Category Archives: Theology

The Justice of God


In my last post, Are We Justified by Actions or by Beliefs? which was in response to the post prior to it, Will Atheists go to Hell? I received further comments from a couple of atheists questioning the goodness and justice of God in sending people away to eternal punishment.  I will attempt to answer their objections here.

I wrote, “If my justification depended on my actions I (and everyone else) would be doomed to damnation.”

Morsec0de wrote, “Doesn’t that suggest too high of a standard?”

My response:

Yes! That’s the whole point of the biblical tension between  law and grace.  Logically, one leads to the other.  Here are a few biblical facts about the law of God: Continue reading →

Are We Saved by Belief or by Actions?


In my last post where I related a conversation with my daughter concerning the eternal fate of atheists who persist in their belief system, I received a few respectful responses from fellow bloggers of the atheistic worldview.  I decided to place my reply in a post because the commenter asked several good questions and I thought my response was a little long for the comment section.  The gentleman takes issue with the concept of God’s judgment being based on belief rather than action.  He asks:

“Are you okay with people being judged on belief rather than actions? Are you comfortable with that? Does it seem just to you?”

My reply follows: Continue reading →

Four Views of Salvation Throughout Church History


Theological Position

God’s Contribution in Salvation

Man’s Contribution in Salvation

Pelagianism

Non-Essential – other than granting the grace of free will and the revelation of his commandments that man may know how to please him.

Total. Gains God’s favor with his wise free will choice and strict obedience to the commandments.

Semi-Pelagianism

Secondary. Responds to man’s initiative to repent and believe the gospel.

Primary. Must take initiative to repent and believe the gospel.

Arminianism

Primary. A special act of grace is necessary for any man to repent and believe the gospel.

Secondary. Responds to God’s act of grace by making a free will choice to repent and believe the gospel.

Calvinism

Total. A special act of grace irresistibly calls and enables man to repent and believe the gospel. This grace does not fail to achieve its goal.

Non-Essential. His repentance and faith proceeds from God as a gift of grace.

Grasping God


I am currently reading Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology and last night I came across a section on God’s incommunicable attributes.  This refers to the fact that God possesses certain attributes that he has not shared or passed on to mankind.  For example, God is eternal and infinite in his being, having neither beginning nor end.  However, man is finite and has a definite beginning.  God is independent in that he does not depend on any source outside of himself to sustain his existence.  Since he created all things he does not require creation to ‘Be’.  Man cannot claim this attribute.  These traits are opposite of his communicable attributes, or those qualities of God that he has shared or passed on to mankind.  Examples of this would include God’s love, justice, and mercy.  Man has the capacity to express each and everyone of these divine attributes, though not to the degree and scope that God does. Continue reading →

My Conversion to the Doctrines of Grace – Part 5


Author’s Note: Yes, I know, I’ve dragged these posts out so long nobody remembers what this whole series was about!  If this describes you, or if you’re new to A Peculiar Pilgrim, start reading the series HERE.

During my years as a Pentecostal/Arminian Christian I focused my theological studies on an array of supposedly sound biblical topics. I studied Dispensational Theology (though at the time I had no idea what it was called), learning the different epochs of time Earth’s history had been neatly packaged into. I was taught that God dealt with humanity on a different basis in each dispensation, setting a different standard rule of faith and life and watching man fail to achieve the goal. God would then move on to a different standard, man would fail once again to meet God’s demands… so on and so forth. I dabbled with spiritual warfare, waging battle against all principalities and powers of darkness. I learned how to defend my family against the wiles of the devil. I read many kooky books that inspired me to take up the armor of God and stand firmly against the devil’s fiery darts in ways that now make me cringe with chagrin. I danced as King David did (except fully clothed) and anointed everything with olive oil (or Crisco if the former was not conveniently available). I claimed enough territories for Christ during those years that I could have established a whole other country. I scoured the scriptures, scrapping together verses in an effort to discern the times, and determine the signs of Christ’s Second Coming.  I agreed with both Jack Van Impe and Hal Lindsey that the temple in Jerusalem would soon be rebuilt and the secret rapture of the church would whisk us away while the world would suffer beneath the iron heel of the Antichrist’s reign of terror.  I spent hours pleading and wrestling with God at the altar, in the desperate hope that he would grant me an authentic, earth-shattering spiritual experience akin to the ones enjoyed by my brethren, who appeared to get a ‘dose of the Ghost’ on a weekly basis. Continue reading →

Speaking of Theologians…


My gold-plated friend over at the Spice Mines of Kessel – the one fluent in over 6 million forms of communication – has posted an excellent article explaining why he is a theologian. It is a brief yet profound read. Here is an excerpt:

As a disciple of Christ, I feel it my duty to increase in the knowledge of God’s Word, written in the Holy Bible. Basically, a disciple is someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another. More specifically, a disciple is one who follows the teachings of Jesus. Personally, my discipleship comes through theology. Theology is simply the study, or knowledge, of God. I find it in my purpose to be a disciple and to make disciples through theology–or the study and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why am I a theologian?

It starts with the beginning. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The key is that last part. “…and the Word was God.” So, if the Word was, or is God, then to know God, you must know the Word. Likewise, in order to know the Word, you must know God.

Here are three more reasons why God has called me to be a theologian… Read the rest of the article HERE.

In addition to SMOK’s duties as a full-time protocol droid (Read: computer technician), he conducts bible studies, soaks in the scriptures like a sponge absorbs water, and writes commentaries on various books of the bible. His latest offering is on the book of Philemon. True to droidic form, it is short, concise and insightful. Read and be blessed.

Philemon Commentary

 

The Invincibility of Monergistic Regeneration


I just read another fantastic article by John Hendryx over at Monergism lucidly expounding upon the teachings of Jesus found in John chapter 6. He identifies our Lord’s use of a syllogism in order to put two and two together and prove several profound truths from these scriptures:

Truth 1. No one comes to Christ unless it is granted to him by the Father.

PLUS

Truth 2. Everyone who is granted permission by the Father will believe in Christ.

EQUALS

Truth 3. Every step of our salvation is all of God’s grace.  His grace is irresistible and invincible.  Even our coming to him in faith only happens in response to his calling.

Here is an excerpt:

The purpose of this short essay is to show from Scripture a discussion Jesus had in his time on earth where he unequivocally asserts that it is grace alone that makes persons to differ in our response to the gospel; whether we believe it, or reject it. And to drive this point home we will show how Jesus insists that UNLESS God grants His invincible grace no one would ever believe the gospel … yet ALL persons to whom he grants this same grace will believe unto eternal life.

To those who have not considered Jesus discourse to the Jews in John 6, I would encourage you to take the time to reflect on it today. We find out that, when speaking to the Jews, Jesus uses a syllogism that leaves no room for human boasting. Defined simply, a syllogism is a logical formula consisting of two premises and a conclusion which follows of necessity from them. It is a combination of two judgments infallibly necessitating a third judgment as a consequence of their mutual relation. A simple example of a syllogism is: If all humans are sinners, and all Greeks are humans, then all Greeks are sinners.

You ask, but what does this have to do with Jesus?

In John chapter 6, in the context of Jesus’ calling the Jews to believe the gospel about Himself and their resulting unbelief in Him, He presents them with the following two simple yet profound statements, which, when applied together necessitates the conclusion that saving grace is always both invincible and indelible. He claims that those to whom, in due season, the Spirit regenerates will infallibly believe the gospel. Grace and faith, therefore, are not the same thing, and when it comes down to why some have faith and not others, Jesus emphatically comes down on the side of grace. What I call “the Jesus syllogism”, where He authoritatively communicates this truth, should end all arguments about this issue. it can be found in the midst of his discourse with the Jews in John 6:37 & John 6:65 where He says:

“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” ( 6:37) ”… no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” ( 6:65)

Read the entire article HERE.

Freely Offered Answers to Free Will Questions


A frequenter of this blog commented on my last post, Free Will: Making Distinctions and has asked several very good questions. Instead of replying in the meta I thought I would spotlight my answers in a post. I hope my friend doesn’t mind all the attention!

Note: I would advise reading my previous post in order to grasp the full context of this discussion.

Q: OK, if our free choice is irrevocably governed by our will, how “free” is that choice? I don’t want to play semantics here, but we really can’t have “spiritual” free choice if our choice is unbreakably bound by our will. Continue reading →

Free Will: Making Distinctions


Does man have free will?

shawshank.jpgI’m sure we have all had someone ask the question in Sunday school, at a bible study or even mulled it over ourselves in the dark of night at one time or another. Honestly, this has been a hot topic in my slice of the hemisphere the last few weeks. It’s the million dollar question. The way we answer it shall determine much of our doctrine. It will also shape our conception of God, his character, his wisdom and his power. It will also determine how much room man has for boasting when it comes to his salvation, his sanctification and his perseverance. It is an important issue to resolve in our hearts by the scriptures, so I first would like to define the boundaries of what the term free will actually implies and what the bible says about how free our will truly is. Let’s dig in! Continue reading →

The Righteousness of Noah


I must admit, my Sunday school class continues to stimulate and challenge my beliefs in the doctrines of Grace. This past Sunday our lesson ‘Aspire to Walk with God’ centered on the story of Noah and the Flood. I studied the passages in Genesis chapter 6 and had decided to focus in on the righteousness of Noah, anticipating that this would be a hot topic during discussion. Turns out I was correct. The teacher asked a question I think everyone has when first reading this passage. Here’s the text. Read through it and I bet the question that first pops into your mind is the same as mine.

Gen 6:5-22 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (6) And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. (7) So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” (8) But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (9) These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. (10) And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (11) Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. (12) And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. (13) And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. …. (17) For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. (18) But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. (19) And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. (20) Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. (21) Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” (22) Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

I came away asking this: How could Noah possibly be righteous and blameless in a world corrupted by sin?

While you chew on that, here’s another question to ponder: Who is responsible for mankind’s redemption in this story? Did God redeem man or did Noah? Well, it looks like God desired to wipe out the whole human race because they were evil. Noah, because of his righteousness, was spared. If Noah had not been blameless in God’s sight we would not be here discussing this story. The world would be barren and lifeless. So, we are in fact indebted to Noah and some kind of inherent righteousness he somehow possessed that no other human had. Noah is our hero! All hail to the savior of us all! In spite of God’s will to destroy all flesh, man prevailed. Continue reading →