Free Will? Election? Predestination? Does it Matter?    Link

In his 16th century debate with Martin Luther, Erasmus said "Luther, we really don't need to know about these issues like Election - whether we're saved because God chooses us or we choose Him. [Or] Whether it's grace or free will." Care to know what Luther's response was? Click on over to Nathan White's Shepherding the Flock blog, and read his response from Luther's book Bondage of The Will. Be sure to scroll down in the comments and read what Gene Bridges has to say. This is just one more topic today in which Christians often want to say "let's just forget about it and unite around 'the essentials' instead". Apparently Martin Luther saw it differently ... [Read Link]

"39 People Decided To Be Christians"?    Link

Well,I thought we were making some progress with Michael from Oak Leaf, but sometimes progress is slow. You'll remember a couple of weeks ago when he asked Old Truth readers to comment on his blog post about the early church being "seeker sensitive" (he concluded that they were, and that his church is too). Tonight on his blog, I see that he is still very much operating under the error that man can save himself by making a 'decision'. See this older post for a better explanation of what the problem is with that thinking. Michael's remarks in his latest post are brief and yet one of the most revealing examples of this errant theology. He writes this about Sunday's church service "39 people decided to follow Jesus! 39 people who are now Christians!". Aside from the fact that salvation is not due to human will and decision (Romans 9:16, John 1:12-13, etc), Michael's remarks beg the question - how does he know they are now Christians? We all know how angry people get if someone questions the salvation of another professed believer. Questions start flying like "how do you know that person is not saved?". Just turn that question around 180 degrees and ask pastors like Michael "how do you know 39 ARE saved?" after only a few minutes of observation? When I see posts like this, I can't help but wonder if these pastors are simply engaging in self-promotion, ie: "look at what we've done HERE at OUR church?". Praise God for any true converts that may be in the bunch of 39, but much gives us reason to question the stats and 'fruit' of churches that operate like this.

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Chris Lyons: Heaven's Not Big Enough For You, Me, & Your Theology

A blogger recently expressed these very tolerant sounding sentiments about how insidious it is when we "label other Christians with whom we hold doctrinal differences for the purpose of derision or questioning of their salvation. This has been typified in the Calvinist vs. Arminian debates for centuries". Irony of ironies, would you believe that the writer of those very words is quite accustomed to making sweeping statements that cast shadows of doubt over the salvation of entire segments of these theological groups? It's an interesting story, and it provides for a fitting example of how NOT to engage in debate over important theological matters such as these. Perhaps there is something that we can all learn from this. ... [Read More!]

Did Irenaeus Believe in Predestination and Election?

This is a response to those who would appeal to the early church father Irenaeus to somehow prove that these biblical doctrines were not believed prior to Augustine. Unfortunately, many in the Emerging Church Movement today are adverse to the doctrinal precision of the last several centuries. In seeking like-mindedness, these folks often try to take shelter in what they think is the bunker of the first couple of centuries of Christianity. The believers back in those days didn't seem all of that concerned about these issues, or at least, that's how the thinking goes. ... [Read More!]

God Has Spoken With Clarity on Predestination    Link

You may have heard the objection "Predestination is a mystery," or some version of that. Often it is a good-intentioned pious remark, and other times it is intended to blunt discussion on the certainty that God has spoken with clarity of his freedom in saving a people for himself. We can be thankful that God has spoken with clarity on predestination, and that it depended on his freedom and mercy, and not on our God-hating rebel wills. If the word "predestination" is not one of the sweetest words to a believer's ear (as it was for the apostle Paul) then some evaluation is needed of that heart. ... [Read Link]

Lutheran Psychobabble and It's Reformation Attack    Link

There are some great Lutherans out there; I can think of a number of them who are alive today. The ones that come to mind adhere to classic Reformation beliefs similar to Martin Luther. As time goes on however, there are less and less of these types, and in this post Steve Hays from Triablogue responds to the anti-Reformed beliefs of one contemporary Lutheran minister who says to his church: "The Calvinist cannot give true, unconditional comfort because they do not confess a true, unconditional Savior". Steve shows you where this thinking has gone off the rails. ... [Read Link]

Is Romans 9 About Elect Nations or People?    Link

There have been some great books written on just this one chapter of Romans alone, including Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Exposition of Romans 9 and a book named The Justification of God. The chapter usually has two schools of thought: Either the election mentioned in the chapter is relating to individuals, or, it's talking about elect nations instead. Which is right? Is it possible to know the answer? Here's a 47 minute audio recording that takes you through the critical verses in the chapter and compares the two views. It's a free download and an excellent bible study. ... [Read Link]

Private Interpretation Not Blind Interpretation   RC Sproul

The right of private interpretation is a special privilege we have today that we may easily take for granted, forgetting that the privilege was won through the blood of our ancestors, many of whom paid for it through their lives, even as those who dared to translate the Bible into the common language of the people. And we ought to be encouraged by this privilege, to be diligent in our own personal study of Scripture. But although the interpretation of the Scriptures may be something you do independently, and do so in private, I hope you don't do it privately in the sense that you never bother to see how others who perhaps are more experienced and who are more learned in the things of God than you are, have dealt with the text. ... [Read More!]

Henry (Rick) Frueh's Denial of Original Sin    Link

Quoting a famous German pastor of the 20th century, Michael Horton once referred to American Evangelicalism as "Christianity without the Reformation". It is from that same flawed theological system that Pastor Rick Frueh continues his written attacks against the Doctrines of Grace and, this time around, on original sin. There's no doubt that some of these things in the bible are tough to comprehend, just as the Trinity is for all of us, but we can not just discard these scriptural passages because we don't like what they have to say. I'm afraid that's exactly what Rick Frueh is doing in this instance, in which he claims that human responsibility is incompatible with the doctrine of Human Inability. It's an objection that you will find thoroughly covered in this chapter of Boettner's online book. CRN demonstrates the reckless nature of Pastor Frueh's latest charges in this post. ... [Read Link]

The Emerging Submerging of The Reformation

It's no secret that many in the Emerging Church Movement would prefer that this day be erased from their calendar. No not Halloween, though I'm sure we won't find many Emergents out today wearing Martin Luther costumes. I am instead referring to Reformation Day. One critic of Emergent correctly noted the widespread historical revisionism in the Emerging Church, saying: "All the great heroes of the faith end up becoming fools. And the antiheroes - the fools who compromise and who don't take a stand - become the heroes. It's turning history on its head; they undo the Reformation so they can go back to a quasi-Christian, medieval spirituality". ... [Read More!]

What Does God Have To Do With Disaster?

So, what do you think of when a major natural disaster strikes, when thousands are killed, homes destroyed, and crime and looting run rampant. What about when epidemics of deadly disease strike? What do you say to people who ask you, "What kind of a god would do such a thing?". What do you say to people who ask such things of you? Do you believe that God is behind such things or do you believe that these things are somehow happening outside the will of God? Do you believe that God simply allows these things to happen or do you believe there's more to it than that? If you were to ask a Christian from centuries ago these questions, you'd probably get a different answer than you would from today's Christians. So who is right? ... [Read More!]

Mailbag: Reformer and Pilgrim Misunderstandings

I was emailed recently by a very nice lady regarding a variety of questions related to the Reformers, the Mayflower Pilgrims, and scripture relating to predestination (always a favorite topic with emailers), and the hope for children not born into Christian families. Wow! That's quite a bit of ground to cover, but I thought since I'm answering her email, I'll share with you my responses. ... [Read More!]

The Lord Must Grant You Inward Sight   Walter Chantry

To behold Jesus, to adore him, and to rejoice in his praises are not means to higher ends. Fixing the eyes of our souls upon the Lamb of God, and bowing before him in joyful, loving worship is the highest end of our existence, the only fully satisfying expense of the human heart, the chief ingredient of human blessedness. "That I may know him . . ." (Philippians 3:10) and enjoy him forever is the end for which every saint lives. ... [Read More!]

Rick Frueh on "Jesus The Arminian Cry Baby" and Heartless Calvinists

The shocking anti-Calvinist statements from Pastor Henry (Rick) Frueh seem to have no end these days. In one of his latest online contributions he has this to say to someone who commented on a blog: "- you subscribe not just to an emotionless, Calvinistic view of people being damned forever, you seem to teach we should rejoice. Then when Jesus wept over Jerusalem He was just being an Arminian cry baby, right?". But does that fit with the historical accounts of what we know of Calvinist pastors, many of which have been known to weep and pray over lost souls? Let's have a look at church history and find out. ... [Read More!]