Thread: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).
Posted : 18 Aug, 2011 02:32 AM
What is it that Satan desires to assault? It is the work of God in the soul.
He does not raise a weapon against his own kingdom. It is his aim and his policy to keep all there undisturbed and peaceful.
But he brings his artillery to bear against the work of the Holy Spirit in the renewed heart. Not a part of this work escapes him. Every grace comes in for its share of malignant attack�but especially the grace of faith.
When, for example, a repentant and believing soul approaches Christ with lowliness and hesitancy, and with the tremulous hand of faith attempts to touch the border of his garment, or with a tearful eye looks up to his cross, then Satan assaults faith in the form of suggestive doubts about Christ's power and willingness to save. "Is Jesus able to save me? Does he have power to rescue my soul from hell? Can he blot out my transgressions? Can he redeem my life from destruction? Will he receive a sinner as vile, as unworthy, as poor as me? Does he have enough compassion, enough love, enough mercy to meet my case?" In this way Satan assails the earliest and the feeblest exercises of faith in the soul.
Does this address itself to you? Satan's great purpose is to keep you from Jesus. He will hold up to your view a false picture of Jesus' character, from which everything loving, winning, inviting, and attractive is excluded. He will suggest wrong views of Jesus' work, in which everything gloomy, contracted, and repulsive is foisted upon your mind. He will assail the atonement, questioning the compassion, and limiting the grace of Christ. He does all this to persuade you that there is no room for you in the heart which bled on Calvary. He does all this to convince you that upon that work which received the Father's seal there is not enough breadth for you to stand. All his endeavors are directed, and all his assaults are shaped, with a view to keep your soul back from Christ. It is in this way that he seeks to vent his wrath upon the Savior, and his malignity upon you.
Nor does he less assail the more mature faith of the believer. Not infrequently the sharpest attacks and the fiercest onsets are made�and made successfully�upon the strongest believers. Seizing upon powerful corruptions, taking advantage of dark providences (and sometimes of bright ones), and never allowing to escape his notice any position of influence, any usefulness, gift, or grace that could give force and success to his exploit, he is perpetually on the alert to sift and winnow God's precious wheat.
His implacable hatred of God, the deep revenge he cherishes against Jesus, his malignant opposition to the Holy Spirit, arm him for any dark design and work implicating the holiness and happiness of the believer.
Therefore we find that the histories of the most eminent saints of God, as written by the faithful pen of the Holy Spirit, are histories of the severest temptations of faith. In most of them, there was a temporary triumph of the enemy�the giant oak bent before the storm.
And even in instances where there was no defeat of faith, still there was the sharp trial of faith. The case of Joseph, and that of his illustrious anti type, the Lord Jesus, present examples of this. Fearful was the assault upon the faith of both, sharp the conflict through which both passed, yet both left the battlefield victorious. But still faith was no less really or severely sifted.
by Octavius Winslow, 1856
Rise, my soul, to watch and pray,
from thy sleep awaken;
be not by the evil day
unawares o'ertaken.
For the foe,
well we know,
oft his harvest reapeth
while the Christian sleepeth.
Watch against the devil's snares
lest asleep he find thee;
for indeed no pains he spares
to deceive and blind thee.
Satan's prey
oft are they
who secure are sleeping
and no watch are keeping.
Watch! Let not the wicked world
with its pow'r defeat thee.
Watch lest with her pomp unfurled
she betray and cheat thee.
Watch and see
lest there be
faithless friends to charm thee,
who but seek to harm thee.
Watch against thyself, my soul,
lest with grace thou trifle;
let not self thy thoughts control
nor God's mercy stifle.
Pride and sin
lurk within
all thy hopes to scatter;
heed not when they flatter.
But while watching, also pray
to the Lord unceasing.
He will free thee, be thy stay,
strength and faith increasing.
O Lord, bless
in distress
and let nothing swerve me
from the will to serve thee.
Therefore let us watch and pray,
knowing he will hear us
as we see from day to day
dangers ever near us,
and the end
doth impend�
our redemption neareth
when our Lord appeareth.
(Johann B. Freystein, 1697; tr. By Catherine Winkworth, 1863; alt.)
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).
Posted : 18 Aug, 2011 05:24 AM
The first part of this article as every article you have posted by that man is carnal in origin, as is every Calvinist I have ever read of, the truth, the word of God is to set men free but this freedom only comes by being a doer of the word of God and the revelation of the word of God only comes in the heart of man, or the spirit of man never the mind, Man's mind is part of the natural man, it is not spiritual, nor will it ever be spiritual, the bible clearly teaches that when a man is born again, that man, the new man the hidden man of the heart is to renew his mind continually.
The spirit of God does not have any communion, connection with man's mind any more than he does with any other part of the natural man.
This part you can put in the bank the mind and the flesh is Satan's playground in the life of the believer, and the renewed mind will always be subject to his bidding.
View Profile
History
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).
Posted : 18 Aug, 2011 02:32 AM
What is it that Satan desires to assault? It is the work of God in the soul.
The spirit of God does not work with the soul of man ever, it is always with the heart or spirit of man.
But he brings his artillery to bear against the work of the Holy Spirit in the renewed heart. Not a part of this work escapes him. Every grace comes in for its share of malignant attack�but especially the grace of faith.
This paragraph says the work of the holy spirit in the renewed heart, the heart of man in the new birth is brand new, it is not renewed. Faith is not by grace.Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God only, it comes know other way and then grace is always apprehended by faith.
When, for example, a repentant and believing soul approaches Christ with lowliness and hesitancy, and with the tremulous hand of faith attempts to touch the border of his garment, or with a tearful eye looks up to his cross, then Satan assaults faith in the form of suggestive doubts about Christ's power and willingness to save. "Is Jesus able to save me? Does he have power to rescue my soul from hell? Can he blot out my transgressions? Can he redeem my life from destruction? Will he receive a sinner as vile, as unworthy, as poor as me? Does he have enough compassion, enough love, enough mercy to meet my case?" In this way Satan assails the earliest and the feeblest exercises of faith in the soul.'
Again faith is not in the soul of man, ever, faith is only in the heart of any man as he is a doer of the word, it is always the responsibility of man, you can see this clearly in the parable of the sower.
Man is a spirit, he has a soul and he lives in a body.
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).
Posted : 18 Aug, 2011 12:05 PM
There is disagreement and contention in the church today over the subject of the work of the Holy Spirit. What Charismatics claim is the reviving work of the Holy Spirit, other Christians define as deception. The advent of psychological techniques has prompted discussion over the nature and source of the "fruit of Spirit." The revival of ancient mysticism, and the growing popularity of new age methods has introduced "eastern spirituality" into the church.
We are living in an age in which clear definitions of the work of the Holy Spirit are vitally important if we want to avoid deception. While it is not possible to present a thorough treatment of the work of the Spirit in a brief article, let us briefly consider four specific biblical truths concerning the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the practical implications of those truths for us today.
A. The Holy Spirit extends the ministry of Jesus:
In the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, God the Father accomplished all things necessary for life and salvation. There is nothing more that God is going to do to save, redeem, or justify sinful mankind. God, for example, does not have a plan to save America. He has already completed the plan at Calvary. When Jesus said, "it is finished!" he did not mean, "To be continued."
The Apostle Paul makes it clear in his Letter to the Colossians (1: 19-20; 2: 3, 9-10) that all spiritual blessings are found in Christ Jesus. The question remains, how do all of the blessings of life and salvation gained for us by Christ Jesus nearly 2000 years ago come to us today? What is the delivery system? This question is answered in the work of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus told his disciples, "It is better for you that I go away. If I do not go away, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, will not come to you. If I go away, I will send him to you." (John 16: 7)
In Acts 1: 1-2, Luke speaks of his Gospel as the beginning of the ministry of the Lord Jesus. After he ascended into heaven, Luke says that Jesus continued to give instructions to his Apostles through the Holy Spirit. On the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit became the permanent resident within the Church, Jesus Christ returned to his disciples. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the continuation of the ministry of Jesus Christ.
When the Apostles described the work of sanctification, they readily interchanged the person of the Holy Spirit with the person of Jesus Christ. For example, being led by the Holy Spirit is the same as led by the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16: 6-7); being controlled by the Holy Spirit means being controlled by the Spirit of Christ Romans 8: 9); living in the Spirit means living in Christ; walking in the Spirit means walking in Christ (Colossians 2: 6); and being filled with the Spirit means being filled with the Presence of Christ. The Holy Spirit can not be separated from the Lord Jesus Christ.
IMPLICATIONS:
1. If the Holy Spirit had not come, we would be dependent upon special appearances of the risen Christ so that we might believe in him and learn of him. Those Bible teachers and evangelists to whom Jesus appeared would be considered the apostles and Prophets of our age.
The problem is, Jesus never promised that he would continue to make appearances after he ascended into heaven. His ministry is extended through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul, when speaking of the appearance the Lord Jesus made to him on the road to Damascus, spoke of himself as one "born at the wrong time." (1 Corinthians 15: 8) In other words, it was beyond the age when Jesus made appearances to his disciples. Of course, it goes without saying that Jesus Christ is not a "spirit guide" and nor did he ever promise to send his Mother to us to reveal hidden truth.
On the basis of the words and promises of Jesus, we must conclude that claims to such appearances for the sake of providing wisdom and guidance are fraudulent. It is not a question of seeking to discern whether or not Jesus appeared to a person or whether or not Mary appeared at a certain time and place. When Scripture is clear, there is no discernment needed. The only promise that Jesus made was that the Holy Spirit would come and would lead us into all the truth.
Those who claim that Jesus appeared to them and revealed specific truths are attempting to entice you to accept the authority and credibility of their words. Do not be deceived!
2. Since the Holy Spirit extends and continues the ministry of Jesus Christ, to seek discernment by asking the question, "what would Jesus do?" in a given situation is very relevant. For example, would Jesus blow at people and knock them over? Would Jesus poke people in the stomach and cause them to laugh? Would Jesus throw his power across the room and knock over three rows of people? Would Jesus cause his disciples to be "slain in the Spirit" and have "carpet time?"
If we believe that specific antics and practices are not consistent with the ministry of Jesus Christ revealed in the four Gospels, we could readily conclude that they are either fraudulent, psychologically induced, psychic, or occult. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is an extension of the ministry I of the Lord Jesus. It is not "another" or a different ministry.
B. The Holy Spirit Glorifies Jesus
Jesus defined what the Holy Spirit would do and how he would be identified. He said that the Holy Spirit would "take from what is mine and show it to you." The Holy Spirit would not speak about nor glorify the Holy Spirit, but would speak about and glorify the risen, ascended Son of God (John 16: 12-15). The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus and to deliver to us the blessings of life and salvation that were won at Calvary.
IMPLICATIONS:
1. The Holy Spirit will not draw attention to himself. You will not find the Holy Spirit where the focus is upon the Holy Spirit. You will find the Holy Spirit where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed in its truth and purity and where Jesus is worshipped as King over kings, and Lord over lords.
The Holy Spirit does not glorify himself. I do not believe that the Holy Spirit will lead me to say, "good morning, Holy Spirit" as the title of a popular book suggests. I believe he will lead me to reverently pray, "good morning, Lord Jesus."
2. Since the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to bring us to faith in Jesus Christ so that we might receive the blessings of life and salvation, there are no Holy Spirit produced manifestations, fruit, or life-changing dynamics where there is no faith relationship with Jesus Christ. Since psychological methods, mystical techniques, and the sociological dynamics of group pressure produce life changing dynamics for all people, regardless of their relationship with Jesus Christ, this can not be the work of the Holy Spirit.
When assessing movements that offer positive, life-changing results such as Alcoholics Anonymous, marriage encounter, or even "Promise Keepers," carefully identify the dynamic that is involved. If the dynamic produces positive results for all participants, regardless of their faith in Jesus Christ, this is not the fruit of the Holy Spirit. This is not to condemn the movements. Participating may be very beneficial, but the results are being produced by natural causes.
I knew a woman who worked at the counseling center at a large eastern University. She interacted with numerous psychologists. One day she told me, "I work with some of the kindest, most loving men and women I have ever met, but most of them are atheists."
C. The Holy Spirit Works Through the Word of God
How does the Holy Spirit bring to us the blessings of life and salvation that are "in Christ Jesus?" What is the delivery system? Does the Holy Spirit operate directly upon the hearts and minds of people where and when he chooses, or does he need a vehicle through which he works? The issue of whether or not the Holy Spirit requires a vehicle was the source of much debate at the time of the Reformation. Martin Luther, responding to the claims of the mystics, enthusiasts, and "heavenly prophets," affirmed the clear biblical position that the Holy Spirit operates through the means of the Word of God. In Romans 1: 16, the Apostle Paul speaks of the preaching of the Gospel as "the power of God unto salvation."
In Romans 10: 6-17, he directs his hearers to the Word of God as the means whereby Jesus comes and creates faith. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
In 1 Corinthians 1: 21-24, the Apostle affirms the truth that God has chosen to save the world by the foolishness of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In Ephesians 5: 18-19, the experience of being filled with the Spirit is connected to the practice of singing hymns, psalms and spiritual songs.
Throughout Scripture, the Holy Spirit is connected to the Word of God. While the Holy Spirit is our only teacher and will lead us into all the truth, the Bible is his only textbook.
IMPLICATIONS:
1. The Holy Spirit is present in the midst of his people where the Word of God is taught and the Sacraments are administered. Some popular preachers claim to "release" the Spirit or call down the Spirit into an assembly. In some situations, a distinction seems to be made between the preaching of the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is almost as if after the sermon is over, "showtime" begins.
The Holy Spirit is not released via human agency. You receive the Holy Spirit from Jesus Christ who comes to you through the Word of God. There are no human dispensers of the Holy Spirit or "Holy Ghost Bartenders." Those who claim such titles are guilty of arrogance and presumption.
2. There is nothing in the New Testament to suggest that the power of the Holy Spirit connected to the Word of God is more effective in some ages than in other ages, nor is the desire of the Holy Spirit to bring people to salvation greater in times of revival and reformation than it is under more normal circumstances, This is a common misconception today among those who believe that revival comes as the result of praying for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Throughout history there have been times of revival, of reformation, and of spiritual awakening, but this is not caused by a fresh outpouring or a new wave of the Holy Spirit. It would be very sad to suggest that there are people who ended up in hell because the Holy Spirit chose not to have a revival in their age. If the Holy Spirit works through the vehicle of the Word of God and the Word of God remains constant in every generation, the cause of revivals and awakenings would have to be sought in other variables.
In 19th century post-enlightenment Germany, a pastor by the name of August Tholuck preached, "And if perchance a hawker of indulgences were to appear among us, he would not do a good business; for nobody has a disquieted and alarmed conscience."
In the 16th century, as a prelude to the Reformation, the people of Germany had conscience problems. They were concerned with the issue of sin. When the Roman Catholic Church offered indulgences for sale, it became a good business. BUT... the condition was also ripe for the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So, when Luther discovered the great truth of justification by grace through faith because of Christ and clearly proclaimed the same, a great reformation and revival occurred.
For revival to occur in our age, the preaching of the Law of God, the judgment of God, and the wrath of God is necessary so that the hearts of people are prepared for the hearing of the Gospel. If we down-play human sin because it is not a politically correct subject, emphasize self-esteem, and seek to promote morality without a relationship with Jesus Christ, we dare not complain about the lack of revival.
Rather than gaping heavenward and expecting God to bring revival, let us be about the business that God has given us namely, the preaching of the whole counsel of God - the Law and the Gospel. Praying for revival in our nation means praying that God would use the preaching of his Law as the instrument to break our human pride and bring us to repentance so that out of a guilty conscience we kneel before the Cross of Jesus Christ. Before such judgment will be extended to the nations, it must begin with the Church. A feel-good Christianity coupled with moralizing sermons and self-aggrandizing spirituality is a monumental hindrance to revival.
D. The Holy Spirit and the Human Will
Since the Bible defines unbelievers as being dead in their trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2: 1,5; Colossians 2: 13), there is nothing they can do by way of human reason or strength to be saved. Spiritually dead people can not make spiritual decisions. It is the Holy Spirit, working through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who brings the unbeliever to faith (Ephesians 2: 8-9). Theologically, this is called justification. In justification, the Holy Spirit acts upon the heart and will of the unbeliever externally. He operates through the Word of God that speaks to the human condition.
After conversion, the Christian is enabled to cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit in sanctification. The Apostle Paul continually calls Christians to be active. We should think differently by setting our minds on the things of the Spirit (Romans 8: 5-8). We should deliver the works of our old sinful nature over to death and walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5: 16-25). We should sing spiritual songs and put the Word of Christ in our hearts (Colossians 3: 16).
In sanctification, the work of the Holy Spirit is internal. While he still works through the vehicle of the Word of God that has been received into the heart, he sanctifies, leads, and guides the Christian via an internal operation, working upon the mind, the will and the emotions.
IMPLICATIONS:
There are many churches who have a rich and dynamic understanding of justification, but are very weak in teaching sanctification. While they are quick to point out that there is nothing one can do to be saved, they fail to teach Christians how to live and walk in the Spirit now that they have been saved. Sanctification often becomes nothing more than a list of moral directives or some vague notion concerning doing good works. A clear distinction must be made between the work of the Holy Spirit in justification and the work of the Holy Spirit in sanctification lest we create passive Christians.
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).
Posted : 19 Aug, 2011 01:50 PM
Just so you know what you make a mockery out of.
Perhaps the simplest statement of it is the best: that it lies in a profound apprehension of God in His majesty, with the inevitably accompanying poignant realization of the exact nature of the relation sustained to Him by the creature as such, and particularly by the sinful creature. He who believes in God without reserve, and is determined that God shall be God to him in all his thinking, feeling, willing - in the entire compass of his life-activities, intellectual, moral, spiritual, throughout all his individual, social, religious relations - is, by the force of that strictest of all logic which presides over the outworking of principles into thought and life, by the very necessity of the case, a Calvinist. In Calvinism, then, objectively speaking, theism comes to its rights; subjectively speaking, the religious relation attains its purity; soteriologically speaking, evangelical religion finds at length its full expression and its secure stability. Theism comes to its rights only in a teleological conception of the universe, which perceives in the entire course of events the orderly outworking of the plan of God, who is the author, preserver, and governor of all things, whose will is consequently the ultimate cause of all. The religious relation attains its purity only when an attitude of absolute dependence on God is not merely temporarily assumed in the act, say, of prayer, but is sustained through all the activities of life, intellectual, emotional, executive. And evangelical religion reaches stability only when the sinful soul rests in humble, self-emptying trust purely on the God of grace as the immediate and sole source of all the efficiency which enters into its salvation. And these things are the formative principles of Calvinism.
3. RELATION TO OTHER SYSTEMS
The difference between Calvinism and other forms of theistic thought, religious experience, evangelical theology is a difference not of kind but of degree. Calvinism is not a specific variety of theism, religion, evangelicalism, set over against other specific varieties, which along with it constitute these several genera, and which possess equal rights of existence with it and make similar claims to perfection, each after its own kind. It differs from them not as one species differs from other species; but as a perfectly developed representative differs from an imperfectly developed representative of the same species. There are not many kinds of theism, religion, evangelicalism, among which men are at liberty to choose to suit at will their individual taste or meet their special need, all of which may be presumed to serve each its own specific uses equally worthily. There is but one kind of theism, religion, evangelicalism; and the several constructions laying claim to these names differ from each other not as correlative species of a broader class, but as more or less perfect, or more or less defective, exemplifications of a single species. Calvinism conceives of itself as simply the more pure theism, religion, evangelicalism, superseding as such the less pure. It has no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing the theistic character of all truly theistic thought, the religious note in all actual religious activity, the evangelical quality of all really evangelical faith. It refuses to be set antagonistically over against any of these things, wherever or in whatever degree of imperfection they may be manifested; it claims them in every instance of their emergence as its own, and essays only to point out the way in which they may be given their just place in thought and life. Whoever believes in God; whoever recognizes in the recesses of his soul his utter dependence on God; whoever in all his thought of salvation hears in his heart of hearts the echo of the soli Deo gloria of the evangelical profession - by whatever name he may call himself, or by whatever intellectual puzzles his logical understanding may be confused - Calvinism recognizes as implicitly a Calvinist, and as only requiring to permit these fundamental principles - which underlie and give its body to all true religion - to work themselves freely and fully out in thought and feeling and action, to become explicitly a Calvinist.
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).
Posted : 19 Aug, 2011 02:00 PM
Calvinism has stood the test of time. Most Protestant denominations that originated in the Reformation were founded on Calvinistic confessions of faith, such as the Thirty-nine Articles (Anglicanism), the Canons of Dort (Reformed), the Westminster Standards (Presbyterianism), the Savoy Declaration (Congregationalism), and the Baptist Confession of 1689 (Baptist). All of these confessions essentially agree, with the major point of disagreement being the doctrine of infant baptism.
Reformation theology prevailed, for the most part, in Protestant evangelicalism for many decades, but was diluted in the nineteenth century because of several influences, such as the Enlightenment in Europe and Finneyism in America. By the mid-twentieth century, Calvinistic theology had declined dramatically in the Western world, having been assaulted by nineteenth-century liberal theology and revived Arminianism.
About two centuries ago, William Ellery Channing, the father of American Unitarianism, wrote: �Calvinism, we are persuaded, is giving place to better views. It has passed its meridian, and is sinking to rise no more. It has to contend with foes more powerful than theologians; with foes from whom it cannot shield itself in mystery and metaphysical subtleties�we mean the progress of the human mind, and the progress of the spirit of the gospel. Society is going forward in intelligence and charity, and of course is leaving the theology of the sixteenth century behind it.� 34
Channing was a false prophet. Today, even though the world in general is becoming more anti-God and wicked than ever, Calvinism is being revived, although, sadly, it is still a minority position. A fresh hunger for Calvinism�s biblical doctrine and spirituality is causing the roots of Reformed theology to spread throughout the entire world. In recent decades, a significant number of Calvinistic churches and denominations have been birthed around the world. Today, Reformed churches exist in the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Italy, the United Kingdom, North America, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, China, the Philippines, Russia, Egypt, Pakistan, India, Israel, and various additional African and Asian countries. Also, since the 1960s, there has been a resurgence of interest in Calvinistic literature. Calvinistic conferences are being offered in numerous countries; in many of these nations, the number of Calvinists is steadily growing in our new millennium.
Calvinism has a bright future, for it offers much to people who seek to believe and practice the whole counsel of God. Calvinism aims to do so with both clearheaded faith and warm-hearted spirituality, which, when conjoined, produce vibrant living in the home, the church, and the marketplace to the glory of God. It confesses with Paul, �For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever� (Rom. 11:36). That, after all, is what Scripture, Calvinism, and life itself are all about.
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).
Posted : 19 Aug, 2011 02:12 PM
Calvinism has stood the test of time.
*** Yes it has...just as many denominations have...unfortunatly the test of time as we know it is running out and Jesus* Doctrine is ETERNAL and He past THE test...:peace:...xo
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).
Posted : 19 Aug, 2011 03:48 PM
Many would like to think that just being a �good� person and �loving� God, without an emphasis on doctrine, is preferable. But being a good person can mean radically different things depending on what someone thinks �good� is, or what constitutes a �person.� Loving God will look very different depending on one's conception of �God� or �love.� The fundamental connections between belief and behavior, and between love and knowledge, demand a rigorous pursuit of truth for those wanting to love God and to be godly. Hebrews 5:11�6:3 teaches that deepening theological understanding equips one to be able to differentiate good from evil, and it exhorts believers to mature in their knowledge of God and his ways:
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity (Heb. 5:12�6:1).
