Agreeing To Disagree

This is almost a cliché now but it cannot be stressed enough in the body of Christ:  "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace"  (Eph. 4:3). We don't want to be contentious, disagreeable, nor divisive, that is to say.   It has been well said by Chuck Swindoll that if you drink of only one fountain, you will lose your discernment.  What that means is to keep an open mind and don't think you or your group have monopolized the truth and get a Bible-club mentality.  We all need each other and are all part of the story, as it were--the Spirit of truth will lead us into all truth.  The church is to be semper reformanda, which means "always reforming" and we never will complete arriving at truth until Christ perfects His Bride.

 In a marriage, it is good to have an agreement, but disagreement can serve a purpose also:  It challenges our wits and brings to light issues that would otherwise go unnoticed.  If they agree all the time, one of them is unnecessary!  In a church body we want to strive for unity in the Spirit, of course, but leave room for disagreement or dissension in the body.  Aurelius Augustine of Hippo said, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."  There are certain doctrines that we cannot compromise on like the Trinity and salvation by faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone.   We have to agree to disagree even in the body and not "muzzle the ox that treads out the grain," [hinder or restrain someone from proclaiming the truth] so to speak.  We need healthy dialog and debate in the body to grow in the faith--that's why Jude says to "contend for the faith."

The whole idea behind the Protestant Reformation was what Martin Luther proclaimed:  "I dissent, I disagree, I protest!"  We are not at the mercy of church dogma any longer and realize our God-given right to interpret Scripture on our own and form our own beliefs and convictions; however, we are not free to fabricate our own truths and are responsible for our doctrines.  Roman Catholic churches do not allow this liberty and laypeople are at the mercy of the clergy and the Pope to interpret for them.

We need more healthy dialog in our churches and believers who aren't too timid or intimidated to speak up for the truth as they see it.  Most churches today have come full circle:  "What do you believe, Sir?"  "I believe what my church believes."  "What does your church believe?" "What I believe!" "What do you both believe?"  "We believe the same thing!"  We might as well be Catholics as blindly follow a teacher without question, no matter how good he is.  No one is apostolic today, despite the Pope claiming apostolic succession, and is inerrant or infallible.  To err is human!  Augustine said, that he had learned to hold only the Scriptures as inerrant and infallible.

The condition for arriving at the truth is to realize that you don't know all of it yet and have an open mind, that is willing to admit it could be wrong.  The truth is not arrived at by vote or majority rule, but by the conviction of the Holy Spirit that is called the illuminating ministry and God can convict us of the truth--"If any man will to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine..." (John 7:17).  Soli Deo Gloria!

What Kind Of Soil Are You?

In the parable of the sower, in Matthew 13, Christ depicts four types of individuals who hear the gospel and how they respond.  There is the soil along the path, the rocky soil, the thorny soil, and the good soil. It is important to evaluate the condition of our own soil because we can go through phases in life where it may vary--we are not always apparently good soil, even if we are saved.   We may identify with these kinds of soils at some time in our spiritual journey, but to enter the kingdom of God we have to be good soil--we may just backslide or revert to our old nature at seasons of our life though.  But it is erroneous to conclude that there is a whole new category of a believer called a believer with a thorny soil;  he must have been good soil at one time or he never would've been saved in the first place.

It has been shown that the average person rejects the gospel 7.6 times before accepting it--that is an average and one person may reject it 8 times and another 7 times, and so forth.  That is proof that we are not always receptive to the message of truth and aren't usually ready for it as given or sown the first time.  But God prepares our hearts over time and when we are prepared soil we do respond affirmatively. "Salvation is of the Lord," says Jonah 2:9 and we do not cooperate in it as Rome teaches but simply accept it by faith with God doing all the work, even giving us faith as a gift--it is not something we conjure up by our efforts.   All of us can relate to once being thorny soil that had other things on our mind or even rocky soil that doesn't want to pay the price of persecution or tribulation and hasn't counted the cost--Jesus warned His followers to "count the cost."

In this parable, the sower is the same, the seed is the same, and the soil is the same; what is different is the condition of the soil and this is the responsibility of the recipient.  The sower sows wherever he has the opportunity or sees an open door.  Only in so-called  "good soil" does the seed germinate and take root to go on and bear fruit.  Why is fruit important?  John the Baptist said, "Bear fruits in keeping with repentance..." (Luke 3:8).   "By their fruits, you shall know them."  Jesus "appointed [us] that [we] should go and bear fruit and that [our] fruit should abide..." (John 15:16).  We should "bear much fruit and prove to be [His] disciples." (This fruit is the outcome of our lives for Christ, doing good deeds foreordained for us and not the fruit of the Spirit since the listeners of Jesus knew nothing of this and the Spirit was not yet given!)

I am of the persuasion that faith without works is dead and without fruit, there is no faith--true faith produces fruit and this fruit is good works (though converts is a good work, it is not the only one); we are not saved by good works, but we are not saved without them either-without works our faith is suspect.  There may be Christians who don't amount to much and may end up with no reward according to 1 Cor. 3:15 where they are saved, as if by fire, but they do produce some fruit and end up losing or forfeiting their reward.   The condition of the soil is up to us and we are culpable for soil that is unresponsive to the gospel and has no place for the Word in our lives.

Lots of people are superficial and initially believe the Word of Christ, but don't have genuine saving faith, having good intentions, but poor follow-through.  The purpose of this parable is to show three types of recipients to the general call of the gospel when we preach or evangelize and why they don't accept our message.  It is meant to encourage us to sow a seed and that some will inevitably fall on good or tilled soil.   Hearing the Word is not sufficient, one must be obedient to the gospel and go on to follow the Lord as His disciple.  Soli Deo Gloria!

What Is A Significant Prayer?

The most perfect and ideal prayer we can make is to commend ourselves unto God's care, let His will be done in a prayer of relinquishment, and have the faith to mean it when we say, "Amen!"  We must dismiss the notion that we can change God, but let successful prayer change us.

Jesus rebuked the vain repetitions of the Pharisees and the meaningless long-winded prayers they were wont to do, then He formulated the Lord's Prayer because the disciples asked Him "Lord, teach us to pray," of all things to want to learn.   This prayer was never meant to be a recital or vain repetition, but the answer to the question, "How shall we pray?" (not "What shall we pray?).  It is never wrong to go through the petitions and pray them as long as one comprehends it and meditates on it while doing it.  Therefore, everything we need to know about prayer is in this paradigm or framework Jesus gave us if we understand and apply it rightly.  The vital link is, "How big is our God?" because this affects our prayer life and our faith in the answers--that is why it is said, "Be it done unto you according to your faith."

God's name or reputation is holy and worthy of praise; for He exalts above all things His name and His Word (Psalm 138:2).   Prayer, by definition, is communion or communication with the Almighty and that means it is two-way--not just us doing all the talking.  We have to learn to listen like Samuel who prayed, "Speak LORD, for your servant hears." The more we listen, the more we hear; we must practice this fervently because hearing God, as well as a prayer to Him are like muscles one must exercise to be fit--we don't want to become unfit or turn a deaf ear to God by negligence or because we are remiss or derelict doing our part.  

The book of Job says that God speaks to man, but he doesn't hear.  God always speaks to me when I read the Scriptures because I have trained myself in this discipline.   Sometimes God has much to say and we do all the talking.  One way God speaks to us is by verses we have committed to memory, something a believer told us in edification, or some circumstance.  Being cognizant of His control or providence shows our faith and how we will interpret the answers.

Psalm 100:4 says to "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, enter His courts with praise."  For the LORD "inhabits the praises of His people" according to Psalm 22:3.  The essence of prayer is communication and to change us, not change the unchangeable one!  The purpose of prayer is prayer--we should love to touch base with God and stay in fellowship with Him by keeping short accounts of our sins and confessing them ("If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the LORD would not have listened," says Psalm 66:18)  and we should "pray without ceasing," which means that we keep the conversation going (our attitude and fellowship) as Brother Lawrence, the humble cook in a monastery, did in the 16th century when he wrote The Practice of the Presence of God, which is a classic on the continuity of daily fellowship  in our labors.

When we do corporate or public prayer one goal is to be a witness to others and teach them how to pray and be an example; and, if possible, to convert any unbeliever by our witness.  All prayer should be in the power of the Spirit, as it says in Jude 21:  "Pray in the Spirit."  We should strive to put our hearts into our prayers, but sincerity is not everything if we ask amiss or are wrong.  Just because we can put a lot of emotion into it is no guarantee that God will answer affirmatively.  Prayer is, in summation, acknowledging God for who He is and what He has done; thanking Him for what He has done, and praising Him for who He is.  The better we know God, the better our prayers.

 When we pray we should think of putting on Christ and assuming our role and position as a son of God and having the authorization to use Christ's name and permission to call the Most High our Father--the angels don't have this authority and power to influence God--remember prayer is the ordained means that God uses to accomplish His will and we are acting as vessels of honor, being used for His glory.   This implies intimacy and the more we pray, the closer we get to God--if we don't pray much, it is because we probably don't believe God is listening or answering our prayers.

Finally, our prayers are in the power enabling the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who puts our feeble words and baby talk or lisping into groans too deep for words to the Father. "For we know not how to pray as we ought, but the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us."   We go to the top in our prayer, the Most High, who is the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He has an open-door policy, which means we are always welcome and God is never inconvenienced.

We should think of the attributes of God when we pray:  His greatness or awesomeness (nothing is too great, nor too small for God--they are all small); His sovereignty (we can be assured that He is in control and we are on the winning side); God is omnipotent or almighty (nothing too big for God--"Is anything too hard for Me?" says the LORD in Jeremiah 32:17);  God is eternal and everlasting (He has all the time in the world to answer our prayer and time is no object, because He is not bound, defined, limited, nor in the time/space continuum that we are slaves to--this means God knows the future from the past and can forgive our sins past, present, and future as an example.   God is worthy of praise, worship is essentially "worth-ship" because only God is worthy to be worshiped--we can't praise God too much, in fact, there is power in praise!

Prayer is where the action is and is the acid test or the so-called litmus test of our spiritual relationship. Many people have weak prayer life because they take themselves too seriously; we should pray as we can and not as we can't.  It is a trick in prayer to learn to pray the Word and claim its promises.   It is not to be seen as a duty but as a glorious calling and honor. Learn to be sensitive to the inner voice of the Holy Spirit and the promptings He will give.  God does speak; it's just that man doesn't listen.  "Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it"  (Job 33:14).   In sum, the greatest prayer is one of relinquishment, uttering in the manner of Jesus, "Thy will be done!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Answering the Mystics

In reference to believers who claim an inside track or hear God's voice: I suggest this disclaimer, I do not doubt the validity of these episodes nor the veracity of the witnesses to God's audible voice, but what I question is, is their motives and spiritual maturity.  Mystics are those who interpret God's Word or His will by their experiences rather than their experiences by the Word of God.  There are flaky Christians out there and many seem to get into the act--I have seen many in mental hospitals who hear voices and end up "cured."  We test our experience by the Word, not the Word by our experience.

I used to be in a church where believers  commonly said that "God told them, this or that."  I don't see any precedent in the Scripture that warrants a special class of believer that doesn't need to read the Bible to have God speak to him--and I don't mean having an existential experience like goosebumps, chills down the spine, or a burning in the bosom.  God spoke to Samuel the prophet through the Word as it says in 1 Sam.3:21 as follows:  "...and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word." It seems that the way it works is that we must accept God's Word first and not expect special messages or a special pipeline, as it were, to God, that others don't have.  I am not precluding God's prerogative to speak to us any way He chooses--He can use the air vent if He wills--but He has ordained His Word to be His focus.

The trouble with people speaking to individuals is that they get puffed up as being an elite Christian or a special class of privileged ones.  If we have an experience with God, it is meant to be between us and God and not to brag about as to promote ourselves or seem like we are "closer" to God.  What pleases God is faith, according to Hebrews 11:6:  "For without faith it is impossible to please God."

Now Paul experienced more than any other Christian and had bragging rights you might say, even having been caught up to the third heaven--but he didn't willingly admit this, but was forced to.  God didn't answer his prayer to remove his "thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble and said, "My grace is sufficient for you..."  My conclusion is that some of us have been given great minds and God expects us to use them and we should not compare ourselves with other believers according to 2 Cor. 10:12, nor commend ourselves and feel inferior; we are all individual works of God for His purposes.

I would rather have great faith and a great mind than just have some existential experience or hear "voices" from above--which, by the way, can be duplicated by Satan and some people are really fooled by the voices of spirits and mislead into heresy. It's not wrong to hear from God audibly, but that is not normative, We shouldn't depend upon it nor expect it.  If one hears from God he should be able to quote Him word-for-word and not have any doubts that it is God--does it line up squarely with the Word?

God always confirms His Word--He's not going to tell you some personal message that isn't verified by other witnesses, the Word, or circumstances (cf. Isa. 44:26; Jer. 1:12).  That's the litmus test! Also, Isaiah 8:20 says that if they speak not according to the Word, it is because they have no light in them.  The problem is that they may very well be convinced God spoke to them, but how do we know that?  Soli Deo Gloria!

How To Address The Deity Or The Godhead

I have heard prayers to every kind of deity imaginable as a Christian, having had fellowship with many factions, sects, and denominations.    The Mormons, for instance, like to think of God just as their "Heavenly Father."  They put God in a box, and fail to see Him as Redeemer, Judge, and Counselor as well.  God is multifaceted like a diamond and we shouldn't just see God as "the man upstairs,"  the "Great Spirit in the Sky" or "the Old Man," for instance.  We don't invoke God like the Greek pagans, who said, "O mighty Zeus, judge of the right, protector of the innocent, power behind the lightning bolt, ad infinitum; we don't try to butter up God, but simply call on Him as He gave us the right to do via Jesus' instruction in the Sermon on the Mount.

Suppose one person addressed the president as President so-and-so, another as John, and another as Dad; who do you suppose had the greatest privilege and intimacy?  There is power in knowing God as Father, and we have the right to be called the children of God (John 1:12).  In prayer, how would you feel if someone prayed in the name of the "Man Upstairs?"  Wouldn't it show more respect and intimacy to use Jesus' name?  Angels don't even have this authorization to pray to the Father in the name of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit--which is our formula for prayer,  Let your prayers show your intimacy with the Almighty and not alienation or unfamiliarity.  We go to the top, and the Most High has an open-door policy for us.

"...I write to you dear children because you have known the Father" (1 John 2:14).
"So if you call God your Father..." (1 Pet. 1:7).

God has given us His covenant names to claim and to realize His divine nature, but He loves it when we address Him simply as "[Our] Father" (this is the most honorable appellation He has given us as His children--see 1 John 3:1).  Note:  There is no universal fatherhood of God--only believers can claim God as their  Father.  When Jesus introduced this, it was radical and revolutionary; it was a breakthrough and taking new ground or territory spiritually.  "The Spirit cries out with our spirit, Abba, Father" (Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:15). Per contra popular thought, Abba doesn't mean "Daddy," though abi does.   We have this divine privilege that angels don't have a family!  We are adopted into God's family and born of the Spirit.  If we pray simply:  "O God in heaven," it sounds like we don't know our Lord very well.

Surely God is in heaven, but He is here too! "Am I only a God nearby, and not a God far away?" says Jeremiah 23:23.   He is the "YHWH Shamah" or "the LORD who is there."  Case in point:  "Surely the LORD was in this place and I knew it not."  God is the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord is upon us to pray "in the Spirit" (Jude 20). The formula, I reiterate, and that the Bible sanctions are to pray in the name of the Son, in the power of the Spirit,  to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Note that I am not saying we cannot intersperse other forms of address in our prayer, like LORD God, but the primary focus is on His Fatherhood.

We are to "boldly approach the throne of grace" as Hebrews 4:16 exhorts and have faith.  When we take ourselves too seriously and take our eyes off of Jesus it is hard to penetrate His dimension ("Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise" per Psalm 100:4).   Jesus ushers us into the very throne room of God and we have access and the right to go to the top with God's "open-door policy."  Jeremiah 3:19 says that God was disappointed that Israel didn't call Him "Father"  ("I thought you would call Me Father.") Father is a term of endearment or gesture of intimacy.

When Jesus cried out, "My God, my God," he felt distant from His God and Father. There is no greater honor (every human father is proud to have his son call him Dad and would be insulted if he were called "Mr. so-and-so," or even "Sir");  there is no greater privilege.  We should take advantage of this right and not feel estranged from God anymore.  When we pray we are to "put on the Lord Jesus" and that means to pray as a SON!

In conclusion:  It is not wrong to pray to Jesus or the Holy Spirit (though it is sinful to pray to any saint or invoke the Virgin Mary, which is Mariolatry); but there is little precedent for praying to Jesus (the text in John 14:13-14 is dubious),  or the Holy Spirit it in Scripture and we should really pray as the Lord taught us in obedience.  We are ushered into the dimension of God, His very throne room, and presence, by the virtue of Jesus' redemption on our behalf.

The scriptural formula is expressed in Eph. 2:18, NKJV:  "For through Him we both have access by one spirit to the Father."  Soli Deo Gloria!

Knowing Your God

"If man is not made for God, why is he happy only in God?  If man is made for God, why is he opposed to God?" says Blaise Pascal, quoted by Billy Graham, who calls this our "dilemma." If you've ever felt that God is keeping a low profile like the psalmist in Psalm 89:46, "How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever?"  "...He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him": (Heb. 11:6).  Francis Schaeffer said that Christianity is "about the God who is there."  If you have wondered about this, read on.

Sometimes God seems MIA or missing in action; even Job replied, "Oh that I knew where I might find Him" (Job 23:3). Also in Job:  "Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night?"(Cf. Job 35:10)   We all have at sometimes wondered of the "whereabouts" of God, but James says, "Draw nigh unto God, and He will draw nigh unto thee" (James 4:8).  It is our fault if we don't find Him.  Isaiah says that God conceals Himself, though He reveals Himself:  "Truly You are a God who has been hiding Yourself" (Isaiah 45:15).   God will be found by those who are not even seeking Him too, according to Isaiah 65:1 which says, "I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me: I was found by those who did not seek me."  God doesn't take triflers seriously if you want to really know God.  Your testimony must be:  "I was lost, but now am found."   We do not find God in reality, He finds us!  No one can come close to God and remain unchanged!  "Seek the LORD, and live..." (Amos 5:6).

I quote Daniel 11:32 as follows:  "...but the people who know their God will display strength and take action [other translations render it:  do exploits or firmly resist him, i.e., the opposition]."  To know God is to love God and the highest calling we have is to know God:  "...but let him who boasts, boast in this, that he understands and knows Me..." (Jeremiah. 9:24).  God will authenticate Himself to you because God is no man's debtor.   When we find God--and as Pascal said, "I would not have found Him, had He not first found me,"  We must be prepared for an encounter and reckoning.  How can we know God?  First, we must seek Him with our whole heart-- "Prepare to meet thy God," says Amos 4:12.  This is always true; we never know when or how we will meet and confront our God.

Let us look at the wisdom of Job:  "Acquaint now thyself with Him and be at peace!" (Job 22:21).  It wasn't until Job actually acknowledged God that he was truly humbled and realized his self-righteousness.  Hosea's theme is to know the Lord, even though we are backslidden:  "Let us know the LORD, let us press on to know the LORD" (Hosea 6:3).  God's main peeve against Israel was that there was "no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land" (Hosea 4:1).  What is true worship?  Read Hosea 6:6 which I quote:  "For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

To know God we must seek Him with our whole heart.  Jeremiah 29:13 verifies this:  "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."  Isaiah offers similar advice:  "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near" (Isaiah 55:6).  Hosea says "...For it is time to seek the LORD..." (Hosea 10:12).  In seeking God, He wants us to acknowledge Him and His presence.  One of God's names is YHWH Shammah, or "the LORD who is there, (Ezek. 48:35). Paul says to the Corinthians:  "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells is in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16).

Some people think that everyone is on a mad quest to find God! In reality, they are trying to get the benefits without the Benefactor!  God says that there "is none that seeks Him" (Rom. 3:11).  The search for God begins at salvation, according to R. C. Sproul, not before salvation, because God finds us, who are lost sheep.  Jonathan Edwards proclaimed seeking God as the main business of the Christian life.

The promise that He will be found is in Matthew 7:7 said by Jesus Himself:  "....seek and you shall find...."  "The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him":  (Lamentations 3:25).  Here are two promises:  "If you seek Him He will let you find Him." and "O LORD, You have not forsaken those who seek You"  (Psalm 9:10b).  A warning to the wise is sufficient:  "He did evil because he did not set his heart on seeking the LORD" (2 Chr. 12:14).  Even Hezekiah, the godliest king of Judah, sought the LORD in 2 Chronicles chapter 20 when threatened by Assyria's armies.

If you put God in a box, you will not find Him; you are restricting Him, like saying:  "I  just like to think of God as the Great Spirit in the Sky or as the Heavenly Father, or the Man Upstairs--well do you see what I mean?  We must be willing to acknowledge God for who He is and that means accepting the truth no matter where it leads--you will not ever find the truth if you are not willing to go where the facts lead and admit you could be wrong.

The highest calling we can have is to know God and the most rewarding relationship is our one with Him--if we pass this on to our children in passing the torch we have done our duty as a generation. Knowing God makes you strong in your faith and able "to do exploits" and not falter in faith.  The ultimate goal of knowing God is to be like Him or to be sanctified.  Jesus said, that He came "not to be served, but to serve" (Cf. Mark 10:45)  It is the same with us, in that we will have a servant's heart and realize that true greatness is not in how many people serve you, but in how many people you serve.

God is both transcendent and immanent (distant or removed and near):  "'Am I a God who is near,' declares the LORD, 'And not a God far off?'  'Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?' declares the LORD.  'Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?' declares the LORD." God is not bound by the time-space continuum and confined to our dimensions.

The only relationship that fully satisfies and fully rewarding is one with our Maker (we are made for Him and can only find happiness in Him); and we are like a vacuum that only God can fill, according to Blaise Pascal, and Augustine also said that our hearts have a need that only God can satisfy [paraphrased].   Paul said to the Philippians:  "... that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection..." (Phil. 3:10).   The ultimate questions are:  "How big is your God?"  The answer is that to know Him is to love Him!  The biggest challenge you can give is to live for something bigger than yourself and your concept of God affects this--don't think small, but aim high with God on your side!
Soli Deo Gloria! 

The Definite Atonement

This is one of the most problematic doctrines and one that divides earnest and sincere believers.  As Augustine said, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."  There is room for debate on the doctrine and like eternal security, there are proof-texts for both sides:  Please read on with an open mind.

The issue in question and open to debate is this:  Did the Atonement make possible the salvation of all, or the salvation of the elect certain? Specifically: Is faith a work of man (as Rome and Arminians assert) or the gift of grace?  Or Does God save us, or enable us to save ourselves?  Was Christ's work of redemption accomplished in toto on the cross?   R. C. Sproul has made this the crux of the matter.  It is the issue argued at the Synod of Dort in 1618 that condemned the Remonstrants who objected to the Reformed position, better known as the Calvinist's schema.

To put things in perspective, it is not your grasp of the deeper truths of the Bible, but your personal application that matters:  You must believe that Jesus died and rose again for you personally to be saved.  Remember the hymns:  "Amazing love! how can it be, that thou, my God, shouldst die for me" and "Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me."  "Alas! and did my Savior bleed?  And did my Sovereign die?  Would he devote that sacred head For such a worm as I?" It is not your theory or apprehension of the doctrine of the Atonement that saves you.  I reiterate it takes faith to believe that he not only died but lives in victory for you individually, not to apprehend a doctrine.

As you will see there is a problem in semantics, because both Arminian and Reformed views limit the Atonement in some respect and the terminology limited and unlimited Atonement (sometimes referred to as General Atonement) are insufficient to describe what happens on the cross.  Both sides agree that there is no universal atonement that saves all.  The problem begins with the definition of atonement, which is also translated propitiation and reconciliation and even expiation--it depends upon what you are focusing on: the divine or the human side, the positive and negative aspect, one's righteousness or sin.

Calvinists, or theologians of the "Reformed" tradition, believe in the so-called "limited atonement" [better referred to as "definite atonement" (or particular redemption)--Atonement means satisfaction or to set things right and make amends (between God and man)--because "definite" implies that God has a design or purpose behind what He was doing--He always does!] and this belief in a limited atonement is a misnomer, (Arminians believe in "unlimited atonement" or that Christ's sacrifice covered everyone's sins--note that they were also known as the Remonstrants were condemned at the Synod of Dort in 1618, which created a possibility of salvation for everyone if they believe).  They have limited the Atonement [also in covering every sin but the unpardonable one--that is why unbelievers go to hell!]:  they say that when Christ said "Tetelestai" or "It is finished," [not "I am finished," implying it waited for our cooperation and synergistic effort of ratification by a work of faith] that it wasn't finished completely.  In other words, He wasn't saving anyone, but only making salvation possible; it would have been possible that no one got saved. [This was their articulated position at the Synod of Dort.]

Does God actually have a design and purpose for atonement or not?  Actually, God finished salvation's work on the cross (He didn't say, "I am finished, but "It is finished.") and He ratified it on our behalf as His elect. "Salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9)--i.e., it is not a cooperative venture but completely the work of God who gets all the glory. "The Lord knows those who are His."   You're either limiting the extent (to whom it reaches) or the purpose of the Atonement.  God doesn't leave anything to chance.  Einstein said, "God doesn't play dice with the universe."

I postulate that Christ's atonement is sufficient for everyone who has faith in Christ, and no one can claim that they are on the "wrong list," as it were.  "Greater love has no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends."  "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."  You are either limiting the extent of the atonement (for whom) or its sufficiency and adequacy.  What they commonly assert is that the atonement is "sufficient for all, but efficient for some" or taking effect for the elect only--saying we receive or accept God's salvation to certify or complete it. We must personally appropriate His substitutionary sacrifice on our behalf.

If it avails for all, then you have a proof-text for universalism, as 1 John 2:2 (NIV)  proclaims:  "For He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world." This verse actually means that Christ's atonement is sufficient for the sins of the whole world and ipso facto no one has an excuse because of it--specifically, salvation is not just for the Jews, who thought it was just for them.  But Christ died "...that he might taste death for everyone"  (Heb. 2:9).

The omniscience of God assures us that God knows those who are His and who will believe and who wouldn't believe. We are limiting God by saying that He waits for our ratification to complete the work.  God doesn't just see ahead who will be saved and elect them (prescient view) but elects us unto faith.  "For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:39).  If we study Rom. 8:29-30 to study the golden chain of redemption we can see that all that God calls get saved ("And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he justified."), and this is not the case with us, because the general call we give in evangelizing sometimes falls on deaf ears. as opposed to God's inner call that never gets rejected because of irresistible grace, and Christ gets rejected.

We are assured that anyone who believes or has genuine saving and living faith will be saved.  The only thing standing in the way of a believer is his lack of faith in receiving the free gift of eternal life in Christ by grace.  No one will be able to blame Christ for their condemnation!  Let me conclude that no one is saved by their theory of the Atonement;  There are indeed pious believers on both sides of this issue.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Are We Robots?

Arminians (those who believe in absolute, free will, and its ability to freely choose God apart from His intervention or grace) deny Providence and the absolute sovereignty of God because they believe it makes us robots or chatty dolls that God just wound up and run according to His will.  I believe in predestination, but not coercion or determinism (that God forces us with an exterior force to do something we don't want to or intend to do).  Our salvation is "ultimately in God's hands," they say, and God chooses us, we don't choose Him (cf. John 15:16).  No one would ever choose Christ if God hadn't intervened on his behalf and "by grace he believed" (cf. Acts 18:27).  Jesus made the "hard saying" that "no one can come to the Father unless the Father ... draws him..."  (John 6:44).  Many who heard this, "no longer walked with Him."

Our thoughts and intentions are our own and we are culpable for them--the Bible reveals our thoughts and intentions (cf. Heb. 4:12).  We are culpable even for our thoughts because Jesus internalized sin  (anger is like murder and lust is comparable to adultery), saying that it originated in the evil heart of man (cf.  "...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, "and  "...for out of the heart come evil thoughts"--Matt. 15:11;19).  God's sovereignty is not limited by our freedom or actions--if God is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all--He must, by definition, be sovereign overall, or He is not God--not even one molecule in the universe can be out of control!  God micromanages the universe in other words!  Recall Joseph saying to his brothers:  "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good" (Gen. 50:20).

We are indeed culpable for our actions and thoughts in spite of the fact that God is allowing it to happen or directing it for some higher purpose--you only need look at the crucifixion and its evil that God had planned (cf. Acts 2:23; 4:28).  In legal matters it is important what a person's intentions are, despite the result; God does the same in judging us.  But sincerity is not everything; People don't get saved because they meant well or were "sincerely wrong."

The working together of our actions, good and evil, with God's overall plan, is called concurrence and it is none of our business what God's intentions are or what He is doing:  "...None can hold back His hand or say to Him, "What are You doing?'"  (Dan. 4:35).    God doesn't have to explain Himself to us; we need to explain ourselves to Him!    (Cf. Job not being answered but just humbled.)  Soli Deo Gloria!

Can We Claim All God's Promises?

Modern-day evangelicalism believes that there are over 5,000 promises at last count in the Bible that can be appropriated by the believer by a so-called "name-it-and-claim-it" theology.  This is rampant and leads to "prosperity theology" that teaches that it is always God's will for the believer to be prosperous (what is meant by true prosperity is that one is blessed by God in his endeavors and they bring forth fruit) and for the Christian to be blessed in a material way.  2 Cor. 1:20 is often quoted to raise the issue:  "For all the promises of God are "Yes" in Christ..."  Or: "For, no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ."  This really means that Christ has fulfilled all the promises and according to Joshua  23:14 all of God's promises have been fulfilled (past tense); not one has failed!  God keeps His Word on account of Christ.

One thing about promises is that some appear to be and aren't, e.g., in  Proverbs, where there are just many wise pithy sayings or observations, such as if you work hard you will be rewarded with wealth. (Cf. Prov. 10:22 which reads, "The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it").  Many promises are conditional and we must meet the condition:  For example, "Delight thyself in the Lord, and He will give thee the delights of thine heart."  Some are exclusively intended for the nation of Israel and not the church per se.   Some are individualistic, like to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or David. Some are for all mankind, like to Adam, who represents all mankind and is the head of the race.

One very popular verse that is often quoted out of context and intended for Israel in captivity that He will restore them and bless them as a nation again is Jeremiah 29:11, which is so often quoted as follows:   "I know the plans that I have for you, says the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope."  God's Plan for some of His directive will is to be martyrs or suffer for the kingdom of God and not necessarily find their so-called "city" in this life--for the patriarchs didn't receive what was promised either.  ("For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God"--Heb. 11:10.)   God does indeed have plans for His people and His intentions are good toward us and we have a future and hope for living in Christ--namely, to bring glory to God, live for Christ, and die to self.

But mark these words:  God does prosper many believers (He blesses some in all ways, but all in some ways), but prosperity is not to be looked upon as a sign of God's approbation.  Look at the prosperity of the wicked in Psalm 73 and the rebuke of the rich in the book of Amos!  Psalm 17:14 says that some have their portion in this life.   Some people leave their reward behind, and others go to their reward in heaven.    The only true and valid test of a believer is Christian love in action   (Note Gal. 5:6 as follows:  "...the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.") and the telltale sign is not achieving the American dream or any other material factor-like fame, power, or riches. When we suppose that godliness is a means of financial gain we have missed the boat, however, godliness with contentment is great gain!  (Cf. 1 Tim. 6:5-6.)

CAVEAT:  BEWARE OF REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY THAT SEES THE CHURCH AS THE HEIR TO ALL ISRAEL'S PROMISES.   Soli Deo Gloria!

He That Is Spiritual

I'm borrowing from Lewis Sperry Chafer's 1918 book He That Is Spiritual to make a point.  It used to be believed that you didn't have to make Christ Lord of your life to get saved, but only trust Him as Savior.   Au contraire, you must submit to Him as Lord as well, and accept Him for all that He is--otherwise, you are rejecting Him!

I recently went to a Bible study that an "Arminian" said that there are three kinds of people: unbelievers, carnal Christians, and spiritual Christians  (I sensed this as an urgent and critical issue to address).  My task is to refute this as erroneous thinking because it can lead to many fallacious deductions.  Let's nip this doctrinal credo in the bud!

 Paul said that he could not address the Corinthians (3:1) as "spiritual" but only as "worldly" or "carnal."  "As mere babies in Christ!" They had the "mind of Christ," but were only immature spiritually.  He wasn't creating a new type of believer but reaching out to where they were because a good teacher knows his listeners.  One of the biggest controversies among evangelicals in the '80s was the so-called "easy-believism." (basically assent or acquiescence and not heartfelt faith and the premise that one can "accept Christ" as Savior and not as Lord, thus dichotomizing His offices--we can distinguish them, but not separate them because we must accept them both or we not accepting Him).

A. W. Tozer said, "The Lord will not save those whom He cannot command. He will not divide His offices.  You cannot believe in half-Christ.  We take Him for what He is...."   This is the assumption that salvation is by believing alone apart from any submission to Christ's Lordship, in other words, that salvation is free but it doesn't cost you anything either--salvation is a free (but not cheap) gift to those who "accept Christ" for who He is and what He did on our behalf--discipleship can cost you everything, even the ultimate sacrifice of martyrdom.  This controversy goes back to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the persecuted and martyred Lutheran pastor in Nazi Germany, who proclaimed the effect of "cheap grace."  Salvation is indeed free, but don't call it cheap or easy!

This made a whole new category of Christian known as the carnal believer.  Any believer can be carnal or spiritual at times and need milk at times to restore to fellowship--you are not a different brand of  believer just because you can't handle solid food yet.  "We are all one in Christ."  Just because one is carnal doesn't mean he is a carnal Christian, but that he is a Christian who is carnal!  What can happen with the false category of "carnal Christian" is that a person can be living in sin and say, "Oh, it's all right, I'm a carnal Christian!"  We should treat said person as an unbeliever when we see no fruit, and not let him get away with sin. One of the church's duties is discipline.  "If anyone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness..."  (Gal. 6:1). 

All Christians have the "mind of Christ" (there is no elite type of believer or privileged class) and all have their spiritual eyes opened to understand the spiritual dimension and doctrines of the Bible.  The illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit is at work in all believers.  There are two kinds of sinners: lost and justified (or unsaved and saved)!  Luther said we are at the same time just and sinners (per Gal. 2:17)! Christians aren't really called sinners, but sin even though they are justified in God's eyes and treated as just.  Paul is rebuking the Corinthians for their lack of spiritual growth, and the fact that they are sinning. The believer doesn't practice sin according to 1 John 3:9.  They are behaving like immature believers that don't know anything and Paul must tell them the basics all over again or start from scratch, as it were because they hadn't progressed on their own--does Paul need to feed them the milk of the Word all over again?

The issue should be what is saving faith, not what is easy-believism since that lends itself to semantic problems.   One must believe in the heart, not just intellectual assent, to be sure, and more than just agree to dogma because it is not a credo that saves us, but a person to know!   We need to get to know Jesus, not just a church dogma.  Doctrine is necessary, but not sufficient; it isn't enough and we must live out our faith and translate our faith and creed into deeds.  I have no beef with some believer who loves the Lord, even if there is disagreement on a doctrine--we must accept him who is weak in faith.  The strong need to increase in love and the weak in knowledge.  The Scripture distinguishes between the natural man and the spiritual man.  Unbelievers are natural men and cannot fathom Scriptural truth, because they are blind and dead spiritually, and not quickened by the Holy Ghost in regeneration.   God quickens faith within us and it is a supernatural work that gives God the glory.

We are not given free rein to live in the flesh and to "continue in sin, that grace may abound," but given power in the Spirit to become slaves of righteousness, instead of sin; for our sinning proves our slavery, it doesn't demonstrate our freedom!  It should be noted that Christianity is the only faith that is based on divine accomplishment, not a human achievement.

Faith and repentance are divine works in us (cf. 2 Tim. 2:25; Acts 11:18; Acts 18:27; John 6:29; Phil. 1:29; et al.); they are not pre-salvation works or preparations for us to merit salvation in any way; salvation is not merited by any work and we are not saved by works (faith and repentance are not human works), but by grace alone (sola gratia), through faith alone (sola fide) and in Christ alone (soli Christo); the only question is what we mean by these terms.  Faith is manifested by obedience only and not be lip service alone; faith must be translated into deeds to be real genuine saving and living faith (true faith is not static).     Soli Deo Gloria!