page with a reminder of the awesome character of our loving God.

surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. but He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way, and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
:: Isaiah 53:4-6 nkjv ::

there are many intelligent, well-meaning, God-fearing Christians who believe that God’s salvation is limited, available to a preconceived few who He has chosen. they look at passages in the Bible which speak of God’s sovereignty and, using their own God-given logic and reason, they decide that Jesus’ blood was portioned out for a small number of human beings, then concluding that makes God merciful.

it is a terrible tragedy to think of God, our Father, our Lover, our Savior, our Provider, our Refuge, our Light, our Promise, our Hope, our Husband, as unwilling to save whole multitudes of people whom He created. though i don’t have the time nor the desire to post a lengthy treatise on the issue of sovereignty versus free will (both of which are plainly taught in the Scriptures), i think that Isaiah points out clearly the character and nature of God to be both just and righteous, with inexplicable mercy and love.

if man had no free will to choose salvation, then why does Isaiah portray mankind as freely turning from God?

the prophet goes on:

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. when You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleaure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

He shall see the labor of His soul and be satisfied. by His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.

therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
:: Isaiah 53:10-12 nkjv ::

some of my calvinist friends are thinking, “there you go gene, you proved yourself wrong.” some of us might see the words ‘divided’ and ‘portion’ and ‘many’ and conclude that Jesus’ work on the cross for salvation was not all-inclusive, it was clearly limited, segmented, predetermined.

however Isaiah is clear that Jesus was made intercesson for the transgressors, not for many of the transgressors. He bore the iniquity of us all, not for many of us all. Isaiah 53 is wondrous proof that Jesus died for all mankind and now man must continue in his choice to either turn away from God, to esteem Him smitten, or to (through the knowledge of Him), allow Him to bear our iniquities, allow Him to bear our sin, allow His death to be substitutionary for our own.

be encouraged that today Jesus wants to bear your iniquities, He desires to bear your griefs and sorrows. He desires to give you abundant spiritual life.

be encouraged that your unsaved friends and family are not forgotten by the Lord, they were not created to fuel the fires of hell. hell was created for the devil and his angels, not for men and womeni .

to my intelligent, well-meaning, God-fearing, calvinist friends i say this, God’s Word is infallible and inarguable. there are key issues we must all agree upon for salvation, like Christ’s deity, His virgin birth, His death on the cross and His resurrection 3 days later. the issue of sovereignty versus free will is not an essential issue (though both are taught in the Bible), thus we should not rage against each other on such issues. let’s agree to disagree. i’d rather follow a God of love than a God of damnation because i see a God of love presented in the Bible.

i understand that absolute Divine sovereignty and human free will seems incompatible, seems illogical, seems irrational, but i’ll have to agree with God when He said:

for My thoughts are not your thoughts
nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord.

for as heavens are higher than the earth
so are My ways higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts.
:: Isaiah 55:8-9 nkjv ::

blessings




  1. Matthew 25:41↩



Cal-Tec: Know What You Believe Session 6: Salvation *updated

Posted in bibling, cal-tec, check it out, in general, know what you believe, podcast, reformed theology, something to read on May 3rd, 2007 by genepensiero – 1 Comment

–
hey friends. we’ve been really blessed at calvary hanford with our cal-tec classes. our first class (as true devot