I believe in God. I also believe God. “Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.” -Charles Spurgeon. Scripture is my authority for all things regarding to life and godliness. 2 Cor.10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ
"When God has spoken, that settles the matter. No room is left for debating or reasoning. It is vain for us to discuss and dispute. Our duty is to submit. The Word itself must regulate our worship and service, as well as everything else. Human opinions, human traditions, custom, convenience, have nothing to do with it. Divine revelation is our only Court of Appeal."
(A.W. Pink - Gleanings In Exodus).
To debate an issue God has already spoken on is to engage the Serpent who says "Hath God said?". We instead are to demolish, utterly destroy all arguments and thoughts that set themselves up against Christ, NOT entertain them as valid or an option!
2Co 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
1Co 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1Co 1:19 For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE."
1Co 1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
1Co 1:21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
2Co 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?
Dr. Ben Carson on Tuesday blasted his critics for heat he’s taken recently over controversial remarks on gay marriage, calling his white liberal detractors “the most racist out there.”
“They want to shut us up completely, and that’s why the attacks against me have been so vicious,” Carson said on the Mark Levin radio show. “I represent an existential threat to them. They need to shut me up, they need to get rid of me, they can’t find anything else to delegitimize me, so they take my words, misinterpret them, and try to make it seem that I’m a bigot.”
Levin said Carson was being targeted for his race.
“You’re attacked also in many respects because of your race,” Levin said. “You’re not supposed to talk like this, and a lot of white liberals just don’t like it, do they?”
“They’re the most racist people there are because they put you in a little category, a box,” Carson responded. “How could you dare come off the plantation?”
~The Hill Others who have also been in the same position: Larry Elder, Dr. Thomas Sowell, and Dr. Walter Williams.
Rom 3:9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
Rom 3:10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
Rom 3:11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
Rom 3:12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."
Rom 3:18 "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."
Rom 3:21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
Rom 3:22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Rom 3:24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
Rom 3:25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;
Rom 3:26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Repent and turn to Christ Jesus and trust in HIS finished work, HIS righteousness, HIS deity and Lordship. Apart from salvation by Him and in Him, all men will spend eternity in Hell for their eternal sin. Today is the day to see the horror if your sin before a thrice Holy God, Whose laws you have violated. Today is the day to bow before Him and cry out for His mercy. You have sinned against HIM and because God is just, you must be dealt with as a violator of His laws. This will be either through the Person and work of the risen Lord Jesus Christ who paid the full penalty for many sinners while He was without sin Himself, OR by you paying personally in Hell for eternity, having zero forgiveness because you refused to come to Christ on His terms, acknowledging your wicked sin before the holy holy holy One of Israel.
Excerpts from Voddie Baucham's article , "Gay Is Not the New Black" (please read the entire article for the full context along with all footnotes):
The
first problem with the idea of conflating "sexual orientation" and race is the
fact that homosexuality is undetectable apart from self-identification.
Determining whether or not a person is black, Native American, or female usually
involves no more than visual verification. However, should doubt remain, blood
tests, genetics, or a quick trip up the family tree would suffice. Not so with
homosexuality. There is no evidence that can confirm or deny a person's claims
regarding sexual orientation.
An
additional problem with the "gay is the new black" argument is the complete
disconnect between same-sex "marriage" and anti-miscegenation laws. First, there
is a categorical disconnect. Miscegenation literally means "the interbreeding of
people considered to be of different racial types."Ironically, the fact that
homosexuals cannot "interbreed" shines a spotlight on the problem inherent in
their logic. How can forbidding people who actually have the ability to interbreed be the same thing as
acknowledging the fact that two people categorically lack that
ability?
Therefore,
while anti-miscegenation laws denied people a legitimate right, the same cannot
be said concerning the denial of marriage to same-sex couples;one cannot be
denied a right to something that doesn't exist.
It
should be noted that the right to marry is one of the most frequently denied
rights we have. People who are already married, 12-year-olds, and people who are
too closely related are just a few categories of people routinely and/or
categorically denied the right to marry. Hence, the charge that it is wrong to
deny any person a "fundamental right" rings hollow.
There has always been, and, by necessity, will always be discrimination in
marriage laws.
Fourth,
there is a legal disconnect. One thing that seems to escape most people in this
debate is the fact that homosexuals have never been denied the right to
marry. They simply haven't had the right to redefine marriage.
However,
this reasoning is critically important in order to make the next leap in logic.
"[A] gay or lesbian person can only gain the same rights under the statute as a
heterosexual person by negating the very trait that defines gay and lesbian
people as a class---their sexual
orientation."
It is very important for those of us who oppose the idea of same-sex "marriage" to do so not because we wish to preserve our version of the American Dream, but because we view marriage as a living, breathing picture of the relationship between Christ and his church (Eph. 5:22ff), and because we know that God has designed the family in a particular way.
End quote.
For the full article that includes all footnotes and more treatment of the issue, go here.
Any other attempt whether through living together unwed or as homosexuals, is merely an imposter and a failure while trying to mimic the real deal. It will never be legitimate nor have the approval and blessing of God because anything short of a true marriage as defined by God is earning His wrath as the result of violating what HE has created and instituted.
Gen 1:27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 8 God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Gen 1:31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Gen 2:21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." 24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
Gen 1:27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Gen 2:22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." 24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
This also means I am against homosexuality because it violates God's holy laws found in His holy Word.
Pro-choice isn't for choice, the tolerant are intolerant, and the anti-bullies are very much bullies. The liberals are walking contradictions and irrational as well we hypocritical.
Rick Warren and John Piper both tweet acceptance of the unholy Roman Catholic Church's papacy, which itself is blasphemous. Apprising Ministries shows both tweets as well as the reason this is biblically wrong.
Absolutely right. Not one thing. Not who you are, not a decision you make, not some good things you've done, not the church you are in or who your parents are, not reading teh Bible, not being sorry for your sins, not feeding the poor, not building houses for the homeless. NOTHING you do can justify you before the thrice Holy God. His holiness is absolutely unattainable for you to match.
Mat 5:20 "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Rom 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
Rom 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
Rom 4:4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.
Rom 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,
Rom 4:6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Rom 4:7 "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.
Rom 4:8 "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT."
Rom 4:9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
Rom 4:10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;
Today's "missions trips" are nothing than charity events mixed with vacation. This is pathetic but very typical of today's "Christianity". They don't even seem to know the Gospel, much less have a desire to proclaim it.
Here are but a few examples to show that the Gospel must be proclaimed. Good works are not a proclaimation of Christ--even unbelievers can do "good" works (although not good enough to enter Heaven--their works are dead because they aren't in Christ Jesus nor doing things for Him). So what distinguishes the works of a Christian from that of a Buddhist or Hindu or New Ager? Silence does not proclaim Christ to dead and blind men. They cannot see your silent motive for what you do. Preaching Christ is necessary. This will likely bring persecution as Acts demonstrates so clearly, but that is a reason to rejoice. At least 16 times "heard" or "spoken" is used in relation to the Gospel. That's not counting the word "proclaim",either.
Luk 8:15 As for that in the good soil, they are those
who, HEARING THE WORD, hold it fast in
an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
Rom 10:13 For "everyone who calls on the name of
the Lord will be saved."14 How then will they call on him in whom they
have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never HEARD? And how are they to HEAR without someone preaching?15 And how are they to preach unless they are
sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach
the good news!"16 But they
have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed
what he has heard from us?"17So faith comes from HEARING,
HEARING THROUGH THE WORD OF CHRIST.
Act 4:4 But many of those who had HEARD THE WORD believed, and the number of
the men came to about five thousand.
Act 10:44 While Peter was still saying these things,
the Holy Spirit fell on all who HEARD
THE WORD.
Act 13:46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly,
saying, "It was necessary that THE
WORD OF GOD BE SPOKEN first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge
yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the
Lord has commanded us, saying, "'I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'" 44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city
gathered to HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD. 48 And when the Gentiles HEARD this, they began rejoicing and
glorifying the THE WORD OF THE LORD, and as many as were appointed to eternal
life believed. 49 And THE WORD OF THE LORD was spreading throughout the whole
region.
Act 19:10 This continued for two years, so that all the
residents of Asia HEARD THE WORD OF THE LORD, both Jews and Greeks.
Act 24:24 After some days Felix came with his wife
Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him SPEAK ABOUT FAITH
IN JESUS CHRIST.
Eph 1:13 In him you also, when you HEARD THE WORD OF
TRUTH, THE GOSPEL of your salvation, AND BELIEVED IN HIM, were sealed with the
promised Holy Spirit,
Col 1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,4 since we
HEARD OF YOUR FAITH in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for
all the saints,5 because of the hope laid up for you in
heaven. Of this you have HEARD BEFORE IN THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL,
Which is biblically right.... This: The gospel we present has eternal consequences. If it is the true gospel, it can direct men and women into the everlasting kingdom. If it is a corrupted message, it can give unsaved people false hope while consigning them to eternal damnation. This is not a trivial matter for theologians to speculate on. It is an issue every lay person must understand and get right. ~ John MacArthur or this:
The reason for saying, “when consistently worked out,” is because I think it is possible to inconsistently deny the truth of imputation while embracing other aspects of the gospel (blood bought forgiveness, and propitiation, for example), through which God mercifully saves.
I am thankful that God is willing to save us even when our grasp of the gospel may be partial or defective. None of us has a comprehensive or perfect grasp of it.
One of them is completely wrong and it's not John MacArthur.
2Co 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
2Co 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Rom 5:18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
Many who have embraced "the New Perspective on Paul" are also proposing a different slant on the doctrine of justification by faith. When the text of Scripture is interpreted in the new light, they say, Pauline support for the principle of sola fide, the doctrine of imputation, and the distinction between law and gospel doesn't seem quite so strong.
We say that's nonsense. We reject the historical and hermeneutical revisionism of the New Perspective, but regardless of how one interprets the apostle Paul, it is quite clear that Jesus taught justification by faith alone. To abandon this truth is to abandon biblical soteriology altogether.
No doctrine is more important to evangelical theology than the doctrine of justification by faith alone--the Reformation principle of sola fide. Martin Luther rightly said that the church stands or falls on this one doctrine.
Historic evangelicalism has therefore always treated justification by faith as a central biblical distinctive--if not the single most important doctrine to get right. This is the doctrine that makes authentic Christianity distinct from every other religion.Christianity is the religion of divine accomplishment--with the emphasis always on Christ's finished work. All others are religions of human achievement. They become preoccupied, inevitably, with the sinner's own efforts to be holy. Abandon the doctrine of justification by faith and you cannot honestly claim to be evangelical.
In other words, those who trust Jesus Christ for justification by faith alone receive a perfect righteousness that is reckoned to them. Those who attempt to establish their own righteousness or mix faith with works only receive the terrible wage that is due all who fall short of perfection. So the individual as well as the church stands or falls with the principle of sola fide. Israel's apostasy was rooted in their abandonment of justification by faith alone: "For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God" (Rom. 10:3).
What must we do to be saved? The apostle Paul answered that question for the Philippian jailer in the clearest possible terms: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved" (Acts 16:31).
Paul's key doctrinal epistles--especially Romans and Galatians--then expand on that answer, unfolding the doctrine of justification by faith to show how we are justified by faith alone apart from human works of any kind.
At least, that is the historic evangelical interpretation of Paul. But that's the very thing under attack by the New Perspective.
The tax-gatherer was justified. God declared him righteous,imputing to him the full and perfect righteousness of Christ, forgiving him of all unrighteousness, and delivering him from all condemnation.Forever thereafter he stood before God on the ground of a perfect righteousness that had been reckoned to his account.
That is what justification means. It is the only true gospel. All other points of theology emanate from it.
Because Federal Visionism/ New Perspective on Paul is acceptable to Piper, it may account for his tossing it aside as unnecessary to believe.Go here for a treatment on Piper's view of Justification/Federal Visionism (note: I don't accept Robbin's Convenantalism, but he's right on the rest in his critique on Piper). Also note that Piper has had Federal Visionism proponent Doug Wilson at repeated conferences, last year at the Conference For Pastors, being the most recent.
What is Justification? As John MacArthur notes:In its theological sense, justification is a forensic, or purely legal, term. It describes what God declares about the believer, not what He does to change the believer. In fact, justification effects no actual change whatsoever in the sinner's nature or character. Justification is a divine judicial edict. It changes our status only, but it carries ramifications that guarantee other changes will follow. Forensic decrees like this are fairly common in everyday life.
In biblical terms, justification is a divine verdict of "not guilty — fully righteous." It is the reversal of God's attitude toward the sinner. Whereas He formerly condemned, He now vindicates. Although the sinner once lived under God's wrath, as a believer he or she is now under God's blessing.
Justification is more than simple pardon; pardon alone would still leave the sinner without merit before God. So when God justifies He imputes divine righteousness to the sinner (Romans 4:22-25). Christ's own infinite merit thus becomes the ground on which the believer stands before God (Romans 5:19; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Philippians 3:9). So justification elevates the believer to a realm of full acceptance and divine privilege in Jesus Christ.
Therefore, because of justification, believers not only are perfectly free from any charge of guilt (Romans 8:33) but also have the full merit of Christ reckoned to their personal account (Romans 5:17). Here are the forensic realities that flow out of justification:
- We are adopted as sons and daughters (Romans 8:15) - We become fellow-heirs with Christ (v. 17) - We are united with Christ so that we become one with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17) - We are henceforth "in Christ" (Galatians 3:27) and He in us (Colossians 1:27)
Ever get the "35,000 Protestant denominations" claim from Roman Catholics? Wonder where that statistic came from? Wonder if its accurate? Here's an excellent treatment, short and sweet, with this issue by James White.
"Join me today in fasting and prayer for the 115 Cardinals seeking God's Will in a new leader." ~Rick Warren on Twitter
"The RCC’s popes usurp the titles "Holy Father" from God the Father, "The Head of the Church" from the Lord Jesus Christ and "The Vicar of Christ" from the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to send in His place."
I consider Piper to be the spiritual twin of Warren. Both see Rome the same way, both went to Fuller Theological Seminary which is VERY liberal, both were on committees of the Lausanne Congress.
Consider that Piper claims to be a Reformer. But also consider that Piper loves Roman Catholic philosopher GK Chesterton. This is why Piper must be rejected: he believes a false religion with a blasphemous leader can be a reformer of a dead church full of dead people. He sees legitimacy in Rome. Piper continues to bear bad fruit that can't be excused or justified. He's not a novice. He's not ignorant. He's well read, well educated, and claims to be a fan of the Puritans and Reformers, even claiming to be Reformed himself. If he believed in Total Depravity (T of the TULIP), then he would know that dead men are dead and lifeless and cannot change. Moreover a church of dead people is a dead church. And an anti-Christ blasphemer against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. He sided with the enemy in that post. But he's done this continually through the years, not the least of which is with Rick Warren, Mark Driscoll, and Doug Wilson.
