"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" - 2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV)
Monday, April 27, 2015
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Monday, April 20, 2015
Once Saved Always Saved?
Martin Luther wrote: “No sin can
separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of
times each day. Do you think such an exalted Lamb paid merely a small price
with a meager sacrifice for our sins?”[i]
There is a
specific result in our Christian community into which are children are raise by
certain philosophical consequences to false theologies:
“The 2009 Collier
Township shooting, also referred to as the 2009 Bridgeville LA Fitness
shooting, was a murder-suicide that took place on August 4, 2009 in an LA
Fitness health club in Collier Township, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The attack resulted
in four deaths, including that of the perpetrator who took his own life. Nine
other people were injured. The fitness center is approximately 10 miles (16 km)
south of Pittsburgh, in The Great Southern Shopping Center, a strip mall
located near Bridgeville.”[ii]
The
murderer from the above story was a “Christian” man by the name of George
Sodini. George was a 48 year old man who was trained in the “Right Attitude”
Workshop whose teachings include the concept that “nice guys must die.”[iii]
George was
also a practicing Once saved always saved “Christian”. He wrote on his blog:
“Soon I will see God and Jesus.
At least that is what I was told. Eternal life does NOT depend on works. If it
did, we will all be in hell. Christ paid for EVERY sin, so how can I or you be
judged BY GOD for a sin when the penalty was ALREADY paid. People judge but
that does not matter. I was reading the Bible and The Integrity of God
beginning yesterday, because soon I will see them.”[iv]
Dr. Robert
Morey attempts to describe this doctrine in his book
While the Scriptures repeatedly warn
us that it is possible for someone who professes to be saved to fall away from
the faith (Heb. 6:4-6), this is in contrast to someone who actually possesses
true salvation. The Apostle John tells us that a true believer cannot fall
away.
[He goes on to cite 1 John 2:19, as
his proof text for this doctrine]
They went out from us, but they did
not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have
remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. (1
John 2:19 NIV)[v]
There
are philosophical consequences to the “Once Saved always saved” doctrine that
have have led to the perversion of cultures throught the ages. This is not the
belief of the early church either. In fact, much of the understanding of
salvational doctrine has become distorted since the times of the Apostles.
Consider a few quotes from the early church Fathers:
“For he who keeps these shall be
glorified in the kingdom of God; but he who chooses other things shall be
destroyed with his works. On this account there will be a resurrection, on this
account a retribution.” -- Barnabas circa 70 -- 130
“Take heed, beloved, lest his many
kindnesses lead to the condemnation of us all. For thus it must be unless we
walk worthy of him, and with one mind do those things which are good and well
pleasing in his sight.” -- Clement of Rome, the first epistle of Clement, circa
96
“Let us therefore earnestly strive to
be found in the number of those that wait for him, in order that we may share
in his promised gifts. But how, beloved, shall this be done? If our
understanding be fixed by faith towards God; if we earnestly seek the things
which are pleasing and acceptable to him; if we do the things which are in
harmony with his blameless will; and if we follow the way of truth, casting
away from us all unrighteousness and iniquity, along with all covetousness,
strife, evil practices, deceit, whispering, and evil speaking, all hatred of
God, pride and haughtiness, vainglory and ambition. For they that do such
things are hateful to God; and not only they that do them, but also those that
take pleasure in them that do them.” - Clement of Rome, the first epistle of
Clement, circa 96
“The tree is made manifest by its
fruit. So those who profess themselves to be Christians will be recognized by
their conduct.... It is better for a man to be silent and be a Christian, then
to talk and not be one.” - Ignatius circa 105, page 55
“This, then, is our reward if we will
confess him by whom we have been saved. But in what way will we confess him? We
confess him by doing what he says, not transgressing his commandments, and by
honoring him not only with our lips, but with all our heart and all our mind...
Let us, then, not only call him Lord, for that will not save us. For he says,
"not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will be saved, but he that works
righteousness." For that reason, brethren, let us confess him by our
works, by loving one another.” - Second Clement circa 150 volume 7 page 518
“When we hear, "your faith is
saved you," we do not understand him to say absolutely that those who have
believed in any way whatever will be saved. For works must also follow. But it
was to the Jews alone that he spoke this utterance. Those persons were Jews who
kept the law and lived blamelessly. All they lacked was faith in the Lord. No
one, then, can be a believer and at the same time be licentious.” -- Clement of Alexandria, circa 195, volume 2,
page 505.
[i] Letter
From Luther to Melanchthon, Letter 99, 1 August 1521. Cited in :Bercot, David
(2009-10-15). Will the Theologians Please Sit Down (p. 176). Scroll Publishing
Co.. Kindle Edition.
[ii]
Murderpedia, http://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/sodini-george.htm
Accessed 03/28/2014
[iii] Video,
George Sodini at The Right Attitude Workshop Intro Part 1, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VDvZYcrq0o,
Accessed: 03/28/2015
[iv] Blog of
George Sodini. http://raincoaster.com/2009/08/05/ george-sodinis-blog-the-plan,
3 Sept 2009.Cited in: Bercot, David (2009-10-15). Will the Theologians Please
Sit Down (p. 177). Scroll Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.
[v] Ph. D.
Dr Robert a. Morey, A Christian Student's Survival Guide,Xulon Press, 2010, pg
6
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Richard Dawkins - Mind Virus
How do you know what is good?
In 2011, Richard Dawkins, made the statement that religion was like a virus (Richard Dawkins - Religion a Virus, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rG9tUodfKU), or a “mind virus” as he puts it. Well for him to argue against religion, means that he believes in a correct pattern of thinking, one pattern that religious people are not following. What is interesting about this is that this atheist has no foundation for this in his worldview. How does he know wrong thinking from right thinking if he does not believe in an absolute standard of right and wrong?
Friday, April 17, 2015
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
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