Blogogetics

by Walter Chantry

Most people say that they believe in “free will.” Do you have any idea what that means? I believe that you will find a great deal of superstition on this subject. The will is saluted as the grand power of the human soul which is completely free to direct our lives. But from what is it free? And what is its power?

THE MYTH OF CIRCUMSTANTIAL FREEDOM

No one denies that man has a will — that is, a faculty of choosing what he wishes to say, do, and think. But have you ever reflected on the pitiful weakness of your will? Though you have the ability to make a decision, you do not have the power to carry out your purpose. Will may devise a course of action, but will has no power to execute its intention.

Joseph’s brothers hated him. They sold him to be a slave. But God used their actions to make him a ruler over themselves. They chose their course of action to harm Joseph. But God in His power directed events for Joseph’s good. He said, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Gen 50:20).

And how many of your decisions are miserably thwarted? You may choose to be a millionaire, but God’s providence is likely to prevent it. You may decide to be a scholar, but bad health, an unstable home, or lack of finances may frustrate your will. You choose to go on a vacation, but an automobile accident may send you to the hospital instead.

By saying that your will is free, we certainly do not mean that it determines the course of your life. You did not choose the sickness, sorrow, war, and poverty that have spoiled your happiness. You did not choose to have enemies. If man’s will is so potent, why not choose to live on and on? But you must die. The major factors which shape your life cannot thank your will. You did not select your social status, color, intelligence, etc.
[Read more →]

Tags: By Others by Guest Author
No Comments »

Now that we’ve launched blogogetics.com we hope that you can help spread the word. First, consider adding us to your blogrolls or even adding our banner to your site. Other ways to spread the word is to link to us in the forums and chat rooms you visit or add us to your favorite social networking site. You can even check out our Technorati Profile.

Be sure to bookmark our new site and subscribe either by email or RSS feed to keep up to date on the latest posts. You can also subscribe to comments so you can follow the discussions of other visitors. And finally, I encourage you to promote our site to your friends and family and to your own site visitors (as may apply). More links and visitors improves our visibility in the search engines which makes it easier for people to find us and, more importantly, find the answers in the topics we cover.

Also, please let me know if there is anything you’d like to see changed on the site. I’ve tried to make it user friendly and avoid anything that would distract from glorifying God, but there is always room for improvement.

Tags: General Info by admin
No Comments »

prolegomena
- the purpose of this work is to record my thoughts and study concerning the subject of women in the family and ministry and to establish our church’s stance on the subject.
- the two primary positions on this subject, within evangelicalism, are the complementarian view and the egalitarian view. the complementarian view is that men and women are different both physically and nonphysically in their makeup as human persons and that these differences are intended to complement each other in human relationships and communities. the egalitarian views is that men and women may be different physically but internally are not different in any way and that such a makeup intends for men and women to function in any role they desire.
- I knowingly enter this discourse aware that there are a significant number of Godly men and women scholars1 on both sides of this issue. due to this fact, I believe this subject ought to be approached in much humility and much charity with a fervent commitment against dogmatism.2
- I also enter into this discourse with the craving intent to allow Scripture and reason to have the first and foremost authority subjugating to their final say whatever emotions, experiences, and presuppositions i may have or have ever had. to their final say it is my prayer that I would pour contempt on all my pride and
humbly bow my head before the holy instruction of God in heaven. on any issue the whole counsel of God’s Word ought to be both our goal and commitment.
- in light of the above statements, I would also like to add that I consider this issue adiaphora, a matter of non-essentialness. essential relativity3 is a misnomer4 in matters of doctrine. I consider matters of essentialness to strictly be matters pertaining to salvation. I believe that in all areas of non-essentialness that fellowship and instruction may and ought to take place within the unity we have as the body of Christ (sometimes the common quip “to agree to disagree” and love one another is also used to describe this friendship and bond that differing Christians may have). in addition, I believe areas of non-essentialness ought never to divide or disjoin believers in Christ, but we ought always to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph 4:3).”
- the contour of this study appears first in the form of 37 reasons why I have been persuaded from a previous position of egalitarianism to a complementarian position, followed by 15 responses to the arguments/objections of the egalitarian position.
[Read more →]

Tags: Relationships by Duane Smets
No Comments »

There is a saying that an egg is only a chicken to another chicken and to everything else it’s breakfast. This may be a humorous observation on natural selection in the animal kingdom but the assumptions behind the statement deserve reflection and investigation. There are two points being made in this aphorism:

• A thing has value only in relation to another thing.
• The value of that thing is relative to the other thing.

The illustration provides a rationale for a post-modern anthropology. What this is saying is an object, any object, is only valuable if someone or something says it is valuable. Things may have extrinsic value but intrinsic value is an illusion. Extrinsic value statements say things like, “Life is ultimately meaningless, but my life has meaning because I give it meaning.” An intrinsic value statement exclaims, “Life has (ultimate) meaning.” The first statement makes a claim that life has no value apart from what we bring to it. The second statement says life has value even if one denies that meaning. Extrinsic value can be separated from the object without damage, intrinsic value cannot be separated without damage. If that is clear we can make an observation as to why extrinsic value statements are a part of post-modern language. (The term post-modern carries with it a lot of baggage but for our purposes we mean post-modern to be a denial of absolute statements.) Modernism is characterized by the rejection of God. Post-Modernism is characterized by the destruction of man. Because we, as a culture, have rejected the notion of a Moral Law-Giver, values derived from that notion are jettisoned at the same time; albeit this is maybe not realized or acknowledged by some. The value we are most concerned with at present is the origination and installation of dignity.
[Read more →]

Tags: Science by Thomas Moller
1 Comment »

To date or not to date? by Julia

Where do you draw the line on if it’s okay date or not to date? To be set up or not to be set up on a date? I personally don’t think it’s wrong per say to have single friends gather and if there is a spark, then “go, God!,” but if not, so be it. Too many singles dwell and pursue meaningless relationships because they are lonely. They aren’t in it for the long haul. I think too many people want to “fix it” or “help out” instead of giving the reigns to God. It’s a trust issue in many cases. Ask yourself “do I trust God?”, “would I be okay if God chose for me to be single till my dying day?”, “would I compromise if I found a guy or gal that didn’t measure up, but fulfilled my loneliness right now?”

Relationships can take our full, undivided attention off of God. When a person is single, they are able to fully focus 100 percent on God. There is no checking in with your husband, wife or boyfriend or girlfriend when you are single. The Bible even says that it is better to be single. So why do we want to force it? I think loneliness is a battle that needs to be conquered in order to be content with the portion that God has blessed us with. We don’t deserve anything, so when God does bless us with our husband or wife, we can be 100 percent sure it is a gift from God and we will appreciate that person even more.

I was single for 3 years before I met Luke. I wasn’t looking for a husband, but I was praying to God that in his timing He would bring that man to me if that was his will. God is faithful because He knew that was an honest desire I held in my heart. I did however learn the hard way…I caved about a year before I met Luke. I went out with this guy that I knew was my complete opposite. He was the aggressive/assertive type, was conceded and opinionated and with all that said, somehow I thought that he would treat me with respect. Plus, he used to lead a bible study & went to church from time to time, so how bad could he be? I guess sometimes there is some truth when people say opposites attract. Keep in mind that I had previously promised God that I would wait for the man he deemed worthy of me, but I chose to go on this date anyways.

How stupid was I. I can’t even go into all the details, but pretty much I was assaulted, I was verbally abused, he asks me to iron his shirt and he manipulated situations so that we found ourselves alone during our date so that he could try to make the moves on me…yeah, not so godly. I was confused and abused. I know this is an extreme example, but it really showed me that God is in control and His will, will be fulfilled, not my story that I was trying to put into place.

It reminds me of Jonah…I was the prophet that decided that I didn’t want to follow God anymore. I wanted to try it my way and I drowned because of it. God didn’t leave my side by any means, but there were consequences to my actions. I got slapped on the butt & I corrected my mistake quickly.

John Piper has an excellent sermon entitled, “Single in Christ: A Name Better Than Sons and Daughters.” Here are his main truths:

1. That the family of God grows not by propagation through sexual intercourse, but by regeneration through faith in Christ;
2. That relationships in Christ are more permanent, and more precious, than relationships in families (and, of course, it is wonderful when relationships in families are also relationships in Christ; but we know that is often not the case);
3. That marriage is temporary, and finally gives way to the relationship to which it was pointing all along: Christ and the church—the way a picture is no longer needed when you see face to face;
4. That faithfulness to Christ defines the value of life; all other relationships get their final significance from this. No family relationship is ultimate; relationship to Christ is.

Tags: By Others, Relationships by Guest Author
1 Comment »

A while back, you may recall that the Vatican announced several new sins. But it seems to me, there’s no such thing as new sins. In fact, there are basically three types of sin which manifest themselves in various forms.

What is…sin’s essence? Playing God…acting as if you, and your pleasure, were the end to which all things, God included, must be made to function as a means. - J.I. Packer

Avah - often translated “iniquity” means to be twisted out of shape. (Ps 51:2). Tim Keller described it this way; Just as a when a bone is dislocated from it’s socket it causes great pain and damage, so a heart not centered on God is filled with deeply distorted beliefs. If you are out of alignment with God’s will, then you most likely aren’t even aware of your sin. Avah violates God’s design.

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures…hated and hating. (Titus 3:3)

Chatha - often translated “sin” means to miss the mark or target. But it’s more than missing the target, it’s to fall short so completely. Like throwing a rock at the moon will “fall short” so too our own efforts to live as God wants fall short. “Sin” is the failure to live as God wants, in peaceful harmony with Him, others and the world. If we fail to understand this, we risk becoming legalistic, thinking that we can be sin-less by not violating the “rules”. Chatha violates God’s peace.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23)

Pasha - often translated “transgression” means to willfully rebel against someone to whom you owe allegiance. (Ps 51:1, Isa 1:2). Our disobedience to God is a deliberate substitution of our will for His. Pasha violates God’s authority.

For though they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks…they exchanged the glory of the immortal God and worshiped and served created things rather than the creator (Rom 1:21-25)

Avah shows us how deep our sin is and Chatha shows us how high God’s standards are, but Pasha shows us how we are still responsible for our sin and that we must still strive to meet God’s expectations for us. And even though we can’t achieve perfection, we can be sanctified through the effort. Repentance and God’s grace make it possible for us to grow in Christ, thus not dwelling in our misery and sin.

Tags: Our Sin Nature by Luke Shiras
No Comments »

Introduction

Of all of God’s creation, none comes close in grandeur and splendor to the creation of humanity. Human beings alone were created with an image and a task, i.e., the image of God and the task to rule over God’s creation. One scholar makes the distinction between God as suzerain-king, and humanity as vassal-king. Yet, despite this wondrous blessing, humanity turned away from God’s provisions, and rebelled against this King, in an attempt to usurp the kingly rule of God. God was not overthrown; instead, it would be humanity that is ejected from the Garden of Paradise. The study of the image of God, sin, and depravity is necessary in understanding humanity’s place in God’s redemptive plan. That God would continue to show mercy and grace to a people who would continually rebel against Him (cf. Rom. 3; 5:10), is indeed amazing grace. So to understand the work of Christ, one must comprehend the fallen work of humanity to capture the full power and glory of the cross. May you worship Him as you learn of our fallenness and God’s incredible grace!

The Image of God

The term image of God is from Genesis 1:26-27:

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Humanity’s distinctiveness is marked by the very fact that human beings are the only creatures which are labeled as beings created “in the image of God.” But what exactly does it mean to be created in the image of God? Anthony Hoekema writes: “But we should note at the outset that the concept of man as the image or likeness of God tells us that man as he was created was to mirror God and to represent God.” This too is a quandary, as what it exactly means to “represent” God or “mirror” God, remains ambiguous. The Hebrew word for image is tselem which primarily means “something similar.” “Likeness” or demut in Hebrew conveys a similar meaning. But how is the human image, “similar” or in the “likeness” of God?
[Read more →]

Tags: General Info by Sam Shin
No Comments »

Christian apologetics is the field of study concerned with the systematic defense of Christianity. The term “apologetic” comes from the Greek word apologia, which means in defense of; therefore a person involved in Christian or Bible Apologetics is a defender of Christianity. Someone who engages in Christian apologetics is called a “Christian apologist”. Christian apologetics have taken many forms over the centuries, starting with Paul of Tarsus, including renowned writers such as Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas, and continuing today with the modern Christian community through authors such as Karl Keating and Jimmy Akin. Apologists have based their defense of Christianity on favoring interpretations of historical evidence, philosophical arguments, scientific investigation, and other avenues.

This Classical Greek term appears in the Koine (i.e. common) Greek of the New Testament. The apostle Paul employed the term “apologia” in his trial speech to Festus and Agrippa when he said, “I make my defense” (Acts 26:2). In the English language, the word apology, derived from the Greek word “apologia”, usually refers to asking for forgiveness for an action that is open to blame. Christian apologetics are meant, however, to argue that Christianity is reasonable and in accordance with the evidence that can be examined, analogous to the use of the term in the Apology of Socrates, written by Plato.

“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” (1 Peter 3:15).

Tags: General Info by Luke Shiras
1 Comment »