Theology bores Today's Christians

To learn about God's person, nature, and will is Theology;
Yet so many of God's children disdain theology. 

A soundly converted Christian loves and embraces theology because the Holy Bible is filled with it. To learn about God's person, nature, and will is Theology.

Sadly, we have lukewarm Christians who are narcissistic and want self-help messages and twist Scripture to fit their agenda. The majority who are self-professed Christians are deceived, and it will take the power of the Holy Ghost to open their eyes.

The·ol·o·gy \thē-ˈä-lə-jē\  - noun
: the study of religious faith, practice, and experience: the study of God and God's relation to the world
: a system of religious beliefs or ideas

Full Definition
1: the study of religious faith, practice, and experience; especially: the study of God and of God's relation to the world
2a : a theological theory or system 
b: a distinctive body of theological opinion <Catholic theology>
3: a usually 4-year course of specialized religious training in a Roman Catholic major seminary

Other forms: plural the·ol·o·gies

Examples
- He has an interest in theology and pastoral work.
- The bishop was opposed to the group's theology.

Origin: Middle English theologie, from Anglo-French, from Latin theologia, from Greek, from the- + -logia -logy.

First use: 14th century

Psalm 1:1-3 KJV
[1] Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. [2] But his delight is in the law of the Lord ; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. [3] And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Romans 15:4 KJV
[4] For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV
[1] Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; [2] By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. [3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; [4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV
[16] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: [17] That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1849182602066577&set=a.1687449781573194

The free agency of man renders him WITHOUT excuse

#without_excuse

Romans 1:20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."

The free agency of man renders him WITHOUT excuse.

Man's moral accountability to God, his Creator, stems from the fact that he, as a moral and rational creature made in the image of God, is a free agent.

Man, by his very constitution, is a free agent; he acts freely without being coerced by any force or influence outside of him. Therefore, he is justly held fully accountable and responsible for his every act. This truth of man lies at the foundation of God's moral government over man, His creature!

Free agency is not the same as free will. So don't raise a heckle if you have that scruple against the fact that the will of fallen man is in bondage to his fallen nature. Such a man still acts most freely without being influenced or coerced by any external force.

Whether a man is dead in trespasses and sins or regenerated, he is equally a free agent. The fall does not affect the free agency of a man at all

[A man in the prison cell still possesses free will and enjoys free agency: he is still free to do what he wants within the prison cell without any coercion outside of himself.]

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Danny
FOUR OBSERVATIONS:
1. FREE WILL is the capacity to act within the confines of one's nature under the permissive dominion of God.
2. There is no such thing as ABSOLUTE FREE WILL because even God himself is incapable of acting in a manner that is inconsistent with his nature.
3. All men possess FREE WILL.
4. Man's exercise of FREE WILL plays no participatory role in how he obtains or maintains his state of eternally saving grace.

PJay
Danny, good thoughts. I have wondered why a man is said to have "free" will if he cannot, simply by taking thought, add stature to his height?

Danny
PJay - Your question speaks to the reason for OBSERVATION 2 above. I believe that one of the issues that many trip over in understanding the concept of "free will" is based upon the flawed presupposition that the "freedom" involved must be ABSOLUTE. This is NOT the case. In fact it is NEVER the case, not even with God. We can say that God is free to do whatever he pleases to do. This is a rational and biblical statement, but it is not the same as affirming that God is free to do absolutely anything. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). That is because lying does not lie within the domain of righteousness which is the domain of things that God pleases to do. So we need to understand that "freedom" is never ABSOLUTE and is always constrained by one's nature, even for God.

Moreover, if we look at how we often refer to freedom, we never intend it in an absolute sense in common parlance. We live in a free country as free citizens (theoretically at least) but this does not afford one the freedom to commit murder, nor to defy one's own nature. We're not free to sprout feathers and fly (or add to our stature in your more biblical example). If we look carefully into how we invoke the notion of freedom, we will find it constrained in many ways - whether spoken or implicit.

I tried to preach on this a few years ago... https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=7101708105

Sing
PJay, a man is completely free in taking thoughts, the most fantastic and outrageous thoughts he is capable of, but adding to his stature involves a whole lot more than mere thoughts. That's another confusion.

Danny
Sing - And yet, even man's thoughts are constrained by the finite nature of his mind. There are things that one man may think of which another man may not possess the capacity to think. The more we examine the way that we speak of such "freedoms" we find them constrained in many ways, which further underscores OBSERVATION 2.

[sing: Freedom of thought and capacity for thought are two distinct matters; both the dullest mind and the brightest mind enjoy the freedom of thought, though they may differ greatly in the capacity for thought.

PJay
Sing, if such a man would be so humble as to bend himself low and shod his feet with the preparation of the gospel, then perhaps the Lord would add height to his stature.

PJay
Danny: in response to your response to me, I agree. My comment was really about people who haven't considered the limits of the free-ness of the will.

Danny
PJay- Understood. I think that many Christians disregard the unavoidable limitations that exist on ALL freedom by saying, "If there are limits, then you're not truly free." Helping folks to see that there's no such thing as ABSOLUTE FREEDOM is helpful in bringing them along the path to a proper understanding, IMO.

Interesting discussion.

Sing
Danny, why don't you make some observations on free agency? You know the difference between free will and free agency, right?

Danny
Strictly speaking, neither “free will” nor “free agency” are the language of scripture. As a result, one must explicitly define what is intended by those terms if they endeavor to use them in reference to scripture. I do not use the term “free agency” as a means of clarifying the matter of “free will.” I prefer providing a proper definition of the concept of “free will” that is consistent with what the Bible teaches on the matter of man’s will and man’s nature. That said, I’m interested in hearing more about your approach as it relates to the distinction between “free will” and “free agency.” I can see where one could build a coherent position in this manner that is consistent with the Bible’s testimony.

======

Craig 
Amen... indeed, all men as moral creatures are fully accountable and responsible for their actions. Good post!

Charles
Then the regenerate have free will while all men have free agency, right?
The elect before God will have accountability for their free will, right?

Sing
The will of the regenerate has been set free from its bondage to sin, and is commanded and held responsible to respond to and obey God's will for them.

The context of divine sovereignty and its corollary of human responsibility is STRICTLY in the sphere of redemption - the human responsibility of those redeemed to do the will of their Redeemer!

Linda
By the Grace of God there go I. He is able to keep me.

Scratch a Calvinist hard and you get an Arminian

 "Scratch a Calvinist [hard] and you get an Arminian; both need conditions...."
-- Michael Lim

Brother Michael, you have stated a bitter truth so sweetly. God bless you, brother... God bless you... that you can see through it all!

Now, you can spot a real, genuine counterfeit, and that's no small feat! That is a signal indication of growth in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Both the Calvinists and the Arminians deny eternal salvation by free grace alone, even though BOTH rave and rant and claim that they believe in some version of salvation by grace!

Both belief systems REQUIRE various conditions to be met by men for ETERNAL SALVATION!
=========

Dellis 
You might want to do some more homework.
Calvinists do believe in eternal security. I believe the P in TULIP explains it

But humour me and do list the conditions. All you did was say you don't like me without saying why... If you want to add the fact that one must be regenerated as a condition, I'll give you that, But I myself know of none else. Philippians 4:19

But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Sing F Lau
Dellis 
- First, the point is not whether the Calvinists believe in eternal security. Eternal security is a distinct subject from eternal salvation.
- Second, the Calvinists do believe in eternal security, BUT CONDITIONED UPON man's perseverance. They INSIST that those don't and can't persevere WERE NEVER God's children to begin with! They insist that only those who persevere in a life of faith and holiness TO THE END are truly God's children; all the rest are not.
- Third, in their reckoning, those who make shipwreck of their faith go to the lake of fire; they insist that such were never God's children... because they never persevere to the end.
- Fourth, the new-school Calvinists have completely perverted the truth on P of the TULIP.
- Fifth, the new-school Calvinists have completely perverted the truth on I of the TULIP.

Sing F Lau
Dellis @ 'But humour me and do list the conditions.

I will answer your request by asking you, a Calvinist, a few questions. Please answer these simple questions, and you will humour yourself with what you desire.

1. According to Calvinists, can a man have ETERNAL SALVATION without the preaching of the gospel?
- Or don't the Calvinists believe that unless there is preaching, there can be no regeneration?

2. According to Calvinists, can there be an effectual call unto ETERNAL SALVATION without the preaching of the gospel?
- Or do the Calvinists believe that without preaching of the gospel, there would be no effectual call, therefore no ETERNAL SALVATION?
- Don't the Calvinists CONDITION the effectual call upon the condition of preaching the gospel?

3. According to Calvinists, can a man have ETERNAL SALVATION without hearing and believing the gospel?
- Or do the Calvinists insist that hearing the gospel and believing it are necessary to ETERNAL SALVATION?
- And how much hearing and believing of the truth is necessary to secure ETERNAL SALVATION?

4. According to Calvinists, can a man have ETERNAL SALVATION WITHOUT faith (faith being man's act of believing)?
- Or do the Calvinists insist on justification before God by faith alone, i.e. no faith, no justification before God (faith being man's act of believing, and justification being the reversal of the condemnation of death)

Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord

March 4, 2024

Hebrews 12:14 NIV
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Good morning, Sir. May I ask:
- Why is it stated here that without holiness no one can see God?
- Won't all the elect go to heaven to be with God?

-------------

Hebrews 12:14 KJT
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

1. Preliminaries:
a. Please note the differences in the translations. Can you spot them? 
- List them.

b. Is the text’s "see the Lord" the same as your "go to heaven to be with God" or are they different? Why?

c. You asked: Won't all the elects go to heaven to be with God?
- Yes, all the elect shall finally be effectually called and made perfectly fit for eternal glory; they shall enter heaven to be with God after their resurrection to glory when Christ come again.
- John 6:39 "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."
- “The last day”, the day of general resurrection and great judgment, and ushering in of the eternal state of blessedness.
- "I should lose nothing": i.e. every elect given to Christ shall be with God in heaven after the resurrection to glory.
- "I should lose NOTHING"; no not one.

2. Let us make some observations:
a. "follow" (dioko) is the right translation, " make every effort" is an interpretation and an application. Translators must do the translators’ job; leave the interpretation and application to the pastors/teachers
- To follow requires making every effort and much more.

b. The verb “follow” (present, active, imperative, second person plural) applies equally to both "follow peace with all men" and "holiness;" follow peace with all men, and follow holiness.
- “to follow” - to run swiftly in order to catch a thing. Check BlueLetterBible.
- “Follow holiness” is a duty the Lord commands (present, active, imperative, second person plural). Unto whom is the commands given???

c. "Follow peace with all men" - "all men": not exhaustively, i.e. everyone, but all sorts of men; even the enemies, the poor, the ignorant, weak, the antagonists, those you consider as heretics, etc.
- Romans 12:18— "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."
- What’s the opposite? Hostile, divisive, my way or the highway, cut-cut-cut, etc.

d. "without WHICH..." the pronoun "which" refers to noun immediately preceding it, "holiness". Some say both.
- “Follow holiness” (present, active, imperative, second person plural) is a duty the Lord commands; it is a condition that must be met to be able to see Him.
- Thus, seeing the Lord is conditioned upon the human effort of pursuing practical holiness.
- Thus, seeing the Lord can only be understood in the sphere of TEMPORAL salvation, and NOT seeing the Lord in the sense eternal salvation.
- Seeing the Lord in the eternal sense is assuredly and immutably guaranteed by the finished work of Christ ALONE.
- Anything that requires human effort is in the realm of temporal salvation; it is “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, Phi 2:12.

3. To whom are these words addressed?
a. Read from the beginning of the chapter… see what each verse describes.
- These words are addressed to God's children, the elect whom God has effectually called to grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.
- "... God dealeth with you as with sons." v7
- “… but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

b. Only such are capable of following holiness, i.e. to follow to run swiftly in order to catch a thing, to run in pursuit of practical holiness; to press on in a race runs swiftly to reach the goal of practical godliness.
- In WHAT sense without pursuing holiness no man shall see the Lord?

c. All the elect, without exception are effectually called and made perfectly fit for eternal glory; they shall enter heaven to be with God after their resurrection to glory when Christ come again.
- Every one of them shall most certainly see the Lord in this ETERNAL sense.

d. Every child of God (by the effectual call), whether outwardly called by the gospel or not, shall be resurrected/transformed unto eternal glory at the last day. A child of God is there by the sovereign divine act of the effectual call; the gospel ministry instructs and informs him and makes him wise concerning his eternal salvation by the grace of God.
- The divine effectual call relates to eternal salvation; gospel call relates to temporal salvation. The grace of God teaches “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Titus 2:12.  This is “follow holiness.”
- Every child of God, whether outwardly called by the gospel or not, shall be resurrected/ transformed unto eternal glory; every one of them shall most certainly see the Lord in that sense.
- John 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." [Do you believe what is plainly declared here? ONLY when Christ come again, we shall be with Him where He is.]

4. Then what's the sense of: without holiness, no man shall see the Lord?
a. So, in what sense without holiness none of God's children shall see the Lord?
- The command is addressed to God’s children;
- “Follow holiness” is a duty performed by God’s children.
- The non-performance of it shall prevent them from seeing the Lord.

Let us ask some apt questions to assist us in rightly dividing the word of truth. 

Q. In what sense will God's children not see the Lord without their “follow holiness?”

Q. If one shall not see the Lord, then where will he be?

Q. If one shall not see the Lord, then when shall this be, what period of time shall this be? 

Q. Does your understanding of the distinction between the temporal and eternal salvation help you in understanding the passage?

Q. Does your understanding of the distinction between temporal intermediate state of paradise/hell and eternal state of heaven/lake of fire assist you in rightly dividing the word of truth?

Q. What is the holiness commanded to be followed?

-----

Some possible responses:
1. ALL God’s children, without exception, follow holiness, all shall see the Lord. 
- Therefore, the command and warning are irrelevant to God’s children. 
- Those who follow not holiness CANNOT possibly be God’s children to begin with.
- These are poplar fables even among the reformed people.

2. The warning is addressed to those dead in trespasses and sins. God commands them to follow holiness!

3. The warning is addressed to God's children; those who follow not holiness will not see the Lord during the intermediate state (between physical death and general resurrection). 

All Spiritual Blessings in heavenly places - Eph 1:3

 

#all_spiritual_blessings

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ...." Eph 1:3

1. Some of those spiritual blessings...
- election: "he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world..."
- predestination: "Having predestinated us ..."
- adoption: "unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself..."
- acceptance: "he hath made us accepted..."
- redemption: "we have redemption through his blood...
- forgiveness: "the forgiveness of sins..."
- revelation: "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will..."
- inheritance: "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance..."
- sealing: "ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise..."

2. The basis of spiritual blessings in heavenly places...
- "IN Christ" v3.
- "by Jesus Christ to himself" v5.
- "in the beloved" v6.
- "through his blood" v7.
- "in Christ... even in him" v10.
- "in whom..." v11.

3. The manner these spiritual blessings come to the recipients:
- "according to the good pleasure of his will..." v5
- "according to the riches of his grace..." v7
- "according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself..." v9.
- "according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:" v11.
- according to the working of his mighty power, v19

May the Lord bless these gospel truths to your hearts. Amen.