Tag Archives: theology

February 16, 2025 · 10:00

All In the Details

For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: (Exodus 34:14)

Once again I have taken up the challenge to read through the entire Bible. I am using a chronological reading plan on a new, unmarked Bible. I like the chronological system because it helps me keep the historical events (especially through the historical books) in logical order.

My reading, so far, has taken me into the books of Exodus and Leviticus. The first twenty chapters of Exodus are interesting because they detail how God delivered the children of Israel out of Egyptian captivity with His awesome power demonstrated through miraculous plagues specifically aimed at all the Egyptian gods. The tenth and final plague was the death of the firstborn of all the Egyptians both children and cattle. However, the children of Israel were saved by the faith-act of painting their door frames with the blood of a sacrificial lamb.[1] After that, the Egyptians were more than happy to let God’s people go, and they even sent them away with treasures. By the time the children arrived at the Red Sea, Pharaoh changed his mind and he assembled his army to go after them. Trapped between the sea and Egypt’s army, God parted the waters of the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross over on dry land, while placing Himself as a pillar of fire between the Egyptian army and the children of Israel. Once the Israelites were across, God removed Himself so that Pharaoh’s troops could follow in pursuit. When the Egyptians were all in the middle of the Red Sea, God closed the waters in on them and drowned the entire army.[2]

God provided food and water for His people until they arrived at Mount Sinai. There God gave the Ten Commandments in the hearing of all the people. God’s voice terrified the people, and they begged Moses not to let God speak to them but that he intercede for them.[3] They promised they would do everything that God commanded. Not long after that, Moses went up into the mountain to receive the rest of God’s instructions and commandments. He was up on the mountain for forty days and forty nights, and when he descended, he found the people partying in “worship” to a golden calf they had made.[4]

While Moses was up on the mountain, God gave him very specific commandments besides the initial ten. Besides the laws and commandments, God gave very detailed instructions on the construction of the Tabernacle and all implements and furnishings for use in the Tabernacle. These included the golden menorah, the altar of incense, the table of showbread, the Ark of the Covenant, the altar of burnt offering, etc. God specified the materials to be used in making the curtains inside the Tabernacle and the materials to be used in the construction of the outer court, down to how many rings were needed to hang the outer curtain. God gave the dimensions of every single item; no detail is omitted. Then God gave directions for the proper attire for the high priest and the other assistant priests.

The reading becomes very tedious at this point, and it continues on to Leviticus. One might wonder why God includes such minutia in the pages of Scripture. For those of us who are under grace, such detail has little meaning. We have no Tabernacle or Temple as described in which to worship. We do not offer animal sacrifices for every infraction we might commit. Our once-for-all sacrifice was that of Jesus on the cross.[5] We have no need for priests dressed in special apparel to offer sacrifices on our behalf or pray for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus intercedes for us to the Father in heaven.[6] So, why should God include all those dry details for us to read? I could be wrong, but if you are like me, when you come to these pages, you skip right over them in order to get to the good stuff.

Well, I have not skipped these pages, and I have concluded that the reason God gave us all these minute details is precisely so that we understand that He takes the way we worship very seriously. As a matter of fact, at the end of Leviticus 9 and the beginning of Leviticus 10, He proves just how seriously He takes the way we worship. At this time, the Tabernacle had just been erected, and Aaron and his sons were consecrated as priests to minister before the LORD. They had done everything exactly as God had directed. “And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces” (Leviticus 9:23-24, emphasis mine). This was God’s way of saying, “Good job!”

That was good, but what came next was shocking. “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD” (Leviticus 10:1-2, emphasis mine). What! After God gives them an “atta boy,” He kills them for offering “strange fire.” What is all that about?

God had given very specific instructions on the making of the incense which was to be burned on the altar of incense that stood before the holy of holies inside the Tabernacle. That special incense was not to be used for any other purpose. Duplicating the formula for personal use incurred capital punishment. The continuous burning of the incense before the holy of holies (where God’s presence resided) represented the prayers of the people going before the Lord. Furthermore, the incense could only be ignited by coals from the altar of burnt sacrifices that stood outside of the tabernacle. In this case, God had just ignited the burnt offering with His own fire from above.

These two clowns did not think it was such a big deal to get fire from somewhere else. After all, fire is just fire. Right? It was a big deal for God, and He struck them dead on the spot. This is really not much different than Cain’s offering.[7] Cain brought an offering that was not what God required, and God “had not respect” for Cain’s offering.

God takes the way we worship Him seriously. On this side of the cross, we are not obligated to follow any set of rigid “religious” rituals in order to come into the presence of God. However, too often we take our worship of God much too casually. It’s just something we do. It becomes habit; we do it without giving it a second thought. Mostly when we think about “worship,” we think about attending a “worship service” inside a church building. We sing worship songs and listen to a sermon, and then go home to watch a game on TV or go out for lunch.

Actually, worship is so much more than that. The Apostle Paul exhorts us, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2, emphasis mine). The way we conduct our lives from day to day, moment by moment is our “reasonable service” (i.e., “logical worship”). How casually do you conduct your life without giving a second thought to how you are presenting your life to God? God may not strike you dead like Nadab and Abihu, but He does take it seriously.

So, how can we be a pleasing sacrifice to God? Well, for the Christian, that is easy because you have a big advantage. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). You have the Spirit of God in you. So, each morning, when you awake, thank the Lord for a new day, and dedicate the day to Him and all that you do, do for His honor and glory. I promise you will falter and stumble, but you will instantly recognize your fault, you will ask forgiveness, and you will continue on. Paul says, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Well, if you are down on your knees constantly praying, you would never get anything done! That is not what Paul is intending. What he means is that you need to be in a constant attitude of prayer. Talk to God about everything you are doing or plan on doing. He, because His dwelling place is in you, is your best and constant friend. But don’t take that for granted. He is God and you should never forget that. He takes your worship seriously and so should you.

Reader, if this made little sense to you, it is because, while you may know “about” God, you really do not know God. If you would like to know Him, I would encourage you to read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

Notes:

[1]  Exodus 12

[2]  Exodus 13

[3]  Exodus 20

[4]  Exodus 32

[5]  Hebrews 10:6-10

[6]  1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 12:24

[7]  Genesis 4:3-6

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December 31, 2024 · 20:01

Here Comes 2025!

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew 6:33-34)

As I write this, the clock rapidly ticks away the seconds to wind down the year 2024 and zoom into the new year, 2025. When I think of the passage of time, I often contemplate the illusiveness of “the present.” Think about it. Everything we do, every thought we think is instantly in the past the moment we act or think about it. Then, our next move is in the immediate future, which soon becomes our past. The actual “present” is but a nanosecond as we travel through time. We are constantly moving toward the future. What we do in the present, however brief that may be, ultimately affects the future.

Our ultimate future lies in eternity. We have no idea how time will work in eternity. We know God is eternal, without beginning and without end. He is not confined by time. To God, all time is present. However, we, His creation, were created in time, “In the beginning …” (Genesis 1:1), and we exist in time. Will we experience time in eternity as we do here on earth? I do not know. When my mother went to be with the Lord 22 years ago, one of the last things I said to her was, “Mom, don’t worry. When you get to heaven, you will look back and see that we are right behind you.” I do not know for certain, but it seems to me that time, even though for us it will still exist, will somehow be irrelevant; it will all be “now.”

Meanwhile, here we are. The present is determined by how we prepared for the future in the past, however recent or long ago the past was. Jesus offered good advice for preparing for the future. In the negative, He said, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? … Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” (Matthew 6:25, 31). We cannot control what the future will bring. It certainly makes sense to prepare for the unknown, but even then, the future often brings the unexpected. Therefore, Jesus encourages us not to fret over those things. More important than the immediate future is what lies beyond – eternity. Rather than worry about things over which we have no control, Jesus encourages us to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” – i.e., those things which are eternal value. Then He promises, “all these things” – i.e., food, clothing, housing, etc. – will be added unto you, “for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” (Matthew 6:32). God will provide for your needs if you will trust Him.

The year 2024, arguably, has not been a good year. The new year, 2025, promises to be better, or we may look back and remember the good ol’ days of 2024. Donald J. Trump promises to “Make America Great Again.” However, Trump’s enemies want to do all that is in their power to thwart all of his efforts. Will they succeed or will Trump achieve his goals? The world is in turmoil. Russia and Ukraine are at war. The Middle East is a seething caldron of unrest; the puzzle pieces of the prophesied war of Ezekiel 38-39 seem to be falling into place. China boasts that it will take Taiwan and no one can stop it. Violence and rioting plague all of Europe and other places around the world. Will Trump’s presidency make the difference that will bring peace to the world? I have my doubts, but we can hope. The future is unknown except to God, and He ultimately controls the outcome. Therefore, Jesus said, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34). Whatever 2025 brings, those who trust in the Lord will enjoy peace and security in Him. “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes” (Psalm 118:8-9).

The best resolution for 2025 is to prepare for eternity. If you feel insecure about what the future has in store, I would encourage you to place your trust in Christ. Read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

Happy New Year!

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November 3, 2024 · 10:00

Against the Calvinist Doctrine of Election/Predestination

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:31)

For centuries, Baptists have been a “people of the Book.” We believe the Bible is: (1) the true Word of God, (2) inspired by God, i.e., it is God-breathed; the very Word of God – every jot, every tittle, (3) inerrant, i.e., it contains no errors, (4) infallible, i.e., it cannot be proven false. In faith and practice, Baptists have traditionally measured all things against the Word of God. If we want to continue as Baptists, we must continue to hold fast to the Word of God. “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (Psalm 138:2, emphasis mine).

There has crept into the Church an unbiblical, and one could argue, an ungodly doctrine or teaching. It comes in the guise of “Reformation Theology.” At the center of Reformation Theology is the Calvinistic doctrine of “election” or “predestination.” This doctrine teaches that God, before Creation, “pre-selected” or “elected” those whom He would save; those that are not elected are condemned to Hell. This doctrine teaches that Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross was sufficient only for the “elect;” Jesus did not die for ALL. Those who teach this doctrine reason: “If Jesus died for all, and not all are saved, then Jesus’ sacrifice was ineffective, and that cannot be.” They continue: “If God loves all and not all are saved, then God’s love is ineffective and that also cannot be. “Therefore,” they conclude, “Jesus did not die for all and God does not love all.” Thus, Jesus died only for the elect and only the elect are saved. The preceding is a quote from John Owen, a seventeenth-century Puritan and comes under the heading of “Unconditional Election,” the second point in the five points of Calvinism. It is the “U” in the acrostic T.U.L.I.P. It goes hand-in-hand with the “L,” which is “Limited Atonement,” i.e., salvation is limited to the “elect” alone. There are gross errors with the other three points, but these two approach the realm of heresy.

As good Baptists, we must also be good Bereans. “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. (11) These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:10-11, emphasis mine). Man’s wisdom must be measured against the plumbline of Scripture. So, what does Scripture say? Does God save only those He pre-selected before time began? Do individuals have anything to do with their salvation? The Calvinist would say, “No.”

Does God grant man moral autonomy and the free will to choose or reject His grace-gift of salvation?  “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27, emphasis mine). Man is not equal to God. Man does not possess the three omni’s of God (omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence). However, the image of God carries with it many of the attributes of God albeit to a much lesser degree: Intelligence, Reason, Creativity, Emotions, the Ability to love selflessly, Sense of morality, The will to direct one’s own actions, i.e., free will, etc. The ability to exercise free will was tested in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2-3). The Bible offers many examples of God giving man opportunities to exercise his free will to choose

  • Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live (emphasis mine).
  • Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (emphasis mine).
  • Psalm 34:22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate (emphasis mine).
  • Psalm 95:6-8 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. (7) For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, (8) Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: (cited in Hebrews 3:7-8, 15, emphasis mine)
  • Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool (emphasis mine).
  • Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (7) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon (emphasis mine).
  • Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart (emphasis mine).
  • Ezekiel 3:27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house (emphasis mine).
  • Ezekiel 18:20-23 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. (21) But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. (22) All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. (23) Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? (emphasis mine)
  • Ezekiel 18:27-28 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. (28) Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die (emphasis mine).
  • Ezekiel 18:30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin (emphasis mine).
  • Ezekiel 33:19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby (emphasis mine).
  • Joel 2:12-13 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: (13) And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil (emphasis mine).
  • Amos 5:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live (emphasis mine).
  • Zechariah 1:3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts (emphasis mine).
  • Malachi 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? (emphasis mine).
  • Matthew 10:32-33 (Also: Luke 12:8-9) Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. (33) But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven (emphasis mine).
  • Matthew 11:28-29 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls (emphasis mine).
  • Mark 16:15-16 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (16) He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (emphasis mine).
  • Luke 15:17-19, 24 [The prodigal son] And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! (18) I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, (19) And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants … (24) [The father says:] For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry (emphasis mine).

God is not willing that ANY should perish:

  • Deuteronomy 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: (emphasis mine).
  • Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else (emphasis mine).
  • Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all (emphasis mine).
  • Ezekiel 18:23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? (emphasis mine).
  • Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (emphasis mine).
  • Matthew 18:11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost (emphasis mine).
  • Matthew 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish (emphasis mine).
  • Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost (emphasis mine).
  • John 3:15-18 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (16) For God so loved the world [κόσμος], that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world [κόσμος] to condemn the world [κόσμος]; but that the world [κόσμος] through him might be saved. (18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (emphasis mine).
  • John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life (emphasis mine).
  • John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day (emphasis mine).
  • John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me (emphasis mine).
  • John 12:46-48 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. (47) And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. (48) He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day (emphasis mine).
  • Acts 17:26-27 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; (27) That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: (emphasis mine).
  • Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (emphasis mine).
  • Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God (emphasis mine).
  • Romans 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
  • Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
  • 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

There are many, many more. I have a list of 191 verses and passages that contradict the unbiblical doctrine of election.

Do Calvinists support their doctrine with Scripture? Yes, but so do Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and other cults like those of Jones’ Town and David Koresh. Satan himself used (or misused) Scripture in tempting Jesus (Matthew 4 and Luke 4). Satan’s strategy is as old as Creation: “Yea, hath God said…” (Genesis 3:1). Some of the passages employed by Calvinists fall apart upon close examination.

  • Romans 8:28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
    • We have already established that God calls ALL, but not all respond.
    • “His purpose” is that “the called” be “conformed to the image of His Son.”
    • God “foreknew” those who would respond.
    • Leighton Flowers calls attention to the past tense in vv. 29-30 which actually point to O.T. saints who were “previously known” by God are the ones (in this passage) that are predestined.[1]
    • Those who were foreknown were (past tense) predestined, called, justified and glorified.
  • Romans 9 is also used in support of the Calvinist election doctrine. In context, Paul is lamenting over Israel’s lost condition.
    • Romans 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
    • Paul here quotes Malachi 1:2-3 I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, (3) And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness (emphasis mine).
    • Malichi is referring to Israel (Jacob) and Edom (Esau), the nations, not the individual brothers from whom they descended.
    • Calvinists will use this chapter to demonstrate God’s absolute sovereignty.
    • However, in context, Paul is expressing God’s sovereignty over nations, not individuals.
    • The chapter closes with Romans 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
    • That contradicts what the Calvinist attempted to defend in the preceding verses.
    • Romans 9 is followed by Romans 10 which further contradicts their claim.
    • Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
    • Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
  • Ephesians 1:4-14 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (7) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (8) Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; (9) Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: (10) That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (11) [Christ] In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (12) That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. (13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory (emphasis mine).

There are more passages that Calvinists use (but not that many). Some seem to support what Calvinists claim. Often, Calvinists will impose human wisdom on the text to make it say what they want it to say. “Ye shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:4) However, the few passages employed by them DO NOT outweigh the greater amount of Scripture that contradict their view. God is not the Author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

The Bible is sufficient on its own. It does not need human support to interpret what God has clearly spoken. God is Love. Christ died for All. All who believe are saved. All who are saved are “elect.” Any teaching or doctrine that contradicts that is anathema.

Notes:

[1]  Leighton Flowers, The Potter’s Promise: A Biblical Defense of Traditional Soteriology, (Trinity Academic Press, 2017), p. 92.

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October 6, 2024 · 10:00

Be A Berean

[The Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11)

Have you noticed how many churches, especially large mega churches, have compromised on basic biblical teaching? Many churches are going “woke” by tolerating deviant sexual behavior (LGBTQ+), teaching health and wealth theology, promoting the social gospel, supporting the pro-abortion agenda, ordaining woman pastors, declaring the Old Testament of the Bible null and void, and so on. Those are just some of the more obvious falsehoods, but some false teachings are much more subtle.

What surprises me (perhaps it shouldn’t) is how regular churchgoers accept whatever is fed to them without protest. To a certain degree, I understand their lack of awareness. I am retired now, but there was a time when I was busy working and making a living to support a family. I had many distractions then, as I am sure many folks do now. Of course, back then we did not have all those handheld devices that only add to our distractions making us all more than a little scatterbrained. So, when it comes to the things of God or the Bible, we tend to depend on the “experts” to tell us what’s what. After all, we assume that they know about all things biblical and godly because they have been educated in those subjects. So, we trust our religious leaders not to lead us astray.

One of Paul’s stops on his second missionary journey, after spending some time in Thessalonica, was the city of Berea. The text (Acts 17:10-12) does not specify, but Paul’s practice was to go to the Jewish synagogues first and then to the Gentiles. Again, the text does not specify, but apparently, these Bereans were Jews, because they had access to the Scriptures. (I assume Gentiles were not familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures.) The Bereans were notable in that the Holy Spirit inspired Luke to point out their diligence not taking Paul at his word, but they “searched the scriptures daily [to see] whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). Their diligence to “search the Scriptures” inspired Paul to write to the Corinthians, “I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say” (1 Corinthians 10:15, emphasis mine). To the Thessalonians, he wrote, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). In essence, Paul is saying, “Be a Berean; search the Scriptures daily.”

The only answer for unbiblical teaching in our churches is for churchgoers to critically listen to their teachers and weigh their words against the Word of God. Do not assume that what your teachers teach is true, biblical doctrine simply because they have a degree from an accredited seminary. I know; you have too many other distractions that get in the way, and you do not have the spare time for deep Bible study. I suggest you rearrange your priorities. It is not enough to hear it from the pulpit or discuss it in Sunday School once a week.  God holds you, not your preachers, responsible for consuming your personal spiritual nutrition. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Prefer the meat of God’s Word to the candy passed out from the pulpit. I am not accusing all pastors/teachers of unbiblical teaching, but you are still responsible for holding them accountable to the Word of God. Be a Berean!

Personally, I battle the unbiblical doctrine of “election” as taught by those in the Reformed (Calvinist) Theology camp. I have written about it:

I confronted my former pastor and elders about teaching this unbiblical doctrine. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, I cracked my old systematic theology textbook and boned up on soteriology (the study of salvation/atonement). I learned that the early church fathers did not teach “election” in the same way that Calvinists do. That teaching did not come about until more than 1000 years later from John Calvin. What I learned from my textbooks was good, but it was not The Book. So, I started from Genesis and read through to Revelation. To date, I found more than 169 (and counting) Bible verses and passages that clearly support God’s grace in giving individuals the ability to choose to follow Him or reject Him. Compared to a handful of verses Calvinists use to support their doctrine buttressed only by the flawed human logic of Calvinist authors. Proper hermeneutic demands that Scripture be compared to Scripture (not the works of men). The weight of 169 verses compared to 15 or less (most of those having alternative interpretations) should make clear to anyone that the Calvinist doctrine of election fails to hold water. So, why is it taught? It is because those who teach it are not Bereans. They have taken the word of man over the Word of God. To the church in Colossi, Paul wrote, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8, emphasis mine).

So, what do you do if you find yourself under the tutelage of a false teacher? First, you must be a Berean. Compare what is being taught to what the Word of God really says. Yes, I realize that takes effort. However, the perspicuity of Scripture makes it clear and simple to understand. God made His Word easy to understand so that the common man can understand it; sadly, it is the overly educated that make it complicated. Second, once you have searched the Scriptures, bring your complaint to your brother, the pastor/teacher. If you cannot convince him of his error, take another like-minded brother with you. If that does not convince him, then bring it before the church. That is the biblical method of resolving disagreements. If none of that works, Paul says, “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us” (2 Thessalonians 3:6, emphasis mine). The Apostle John offers a similar exhortation: “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4, emphasis mine). Bottom line: be a Berean.

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July 14, 2024 · 10:00

More On Election

For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. (Ezekiel 18:32)

I could say that I have been a Baptist all of my life having been born on a Sunday morning at 10:00 AM, just in time for Sunday School. However, being a Baptist does not equate to eternal salvation; that happened to me six years later when I listened to and internalized the message that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). That being the case, I understood that if my little six-year-old self were to die, I was bound for hell. I also understood that while “the wages of sin is death” (i.e., hell), “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The only requirement to receive the “gift” was to “confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus” and “believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). I was assured that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). I was a “whosoever,” and I had a choice to make. I could confess, believe, and call the name of the Lord and be saved, or continue on in my six-year-old ways and not believe. The choice was mine.

I thank God that His Holy Spirit convicted me of my need to call out to Him to be saved. I did not know then nor since that I was destined from before creation for salvation. That idea has always been foreign to me. I have witnessed to many and led some (I’m sure) to the Lord. In my testimony, I always assured my listener, that the choice was theirs alone.

As I said, I have been a Baptist (of the Southern Baptist variety) all of my life, and a born-again Christian for 68 of those years. In all of that time, the concept of “election” applied to those who were born-again by placing their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I knew of the concept of election, i.e., “predestination” as taught by denominations with Calvinist leanings (like Presbyterians) and some “reformed” denominations, but not Baptists. All Baptists I’ve ever known – and here I am referring to pastors or Bible and theology professors – claimed to be either two or three-point Calvinists, which, when distilled, equate to 4-point Armenian with the exclusion of the possibility of “falling from grace.”

As I noted in my last article, “Chose or Chosen? (Rev. 1),” some Christian brothers believe and teach the concept of election/predestination as taught by Calvinists. They believe that God, before Creation, determined those who would be saved. While they will deny that God has predestined those that remain – the unelected ones – to hell, the outcome is the same, i.e., God predestines some to salvation and others to damnation. Not only is that on its face repugnant in light of a loving God who is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), but it has no basis in Scripture.

In my article, I listed more than 80 New Testament verses supporting our free will in choosing to accept God’s free gift of salvation and only 15 verses that seem to support predestination. Of those 15 verses, half of them were speaking of the predestined purpose of those who were elect, i.e., to be conformed to the image of Christ.

The difference in view prompted me to seek answers in my systematic theology textbook.[1]There it became obvious that the early church fathers did not hold the doctrine of election in the sense of predestination. Polycarp and Ignatius, who were disciples of the last Apostle, John, and Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp, did not hold the doctrine of election. They taught that Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, however, only those who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior can be saved. Many of the later church fathers held the same view. It was not until a thousand years later (1509), when John Calvin came on the scene, that this doctrine of election/predestination took root. It seems to me that those in closer proximity to the apostles would have the best understanding of the atoning work of Christ than someone coming along a thousand years after.

The answer is clear to me; the Calvinist doctrine is flawed. I would not say these brothers are lost. They still teach that one must confess Jesus as Lord and Savior in order to be saved, and that belief is essential for salvation. They just have the curious idea that they were selected for salvation before time began.

I follow the teachings of a man on YouTube by the name of Ken Johnson, Th.D. He also has a website: BibleFacts.org. Ken has done extensive research on the Dead Sea Scrolls having translated many of them into English. His books are available on his website. Anyhow, as I listened in on one of his teachings dealing with the Essenes, a sect of Judaism that existed at the time of Christ, Ken talked about a group of Egyptian Essenes from which the gnostic doctrine of predestination sprang. Ken wrote a book on the topic, The Gnostic Origins of Calvinism.[2]

I wasted no time ordering and reading through the book (just over 100 pages). I learned that at the time of Jesus, there were actually two groups of Essenes: those who lived in the Qumran and who gave us the Dead Sea Scrolls, and a different group that lived in Egypt. The exact place where this second sect existed is not known for certain, however, it is thought to be at Canopus in Egypt.[3] “These Egyptian Essenes mixed many of the rites of magic and paganism into a Jewish context. Like most who deny the resurrection of the physical body, these Egyptian Essenes ended up believing in reincarnation, evolution, and predestination based on the doctrine of emanations” (emphasis mine).[4] Ken points out that Simon Magus – the Simon of Acts 8:9-24 who wanted to purchase the power of giving the Holy Spirit – according to Irenaeus, was the father of the Gnostic cults.

The Gnostics had many strange beliefs, but among them was the idea of predestination. “Gnosticism taught that there are thirty aeons (gods) that exist in the Pleroma, outside time and space.[5] Sophia, created the demiurge, a creator angel (the God of the Old Testament) who was a tyrant; and being unaware of the aeons, thought he was the only God. He created man; but Sophia gave man a spirit[6] … Gnostics have spirits that are emanations from Sophia. This makes them predestined to be saved. It is imposable [sic] for them to lose their salvation. It does not matter if their behavior is good or evil.”[7]

“The father of church history, Eusebius, mentions John Mark came to Alexandria, Egypt,[8] and established the first church there. As it began to grow, persecutions came and Mark was killed by pagans. Shortly thereafter, some of the Egyptian Essenes mixed strict Christan doctrine with their Jewish/pagan rites. These Gnostics called themselves the Therapeute.”[9] This doctrine of predestination has been around since the founding of the Church, but it was totally rejected by the early church fathers.

Fast forwarding to John Calvin (get Ken Johnson’s book to fill in the blanks), he “used his skill in law to find historical documents that might legally weaken Rome’s hold on the [Catholic] people. He found nothing until he went all the way back to the writings of Augustine. He understood that if he could remove the unpalatable Gnostic doctrines from the writings of Augustine, the Manicheans, and the Valentinian Gnostics, and just use their idea of predestination, it would destroy the Pope’s hold on the people. The Pope of Rome could not send anyone to hell or insure [sic] their salvation if they were already predestined for heaven or hell, especially if that predestination could never be changed. Calvin published his first edition of The Institutes of the Christian Religion  in AD 1536.”[10]

Here are just some quotations from the early church fathers cited by Ken Johnson:

God only blinds the minds of those who chose not to believe and have already rejected Him. In Romans [Chapter 1], those who would not retain God in their knowledge He gave over to a reprobate mine. In 2 Thessalonians [Chapter 2], to those who did not receive the love of the truth, strong delusion is sent to believe the lie. God knows the number of those who will not believe, since He foreknows all things, has given them over to unbelief. – Irenaeus, Against Heresies 4.29 (emphasis mine)

Man has the ability to distinguish good from evil. He has the power by his own free will to perform God’s commandments. This is taught in Romans [Chapter 2]. God does not compel people to salvation, so those who have apostatized have done so through their own fault. God allows them to blind themselves. – Irenaeus, against heresies 4.29 (emphasis mine)

The ability to freely choose salvation is a gift given by God. True faith produces repentance. – Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 2.4

Paul [Romans 3:10-18] refers to those Jews and Gentiles who blind themselves. No one is born this way. – Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.19 (emphasis mine)

The church is being predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. – Irenaeus, Against Heresies 4.37 (emphasis mine)

God made man a free agent from the beginning. This is the ancient law of human liberty, for there is no coercion with God. In man, as well as in angels, He has placed the power of choice. The Gnostic teaching that some men are born good and others are born bad is wrong. Everyone has the power to reject the gospel. God has free will and we do, too, because we are made in His image. God preserved the will of man free and under his own control. We will be brought to perfection in the resurrection. Irenaeus, Against Heresies 4.37 (emphasis mine)

Johnson lists many more citations, but these, I think, should suffice to make the point – the early church fathers did not agree with the Calvinist (Gnostic) view of predestination and held to the doctrine that human beings have a free will to choose or reject God’s free gift of salvation. They also taught that Jesus died for the sins of all mankind – past, present, and future – and that His sacrifice is sufficient for all, but efficient only for those who believe.

 As I said in the beginning, I have been a (Southern) Baptist all of my life. Ken pointed something out that may be the reason I am faced with this conflict between election and free will. “The Southern Baptist Convention was originally Calvinist. However, toward the beginning of the twentieth century it became Arminian (not Pelagian) in theology. There is a growing movement inside of the Southern Baptist Convention, however, pushing it to go back to Hyper-Calvinism.”[11] This is probably an overreaction to the growing liberalism within the Convention. Of course, most overreactions to correct one wrong usually move too far in the opposite direction and create a wrong in the other direction. As the old adage says, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

Let me reiterate, those who hold this skewed view of election are not lost themselves. They are not heretics.  They are my brothers in Christ. John Calvin was a good, godly man who was battling the heresies of the papacy and the Roman Catholic Church. He was a Reformer. However, neither he nor any other man who followed in his footsteps was or is infallible. Only the Word of God is infallible. As we study the works of any good, godly man, we need to carefully line up their words against the words of Scripture.

In his book, Dr. Ken Johnson provided a short list of high-profile Bible teachers who teach Calvinist doctrine: Alistair Begg, Al Mohler, C.J. Mahaney, J.I. Packer, John MacArthur, Jr., Mark Driscoll, Tim Keller, R.C. Sproul, Sr., Robert Schuller, Wayne Grudem.[12] I would not discourage anyone from reading the teachings of these men. I would only make you aware of their Calvinist leanings and encourage you to measure their teachings by the plumbline of God’s Holy Word.

Notes:

[1]  Gorden R. Lewis and Bruce A Demarest, Integrative Theology, Volume Two, (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1990), pp. 371-382.

[2]  Ken Johnson, Th.D., The Gnostic Origins of Calvinism,  available on Amazon.

[3]  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12557736/#:~:text=The%20Essenes%20were%2C%20allegedly%2C%20the,Lake%20Mareotis%20they%20were%20settled.

[4]  Johnson, p. 9. Ken’s note on “emanations” – This is the idea that a little piece of God is in each human being. It is found in the Kabbalah but denied by orthodox Jews and Christians.

[5]  Johnson, p. 14, citing Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.1-3

[6]  Ibid, Against Heresies 1.5

[7]  Johnson, p. 14.

[8]  Alexandria, Egypt is one of the places from which the “older and better” Greek texts from which all modern Bibles are translated. These were Gnostic texts that the early church rejected. They are “older and better” because they were better preserved for their lack of use.

[9]  Johnson, p. 15.

[10]  Ibid, p. 27.

[11]  Ibid, p. 44

[12]  Ibid. p. 44-45

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