Soteriology-part 3b

Every Thursday I bring adapted teachings that I hope will help you garner a deeper, richer, truer understanding of Christianity.

The following are adapted teachings from Dr. Elmer Towns, Co-Founder of Liberty University and Dean of the B.R. Lakin School of Religion.

Soteriology part 1 

Soteriology part 2 

Soteriology part 3a

As with any man-made system there are some weakness and difficult points when it comes to Calvinism; here are a few:

Limited Atonement: Weakness-(Since this argument would take too long to explain, I am going to assume a few terms, if you are not familiar with the terms in green, you can Google them or use a Bible Commentary)  There are five main arguments against limited atonement:

1. The doctrine of substitution (Christ gave himself for the sins of the world) John 1:29, Titus 2:11, I Tim 2:6

2. Redemption is adequate, as Christ gave His blood as a ransom for sin. 1 Peter 1:18-20

3. Propitiation was made for the sin penalty of the world. 1 John 2:2

4. Jesus has satisfied the demands of the law by nailing it to His cross

   Col 2:14

5. Jesus Christ reconciled the world unto Himself by His death. 2 Cor 5:19  Eph. 2:16

 

Irresistible Grace: Weakness- There are three main arguments against irresistible grace.

1. The doctrine of conversion (man is not just a passive agent)

2. God will not force salvation on a man against his will.

3. It is recorded in the Bible that some turned against Christ after being Him.

 

Perseverance of the Saints: Weakness- This would be more aptly named preservation of the saints, as it is recorded in the Bible that not all persevere to the end, many do not finish well who start strong. 

Please note (strongly note) that I in no way intended to minimize or trivialize the immeasurable contributions of Calvin to the Christian faith.  I simply am giving you something to think about and talk concerning Calvinism.  Again, these are the lecture notes of Dr. Elmer Towns: not my original work. 

 

Soteriology-part 2

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Every Thursday I bring adapted teachings that I hope will help you garner a deeper, richer, truer understanding of Christianity.

The following are adapted teachings from Dr. Elmer Towns, Co-Founder of Liberty University and Dean of the B.R. Lakin School of Religion.

Soteriology part 1 

So, What is Calvinism?  The best way to describe Calvinism is by using an acrostic: TULIP

• T=Total Depravity-
  • Man is unwilling or unable to do anything to gain merit before God.
• U=Unconditional Election/Unmerited Favor-
  • Man obtains salvation because God began the process by choosing him without any outside influence.
• L=Limited Atonement-
  • Salvation is only for those who were chosen
• I=Irresistible Grace-
  • The grace of God is as irresistible as the power of God, so the elect cannot resist it.
• P=Perseverance of the Saints-
  • The elect will persevere until the end.

 

Please note I am condensing many many pages of reading and quotes and citations into a simple blog post due to the very nature of this blog.  If you are truly interested in understanding the theology of Calvin then please visit a local or university library; my purpose was simply to introduce you to Calvinism via the Church of the Netherlands 1619 acrostic in Dort: TULIP.  

As with any system of teaching, Calvinism has weak points, which I will discuss in my next post. 

 

Soteriology-part 1

Every Thursday I bring adapted teachings that I hope will help you garner a deeper, richer, truer understanding of Christianity.

The following are adapted teachings from Dr. Elmer Towns, Co-Founder of Liberty University and Dean of the B.R. Lakin School of Religion.

What is Soteriology? It means the study of salvation (Soteria and logos being the root words). It has four aspects

1. Atonement-The historical accomp. of Jesus on the cross
2. Conversion-The human experience in salvation
3. Regeneration-The non-experiential results of salvation (God)
4. Union with Christ-Self-explanatory

The term “salvation” identified the change wrought in the life of one who “by faith” obtains the benefits of salvation of the death of Christ.

I found this next part to be of high importance, please read carefully

Salvation is both an instantaneous event and progressive experience in the life of the believer. In other words Salvation is in three tenses: We have been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin, we are being saved from the habit and dominion of sin and we will be saved at the Lord’s return from all bodily infirmities that are the result of sin.

So, have we been saved? Are there definitive markers in our life that show we are, what the Bible calls, “A new creature”? Have we been transformed by the renewing of our mind and are we no longer conformed to the hedonistic temporal pleasures of this world? Are we resisting and fleeing temptation? Are we living a life above reproach? Is our life more and more like Christ’s; or are we still living like the world? God has given us grace which is the opposite of what we deserve. What are we doing to repay Him? (I put we because I am asking myself these questions as well)

Tune in next Thursday for part 2-Calvinism as it relates to Soteriology; arguments for and against will be presented.

Thursday’s at IHOP

“And how do we keep our balance?…Tradition!”
–Fiddler on the Roof

 

08:41PM

 

A few months back, when I came to Lufkin, I started a tradition.  After hours of doing inventory in my movie theater and other Thursday night business, I would head out to IHOP.  Sometimes my assistant managers would join me, other times my projectionist would accompany me.  It soon sprang into a weekly tradition. Employees would eagerly ask if we were still doing “the IHOP thing” on Thursday nights.  I have long since resigned and moved on from my position at the movie theater, but I still get texts, emails, and facebook messages asking me about it every Thursday.

 

Tonight is going to be the last IHOP Thursday for quite a few of my old employees.  You see, they are seniors and a majority of them are going off to college.  My advice to them:  “Start a new tradition when you arrive at college, and start it soon”.  Traditions offer one a sense of normalcy, even whilst they tread amongst the daunting shadows of unfamiliarity.  

 

I encourage all of you, if you don’t already have one, to begin a weekly or bi-monthly tradition, something that helps offer familiarity and normalcy and perhaps a brief respite from the chaos of the world. 

 

What do you think about traditions?  Do you have any?  Are you looking to start a new one?  What say you?

 

Currently listening to: Rig the Jig’s - My Home by Lough Ree (liveIreland)