Saved Sinner – That’s Me.

 

If you read my Facebook page you might surmise that because of my posts. I must be a good person. I can tell you that I am a Christian and that the Holy Spirit indwells me. I am justified by Christ Jesus taking my sins on Himself on the Cross and the sin debt I owe is paid by His shed blood in my stead.

I accessed that forgiveness of my sins by believing on Christ Jesus (John 3:16). That I might not perish but inherit eternal life. Then because I repented and was baptised, I received forgiveness for my sins and the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). The work of the Holy Spirit during my life time is to sanctify me and make me a vessel of the living God, to make me holy and a temple of the Living God.

So am I really a good person? I’m better that I was when I first believed but I am still a human being. I have be saved in Jesus Christ in every way that matters but I am not perfect and I believe I will not be perfect this side of glory. This side of the resurrection unto eternal life.

Does this apply to all Christians? Personally, my experience is that there are some Christians who live a more pure life than others. We are all different and experience the revelation of God in ourselves at different rates. Some like myself struggle to pull away from the world and its influence while others grow closer to God more rapidly. They are faster to lead a repentant life that is along the lines laid out in the Bible. The point is as I mentioned earlier we are all different.

There is no one size fits all in Christianity. Some people become legalistic and judgemental at some stage in their Christian walk. They can be intolerant toward those who don’t believe and feel justified in preaching aggressively to them. They might harangue people with the gospel, thinking to force them to believe. The problem is that their is no love in that type of evangelism. It drives more people away than it reaches.

Just as there are the hardline fundamentalists there are those who are more inclusive and who are careful to love God with all of their hearts, all of their souls, all of their minds and all of their strength. It is important to place God first, to worship Him before all else and this leads to a more stable and loving form of relationship with God. In this style of Christianity it is important to love your neighbour as you love yourself which once again includes love for everyone equally.

The fact is that all Christians are people and all people are fallen. Christians are simply in the process of being restored into a holistic spiritual relationship with the Creator as Adam and Eve were before they disobeyed God and fell. We won’t be fully restored until we finish this life and are resurrected into the Kingdom of God.

So try not be too hard on the Christians you know. They are striving to assimilate all that the Holy Spirit is revealing in them and the knowledge that they are gaining from God’s word as they grow in faith and in God’s Grace. This leads them along different paths and results in learning experiences which will wear off the rough edges over time but at different rates.

If you read the gospels and focus on what Jesus had to say and how He treated those He interacted with. You will find that when He spoke to the authorities He was very direct and didn’t mince words. However, when he spoke to individuals he was mostly very loving, very patient, very kind and very gentle and when the situation called for it very merciful. He demonstrated to those he helped that He cared very deeply about their lives and the situations in which they found themselves. This is how Christians should act as well.

Christians are just people too.

Oy vey Updated

 

 

Oy vey (Yiddish: אױ װײ) is a Yiddish phrase expressing dismay or exasperation. Also spelled oy vay, oy veh, or oi vey, and often abbreviated to oy, the expression may be translated as "oh, woe!" or "woe is me!" Its Hebrew equivalent is oy vavoy (אוי ואבוי, ój va'avój).

I attend church irregularly. Not something to be proud of but there you are. One reason is that I haven't found a church that I would agree with theologically in Rotorua. I am, you see, a Fundamentalist Christian and believe in the Five Fundamentals:

1. The inspiration of the Bible by the Holy Spirit and the inerrancy of Scripture as a result of this.
2. The virgin birth of Christ.
3. The belief that Christ's death was an atonement for sin.
4. The bodily resurrection of Christ.
5. The historical reality of Christ's miracles 
   

In addition, I believe that Salvation is based on a Holy Spirit inspired choice where the convicted sinner chooses to believe on Christ's redemptive work on the Cross or rejects the same. I also believe in the separation of Church and State.The bottom line is that while their are many fundamentalist Christians in amongst the Churches where I live there are no fundamentalist Churches per se.

The Church I attend is a Calvinist Reformed Church and I attend it because I love the folks there. However, the theology I find somewhat confronting. Reformed Churches are inherently addicted to the writings of John Calvin and the precepts of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Quotations from either turn up regularly in sermons. As a non Calvinist I find them very troubling. They impact the individual perception of the character of God while at the same time removing the believer from their proximity to the Gospel and the Great Commission. 

This teaching draws a line under John 6:44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." and builds a wall around John 3:16 -17 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him."

You may wonder what I mean here? Calvinists focus on John 6:44 and paraphrase it "No one is elect unless the Father chooses them."This fits with the premise that all men are totally depraved and cannot choose salvation for themselves unless God chooses it for them. Thus, all men are chosen to eternal life or eternal damnation by God from the beginning.

If you are elect, then everything you need to be justified and sanctified is included in God's grace which is made available to you without reservation. However, this same grace is withheld from the damned even though when the decision was made by God they had not lived. So, one man finds favor and another man is damned by an arbitrary decision of God made before the beginning of time. This is in Calvinist terms a decision made by the sovereign will of God.

This is what Calvinists believe in contradiction of what Jesus said in John chapter three. Here Jesus speaks to Nicodemis of  the need to be born again of the Spirit and of water. When Nicodemus questions Jesus over this Jesus points out to him that if he cannot believe these earthly things then how will he believe Heavenly things. The point here is that Jesus indicates Nicodemus must personally believe and make a decision about his thoughts on the matter of being born again in the Spirit and of water. God doesn't choose for him.

In John 3:16 -17, Jesus tells us the God so loved the World that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes on him shall not perish but have eternal life. Verse seventeen goes on to say the God did not send the Son to judge the World but to save it. So, contrary to the Calvinist view God intended by sending the Son to make atonement, through his shed blood at Calvary, available to all of the World. Further he doesn't judge the World, He desires to save it which would preclude the idea of a former judgement made by God at the foundation of the World where people were arbitrarily judged before they had lived. This scripture underlines individual choice by the sinner about whether they will accept the gospel or reject it.

Church

So, when I spoke to the Pastor at Church last Sunday and commended his sermon because it was a good one in my humble opinion. He said "Thanks for coming." Which I took as a dig at my sporadic attendance noting that he had not bothered to inquire about at any point. In hindsight this may have been an over reaction on my part.

Over reaction or not this inspired my fundamentalist furor and caused me to reflect that if I were ever to be made proctor of the region. We'd be training our Pastor's to ask a few questions before they take the usual snipe at potential congregants for not coming every week. Which he may not have been doing?

I'd also institute regular book burning ceremonies for the likes of the Westminster Confession of Faith and the writings of John Calvin. I guess we could throw some of Ellen White's works and possibly some of Charismatic Churches favorite writings in the fire as well. I imagine the look of shock and horror on your face as you read this. Oh come on, I am a fundamentalist after all!

I mean, it is rumored the we fundamentalists don't play well with other Christians. In fact, Pope Francis says we have to go. It appears we are a spanner in the works of Church Tradition. You all ways know when you are making a difference. People start crying you down and trying to get rid of you. Oh well, I suppose we are the victims of our own success.

It has been a rough couple of weeks folks. Two tragic deaths affecting the whanau and and two personal friends have passed away. Challenging bicycle update projects and helping the women folk on a major interior painting mission. I'm feeling a bit cantankerous at the moment. I'll settle down, I promise.

Reference List

Christian Fundamentalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_fundamentalism 6/01/25

The Parable of the Ten Virgins in a Nutshell

 

The Parable of the Ten Virgins…

 
Matthew chapter twenty five verses one to thirteen. “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps, but took no oil with them. But the wise took jars of oil with their lamps.  While the bridegroom delayed, they all rested and slept.

“But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.  But the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps have gone out.’

 “The wise answered, ‘No, lest there not be enough for us and you. Go rather to those who sell it, and buy some for yourselves.’

 “But while they went to buy some, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

 “Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us.’

 “But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’

 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2025&version=MEV>

So what is this passage about? Five virgins were wise and took extra oil in flasks with their lamps. Five were foolish and took their lamps but not extra oil. At midnight the Groom came and the virgins trimmed their lamps. The wise virgins had extra oil and had no problem but the foolish virgins lamps were going out. So they asked the wise virgins to share their oil. They said no, because there wouldn't be enough oil for all of them and told the foolish virgins to go and buy more oil. Thus, the foolish virgins left to get more oil but while they were gone the Groom came and the wise virgins went into the wedding feast with Him. Later the foolish virgins came also but were not allowed to enter in to the wedding feast.

 

The oil represents the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the strength of the faith of the wise virgins. It is the evidence of the Holy Spirit sanctifying their hearts and minds. It is the action of repentance and their testimony before others.  The visibility of their walk with Jesus Christ to those around them. It is the good works and the dedication to their Savior and the measure to which the wise virgins have surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives. Christians have plenty of oil in their lamps when they are walking in obedience to God and when it can be said that they are walking in the Spirit.

 

The foolish virgins could be said to be those among us who have some belief in a higher power or those who are brought up in Christian families but who never really commit to believing on Jesus Christ and surrendering their lives to the guidance and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. Maybe, they adhere to a form of godliness by deny the power (2Timothy 3:5). However, when they come into the presence of Jesus Christ they find themselves sadly lacking in the things that please God and are turned away. Be sure that this is not you.

 

Jesus warns us in this scripture to take stock of our lives and to make sure we have the oil in our lamps so that we shine and radiate the righteousness of Jesus Christ. That we stand on a hilltop shining brightly and broadcasting the truth of salvation in Christ Jesus to all of the World. Our faith is to be based on action and as the apostle James says "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%202&version=MEV>

Finally, you may know that you have the wisdom of the wise virgins when you love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind and with all of your strength. Also, when you love your neighbor as you love yourself (Mark 12:29-31). This what Jesus said and you can be sure if you base your life around this scripture then you will be a pleasing aroma before Yahweh Elohim.

 

 

John Chapter Three Verses One to Three.

 

Jesus and Nicodemus

 

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 

 

From <https://biblehub.com/kjv/john/3.htm>

 

Nicodemus was a man of the Pharisees and a ruler of the Jews. He came to see Jesus at night, secretly, so that no one would know he was enquiring of the Savior. This was relatively early in Jesus ministry and already Nicodemus was wondering who was this man, this Rabbi, about whom he had heard so much? Nicodemus said "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher come from God for no one can do the miracles you do except God be with Him? Jesus vexed him even further saying "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.?

 

Even rulers of the Jews took Jesus seriously. You see Nicodemus suspected that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah. He hoped Jesus was come to deliver Israel from the rule of the Romans but what he found was the Light of the World come to save fallen mankind from his sins. The only begotten Son of God come to save Nicodemus from his sins.

 

What about you, who do you say Jesus is? Are you weighed down by a load of sin? Do you need to be set free? You do you know? You need to believe on Jesus and just as Jesus said to Nicodemus. You need to be born again to see the Kingdom of God. Where will you spend your eternity?

Romans Chapter Six verses One through Twenty Three

 

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Just as the Law makes us sinners. Paul asks should we sin so that God’s grace may grow, more and more, to free us from sin. He answers “Certainly not.” Rather we are baptized into the death of Christ Jesus that we may participate in His resurrection unto the newness of life. We are to be dead to sin and become alive in Christ.

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, as we are one with Christ Jesus in his death we are also one with Him in his resurrection. In Christ our flesh was crucified with Him. The result is that our fleshly sinful selves are done away with and we are enslaved to sin no longer. If we died with Christ we will live with Him. Therefore, being alive in Christ Jesus, sin no longer reigns over us. Christ has set us free as He is free from sin Himself having overcome it. So we must reckon ourselves dead to sin but alive to righteousness in Christ Jesus.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

We are then not to allow sin to reign in our bodies calling us to unrighteousness and dragging us away from God. Paul exhorts us to present ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness. Sin no longer dominates over us because we are no longer under the law but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace. May it never be. If we sin we are the slaves of sin and if we are obedient we are the slaves of righteousness in Christ Jesus. Believing on Christ Jesus we are delivered and set free from sin and lead our lives in His service unto righteousness and eternal life.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In our sins, we laboured unto death and the fruit of our labours was unrighteousness. Now in Christ, we are free from sin and have fruit unto righteousness and to eternal life. The wages that we should reap is death. The gift of God in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is Eternal life.

Calvinism - In Basis...

 

Calvinism

noun

Cal·​vin·​ism ˈkal-və-ˌni-zəm 

 

: the theological system of Calvin and his followers marked by strong emphasis on the sovereignty of God, the depravity of humankind, and the doctrine of predestination

 

From <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Calvinism>

 

Scriptures which underpin Calvinist precepts.

 

Those in Christ are predestined from the foundation of the world.

 

Ephesians 1:4-5 ESV 

 

Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

 

We are predestined to election or to damnation though we were not born and had done neither good or bad.

 

Romans 9:11-13 ESV

 

Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

 

The Father gives us to Christ Jesus and we will never be cast out. Everyone who looks on the Son should have eternal life and be raised on the last day.

 

John 6:37-40 ESV  

 

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

 

We are foreknown and predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. We are also called, justified and glorified in Christ Jesus.

 

Romans 8:29-30 ESV 

 

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

 

Our salvation is dependent on the mercy of God not our own will or works.

 

Romans 9:16-18 ESV 

 

So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

 

We are called to a holy calling because of grace not our own works.

 

2 Timothy 1:9 ESV

 

Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

 

We are appointed to salvation.

 

Acts 13:48 ESV 

 

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

 

Christ Jesus chose us to bear fruit.

 

John 15:16 ESV

 

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

 

We are saved not by our righteous works but according to mercy, by the actions of the Holy Spirit.

 

Titus 3:5 ESV 

 

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

 

We are called to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession

 

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

 

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

Philippians 1:29 ESV 

 

 

From <https://www.openbible.info/topics/scriptures_that_underpin_calvinism>

 

No comes to Jesus Christ unless the father draws him.

 

 John 6:44

English Standard Version

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day

 

From <https://biblia.com/bible/esv/john/6/44> 

What Does TULIP Stand for?

The meaning of each letter is listed below, with further brief explanations from R. C. Sproul’s book, What is Reformed Theology?

T - Total depravity: Humanity’s radical corruption

U - Unconditional Election: God’s sovereign choice

L - Limited atonement: Christ’s purposeful atonement

I - Irresistible grace: The Spirit’s effective call

P – Perseverance of the saints: God’s preservation of the saints

Calvinism is indeed the theological system of Calvin and his followers marked by strong emphasis on the sovereignty of God, the depravity of humankind, and the doctrine of predestination. It has a strong basis in scripture as has been established by the scriptures reproduced above. The TULIP acronym stands as a representation of the thinking of those who hold Calvinism to be their truth. It declares the final result of predestination being individual salvation while accepting the depravity of mankind and our inability to save ourselves. At the same time it declares God's Sovereignty over our election, acknowledges that God is the authority over who is atoned for and God's Lordship in applying grace and preserving the elect.

 

Halloween in a Nutshell

 

 

 

When we think of Halloween we often think of children running around dressed as ghosts and ghouls. Knocking on doors and trick or treating and gathering sweets and having a lovely, if scary time. What could be the harm, right.

 

The contrast to this point of view might be that this festival is based on All Hallows Day or the festival of Samhain celebrated from October 31 to November 1 in Ireland. This was to usher in the dark half of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and thought to allow more traffic through the barriers between the physical and spiritual world. Thus more spiritual activity with ghosts and ghouls in evidence. Added to this and noted, by Julius Caesar, of the Druids was human and animal sacrifices in wicker containers that were set alight to burn their occupants.

 

So, how does all of this effect Christians and their decision to participate in this festival of Halloween. In the book of Judges at chapter 2 verses 12 -13 "The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. They abandoned the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt." MEV

 

When, the people of Israel switched worship to other God's, God judged them and delivered them into the hands of their enemies. He then raised a judge whom He supported and delivered them from the hands of their enemies as they repented.

 

However, the main issue here is that they broke the Commandments of God.

 

Exodus chapter 2 verse 2 - 5

 

1. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2.  You shall not make for yourself any graven idol, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water below the earth.  You shall not bow down to them or serve them…

 

So, my point here is that it doesn't matter how attractive Halloween is or, how culturally delightful, or, how harmless it seems to you. What matters is the it is called Halloween and that it is an event driven by spiritual forces of darkness to encourage people, Christian and other, to hallow, venerate and worship various pagan entities and deities. All of this by participating in the event.

 

By doing this as a Christian, you are placing gods before Yahweh and by participating in the event you are effectively bowing down to them or, serving them. You are breaking the first two commandments and you know this is true if the Holy Spirit is in you.