The Bible teaches that men are gods.
Many people cannot believe that this is true, but this is what the Word of God says, ““You are gods”. Jesus even confirmed this in the gospels saying “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? ...he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken.”
This idea that humans are actually gods frightens so many Christians who love the idea that they can do whatever they like doing, even though they believe it to be wrong, and then say that they are only human, and, besides, Jesus paid the price for our sins so we can be forgiven.
Our human weaknesses are just too many for us to be responsible for them. At least, this is the victim mentality that seems to prevail. But the victim mentality is not one that expects to find a means by which life can change; rather the victim mentality is an excuse to justify indulgence in so-called human weaknesses.
Like one spoilt sad sack I know. Being the only son of a successful prominent man in the world, he thought he would inherit his father’s wealth, so he dropped out of college, lived life as easily as he could, only to find that when his father died, instead of wealth, there were only debts. Now at the age of fifty-three he blames his father for ruining his life. Instead of getting a job or demonstrating the entrepreneurial skills he claims to possess, he sits on a couch most of the day watching TV, drinking beer and wine and waiting for someone to offer him a job as a CEO; all the time oblivious to the fact he already is a CEO (that is, a couch executive officer). The high IQ he claims for himself, according to the Bible numbers him among the fools, because he says, we came from apes; God does not exist.
Men are gods, but they shall die like men. This is what the Bible says. Men have the power to make decisions, having been made in the likeness of God, but just like men born of animal flesh, they shall return to the dust from which their chemical constitution is created.
This is the sad state of affairs. Too many people want the easy way out. Jesus said the way to destruction was easy, but the way to life was a narrow and hard way—well, hard initially, it gets easier as practice becomes the norm.
Actually, Jesus said that if you were feeling weary and heavily burdened from your labors, he would give you rest for your souls and put you in an easy yoke.
While, on the one hand, the way to life is hard, Jesus said that he would make it easy. This is a paradox. There are many contradictory truths in life, and many in the Bible. For just as the way to life is narrow and hard, it becomes easier and the potential widens. On the other hand, the way to destruction is wide and easy to enter; it narrows to become hard and unforgiving.
Originally, men were meant to be sons of the Most High, but because of disobedience and an unwillingness to accept responsibility, men shall die just like the other Earthly species.
The story of Adam and Eve demonstrates how people act. Adam blamed Eve for his sin rather than accept personal responsibility. Eve blamed the serpent for arousing her desires to indulge in the lusts of the world.
Still each one who is born has within the power to act as a god and make decisions, but unless the truth is acknowledged and responsibility taken, every human being will die as mere men; human beings made in the image of apes rather than God.
www.tencommandmentstoday.com
Monday, September 6, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Why Is The Resurrection Important?
The resurrection of Jesus is critical to the Christian message. Without the resurrection the Christian faith does not exist. Everything is wrapped up in the resurrection. If Jesus did not rise from the dead then the faith of Christians is in vain.
Some might think that the most important message of the Christians is that Jesus was born of a virgin. Others might think that it is the message of peace. Some more might think it is to love your neighbor as yourself. Then there are those who will proclaim to their own death that the most important message is the crucifixion of Jesus and he paid the price of sin for those who are to be saved. Yet it is without doubt the most important message for the world is Jesus rose from the dead.
Why is the resurrection the most important teaching of the Christians?
The resurrection of Jesus provides us with hope. If there is no resurrection of the dead then there is no hope of this life having any purpose and there is no hope of eternal life.
While the birth of Jesus is a miracle in itself, this is meaningless unless Jesus is resurrected from the dead. The fact that Jesus preached peace and preached love and performed miracles becomes meaningless if Jesus was not resurrected from the dead. The fact that Jesus was crucified and paid the price for sin on behalf of all mankind is meaningless if he was not raised from the dead.
Mohammed wrote in the Koran that Jesus was born of a Virgin, but refused to accept that Jesus rose from the dead. It is one thing to acknowledge that God can do a miracle and cause a virgin to have a child, but it is another to acknowledge that Jesus rose from the dead.
To acknowledge that Jesus rose from the dead is to acknowledge that He is alive today. More than this, to acknowledge Jesus rose from the dead is to imply that he is God in human form. Both these issues could be problematic to anyone who was attempting to start a political movement under the guise of religion.
Because Jesus rose from the dead, He is able to be known by you and me. Many people have discovered Jesus and entered into a personal relationship with Him. This is more than just believing a message. A personal relationship means something special that occurs with you and another person. God is able to do this through the Holy Spirit which is given to everyone who enters into this relationship.
This is the difference between being somebody who truly belongs to Christ and people who call themselves Christian yet do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
As the Bible states: If you believe Jesus has been raised from the dead, then you have the right to be heard by God.
www.tencommandmentstoday.com
Some might think that the most important message of the Christians is that Jesus was born of a virgin. Others might think that it is the message of peace. Some more might think it is to love your neighbor as yourself. Then there are those who will proclaim to their own death that the most important message is the crucifixion of Jesus and he paid the price of sin for those who are to be saved. Yet it is without doubt the most important message for the world is Jesus rose from the dead.
Why is the resurrection the most important teaching of the Christians?
The resurrection of Jesus provides us with hope. If there is no resurrection of the dead then there is no hope of this life having any purpose and there is no hope of eternal life.
While the birth of Jesus is a miracle in itself, this is meaningless unless Jesus is resurrected from the dead. The fact that Jesus preached peace and preached love and performed miracles becomes meaningless if Jesus was not resurrected from the dead. The fact that Jesus was crucified and paid the price for sin on behalf of all mankind is meaningless if he was not raised from the dead.
Mohammed wrote in the Koran that Jesus was born of a Virgin, but refused to accept that Jesus rose from the dead. It is one thing to acknowledge that God can do a miracle and cause a virgin to have a child, but it is another to acknowledge that Jesus rose from the dead.
To acknowledge that Jesus rose from the dead is to acknowledge that He is alive today. More than this, to acknowledge Jesus rose from the dead is to imply that he is God in human form. Both these issues could be problematic to anyone who was attempting to start a political movement under the guise of religion.
Because Jesus rose from the dead, He is able to be known by you and me. Many people have discovered Jesus and entered into a personal relationship with Him. This is more than just believing a message. A personal relationship means something special that occurs with you and another person. God is able to do this through the Holy Spirit which is given to everyone who enters into this relationship.
This is the difference between being somebody who truly belongs to Christ and people who call themselves Christian yet do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
As the Bible states: If you believe Jesus has been raised from the dead, then you have the right to be heard by God.
www.tencommandmentstoday.com
Friday, September 3, 2010
The Evil God
Most people tend to think God is good.
However, you would have to be wondering about the God who created people just to cast them into eternal punishment as being good.
The god of John Calvin apparently does this. John Calvin is still one of the most influential people within the Christian church, even though he died in the 16th century. Evidently, many theological colleges still teach his interpretation of the will of God as being sound, even though there are many Bible verses that contradict Calvin interpretation of the Bible.
One of Calvin’s so-called great Biblical truths is the doctrine of “Limited Atonement”.
This doctrine asserts that Jesus Christ only died on the cross to save a few souls and not as the Bible states to redeem the souls of every person.
The doctrine of Limited Atonement states that Jesus did not come to reconcile the world back to God but rather came to reconcile only those select people whom God created to be reconciled with Him. Everybody else God created to be condemned to eternal punishments.
The god of the Calvinists, and those who teach his doctrines, is obviously not the God of the Bible.
The God of the Bible is a loving God who desires that all men come to salvation and than none should perish.
As you can see that there is big difference between a loving and good God who desires all men to be reconciled with Him and a hateful and evil god who creates people for the sadist purpose of seeing them suffer for eternity.
The other problem with this doctrine of the Calvinists is the god they worship must have a twisted sense of reasoning because he felt the need to create people so he could reconcile them to himself.
Why would an Omniscient God, One who is all-knowing, need to create people so he could reconcile them to Himself? It just does not make sense.
The argument is that Adam needed to be reconciled and all those who were born after Adam, were born into sin and this separated humankind from God, so they need to be reconciled.
Now there is no dispute about the fact that all humankind needed to be reconciled to God because of Adam’s sin. But the doctrine of limited atonements states than only some needed to be reconciled, the rest were destined to eternal punishment.
There is no disputing that Jesus said that hypocrites were going to be cast into eternal punishment. Actually, I find it rather interesting that Jesus seemed to single out hypocrites for eternal punishment and not those who are guilty of murdering, stealing, committing adultery, telling lies or coveting.
Not that I would want to be pointing the finger at anyone in particular, but everybody knows a hypocrite when they come across one.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines a “hypocrite” as
1. “a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion” or
2. “a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings”.
In respect to the first definition, there would have to be no redemption.
In respect to the second definition, our human failings might get the better of us; otherwise we would all be condemned to hell. It is also true that our beliefs and feelings can change over time, and the grace of God allows for our ignorance.
Regarding murderers, adulterers, thieves, liars and the covetous, there is no guarantee that they will escape eternal punishment, unless they repent of their wicked ways. But, unlike those who put on a public face of being virtuous and religious and upright but are not, at least, we who recognize the error of our ways have a hope.
As for those who put on a public face, not all are involved in religion, many use religion as a convenience in the hope of a get out of jail free card or to bolster their credibility for public office.
One has to wonder about John Calvin though. He was not only a religious figure but also a political figure in Geneva. But when he instigated the slow barbecuing of the physician Michael Servetus at the stake, it is doubtful that he was acting in a flash of anger. That was a very public execution instigated by a man cloaked in the appearance of religious virtue and political guise and justified by his doctrine of limited atonement.
www.tencommandmentstoday.com
However, you would have to be wondering about the God who created people just to cast them into eternal punishment as being good.
The god of John Calvin apparently does this. John Calvin is still one of the most influential people within the Christian church, even though he died in the 16th century. Evidently, many theological colleges still teach his interpretation of the will of God as being sound, even though there are many Bible verses that contradict Calvin interpretation of the Bible.
One of Calvin’s so-called great Biblical truths is the doctrine of “Limited Atonement”.
This doctrine asserts that Jesus Christ only died on the cross to save a few souls and not as the Bible states to redeem the souls of every person.
The doctrine of Limited Atonement states that Jesus did not come to reconcile the world back to God but rather came to reconcile only those select people whom God created to be reconciled with Him. Everybody else God created to be condemned to eternal punishments.
The god of the Calvinists, and those who teach his doctrines, is obviously not the God of the Bible.
The God of the Bible is a loving God who desires that all men come to salvation and than none should perish.
As you can see that there is big difference between a loving and good God who desires all men to be reconciled with Him and a hateful and evil god who creates people for the sadist purpose of seeing them suffer for eternity.
The other problem with this doctrine of the Calvinists is the god they worship must have a twisted sense of reasoning because he felt the need to create people so he could reconcile them to himself.
Why would an Omniscient God, One who is all-knowing, need to create people so he could reconcile them to Himself? It just does not make sense.
The argument is that Adam needed to be reconciled and all those who were born after Adam, were born into sin and this separated humankind from God, so they need to be reconciled.
Now there is no dispute about the fact that all humankind needed to be reconciled to God because of Adam’s sin. But the doctrine of limited atonements states than only some needed to be reconciled, the rest were destined to eternal punishment.
There is no disputing that Jesus said that hypocrites were going to be cast into eternal punishment. Actually, I find it rather interesting that Jesus seemed to single out hypocrites for eternal punishment and not those who are guilty of murdering, stealing, committing adultery, telling lies or coveting.
Not that I would want to be pointing the finger at anyone in particular, but everybody knows a hypocrite when they come across one.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines a “hypocrite” as
1. “a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion” or
2. “a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings”.
In respect to the first definition, there would have to be no redemption.
In respect to the second definition, our human failings might get the better of us; otherwise we would all be condemned to hell. It is also true that our beliefs and feelings can change over time, and the grace of God allows for our ignorance.
Regarding murderers, adulterers, thieves, liars and the covetous, there is no guarantee that they will escape eternal punishment, unless they repent of their wicked ways. But, unlike those who put on a public face of being virtuous and religious and upright but are not, at least, we who recognize the error of our ways have a hope.
As for those who put on a public face, not all are involved in religion, many use religion as a convenience in the hope of a get out of jail free card or to bolster their credibility for public office.
One has to wonder about John Calvin though. He was not only a religious figure but also a political figure in Geneva. But when he instigated the slow barbecuing of the physician Michael Servetus at the stake, it is doubtful that he was acting in a flash of anger. That was a very public execution instigated by a man cloaked in the appearance of religious virtue and political guise and justified by his doctrine of limited atonement.
www.tencommandmentstoday.com
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Total Depravity
You may have heard of the doctrine of “Total Depravity”. If you haven’t heard of it, essentially it states that all human beings have no goodness in them at all and are incapable of doing anything good.
I was just reading a recent article published by Matthiasmedia, written by David Starling in support of this teaching. What struck me were these words:
“While the doctrine of total depravity is not at all a denial that fallen human culture is capable of accomplishing magnificent works of beauty, truth and wisdom, it does remind us that on all these works of human hands—even the most magnificent—there will be the stains and smudges of human sin.”
The above paragraph is not what the doctrine of total depravity; rather it is more in line with another teaching known as Arminianism that was accepted by John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church.
Arminius rejected Calvinism because of the view that Jesus died only for the elect and not for all people. Calvin, of course, was so arrogant that he barbecued the Spanish Physician, Michael Servetus, at the stake outside Geneva without any compunction. (Evidently, in his shortsightedness, Calvin thought he would save God the hassle of having to do it at the great judgment of all mankind.)
Paul the Apostle also signed his name to murder and the pangs of his conscience were causing him much grief; so much so, that the resurrected Jesus Christ appeared to him and asked him why did he try to fight them.
Now, let’s get back to the Calvinist doctrine of total depravity: it never ceases to amaze me how much people will go to support a position, even when it is obviously wrong, incorrect and erroneous.
The truth is that human beings are capable of doing good deeds. Even David Starling recognizes this. However, this contradicts the concept of total depravity. Since this is the case: Why support the doctrine?
It is very hard for people to admit they might be wrong because this sometimes means they will lose favor with friends or their position in society or cost them money or, as in the case of Michael Servetus, being barbecued at the stake.
While it is true that only God is good, what is meant by goodness here is more than what we think of being good means. However, man does do good deeds, even if they are only temporary and do not have eternal worth.
What I have found over the years is that a majority of people do not really want to know the truth; they tend to want to be accepted by their peers. Those who rebel against the status quo are often doing so for reasons other than seeking the truth.
If you want to know the truth, you have to admit that you did not ask to be born. I have yet to meet anybody who actually asked their parents if they could come into this world.
Since you did not ask anybody whether you could come into this world: How could you be totally depraved from birth? It just does not make sense. Yet there are those who will fight to the death in defense of the doctrine that you were born totally depraved.
David Starling further asserts: “Our children do not enter the family pristine, waiting to be messed up by the excesses of our parenting.”
Try telling that to a loving mother and father.
According to David Starling then, we can assume that every little child is damned to hell and doomed to eternal punishment; unless, of course, the child grows up a Calvinist.
Yet, oddly enough, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, for unto such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
www.tencommandmentstoday.com
I was just reading a recent article published by Matthiasmedia, written by David Starling in support of this teaching. What struck me were these words:
“While the doctrine of total depravity is not at all a denial that fallen human culture is capable of accomplishing magnificent works of beauty, truth and wisdom, it does remind us that on all these works of human hands—even the most magnificent—there will be the stains and smudges of human sin.”
The above paragraph is not what the doctrine of total depravity; rather it is more in line with another teaching known as Arminianism that was accepted by John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church.
Arminius rejected Calvinism because of the view that Jesus died only for the elect and not for all people. Calvin, of course, was so arrogant that he barbecued the Spanish Physician, Michael Servetus, at the stake outside Geneva without any compunction. (Evidently, in his shortsightedness, Calvin thought he would save God the hassle of having to do it at the great judgment of all mankind.)
Paul the Apostle also signed his name to murder and the pangs of his conscience were causing him much grief; so much so, that the resurrected Jesus Christ appeared to him and asked him why did he try to fight them.
Now, let’s get back to the Calvinist doctrine of total depravity: it never ceases to amaze me how much people will go to support a position, even when it is obviously wrong, incorrect and erroneous.
The truth is that human beings are capable of doing good deeds. Even David Starling recognizes this. However, this contradicts the concept of total depravity. Since this is the case: Why support the doctrine?
It is very hard for people to admit they might be wrong because this sometimes means they will lose favor with friends or their position in society or cost them money or, as in the case of Michael Servetus, being barbecued at the stake.
While it is true that only God is good, what is meant by goodness here is more than what we think of being good means. However, man does do good deeds, even if they are only temporary and do not have eternal worth.
What I have found over the years is that a majority of people do not really want to know the truth; they tend to want to be accepted by their peers. Those who rebel against the status quo are often doing so for reasons other than seeking the truth.
If you want to know the truth, you have to admit that you did not ask to be born. I have yet to meet anybody who actually asked their parents if they could come into this world.
Since you did not ask anybody whether you could come into this world: How could you be totally depraved from birth? It just does not make sense. Yet there are those who will fight to the death in defense of the doctrine that you were born totally depraved.
David Starling further asserts: “Our children do not enter the family pristine, waiting to be messed up by the excesses of our parenting.”
Try telling that to a loving mother and father.
According to David Starling then, we can assume that every little child is damned to hell and doomed to eternal punishment; unless, of course, the child grows up a Calvinist.
Yet, oddly enough, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, for unto such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
www.tencommandmentstoday.com
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