This is how I look at it. look at Genesis 2. God tells adam to eat any tree, except one. This sounds to me like there is alot of freedom, a whole lot of choices that God’s ok with but there is still bad choices. Wheather it’s compeltly, theologically, true or not it’s a healthy way to appoach it because we won’t get so caught up in legaisitc obligation to a single path. The bible teaches free will and pre-destination; it’s a paradox. Most theology is at least a little paraoxical. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in studying theoogy it is that there is never an easy answer, never a clear cut “yes” or “no.” It’s always difficult. And so, since I am not scholar or prophet, I simply try to find the healthiest way of looking at it, while keeping myself open to the possiblility that I might be wrong.

Thanks for stopping through my blog. Interesting post and interesting comments. While I don’t agree with every jot of everything you wrote, overall, very well said and very helpful.

I believe a few of your commenters would be well-benefitted to read John Owen’s “Moritificaton of Sin” instead of constructing artifical ‘either-or’ scenarios and then painting one as ‘Calvinist’ that does not match up with what Calvinists believe. It’s helpful, when criticizing a position others hold, to actually read their works and not simply read yours and what someone who agrees with you writes about someone else.

But that’s a rabbit trail for another blog. 🙂 Take care. I’ll probably add you to the blogroll soon.

Grace and Peace in Christ,
Kerry

God bless!

In case I do know you somehow, since your name sounds so familiar, my grandpa was a superintendant in the Free Methodist Church years ago, and his name is Phillip Ward. My dad is Tim Ward and his sisters and brother are Vicki Rice, Becki Jewett, Wendy (was Garnand) Powell, and Jim Ward. Anyone sound familiar by chance?

Anyway, thank you for posting on my blogger. I might be back to your blog when I have more time, but I need to do homework now. Thanks!

What is sin? Good question, we really need to know from our Lord a clear definition, so…
What does the WORD say?
1Jo 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

In another place God tells us…Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because [he eateth] not of faith: for whatsoever [is] not of faith is sin.

What general promise is given to the overcomer?
“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.” Rev. 21:7.

What is it to overcome?
To vanquish, to conquer, to be victorious. – Webster.

What must be overcome to realize the promises to the overcomer?
“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil.” Rom. 12:21. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.” 1 John 5:4.

What is meant by overcoming the world?
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.” 1 John 3:9.

What, then, must we exercise in order to claim the promise of inheriting all things?
“But godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” 1 Tim. 4:8.

Who alone can overcome?
“Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:5.

By what means are we enabled to overcome?
“This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4. “And they overcame him [Satan, the originator and disseminator of sin, verse 9] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.” Rev. 12:11.

Who gives us strength to overcome? and through whom is it bestowed?
“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:57. “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” Rom. 8:37.

What is one important purpose of the promises given in the Bible?
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4.

What is one of the greatest promises given to the overcomer?
“And this is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life.” 1 John 2:25.

Name some of the precious things promised to the overcomer.
(1) He shall eat of the tree of life. Rev. 2:7.
(2) He “shall not be hurt of the second death.” Rev. 2:11.
(3) He shall eat of the hidden manna, and receive a white stone, and “in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” Rev. 2:17.
(4) He shall have power over the nations. Rev. 2:26.
(5) He shall be clothed in white raiment; and his name shall not be blotted out of the book of life, but shall be confessed before the Father and the angels. Rev. 3:5.
(6) He shall be a pillar in the temple of God forever, and Christ will write upon him God’s name, and the name of the New Jerusalem, and his own new name. Rev. 3:12.
(7) He shall sit with Christ on His throne. Rev. 3:21.
(8) He “shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.” James 1:12.

Have any of those who in the past have sought to receive the promises, as yet come into their possession?
“And these all [those enumerated in Heb. 11] , having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.” Heb. 11:39.

When will these precious promises be realized?
“Ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry.” Heb. 10:36, 37.

What manner of persons ought we to be, as we see the time approaching when the promises are to be realized?
“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” 2 Peter 3:14.

What will be the condition of those who realize the promises?
“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 7:9-12.

May we all call upon the Lord for His strength so that we may exhibit to the world His love and power in our lives. If we don’t meet one another on this earth, may we see each other in the promised land.

Relative to sin and holiness…”what is original sin?”

Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God’s command. This is what man’s first sin consisted of (Gen 3:1-11; Rom 5:19). All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness.

In that sin man preferred himself to God and by that very act scorned him. He chose himself over and against God, against the requirements of his creaturely status and therefore against his own good. Constituted in a state of holiness, man was destined to be fully “divinized” by God in glory. Seduced by the devil, he wanted to “be like God”, but “without God, before God, and not in accordance with God” (St. Maximus the Confessor). Scripture portrays the tragic consequences of this first disobedience. Adam and Eve immediately lose the grace of original holiness (Rom 3:23).

Through that sin, harmony with creation is broken. After that first sin, the world is virtually inundated by sin. All men are implicated in Adam’s sin, as St. Paul affirms: “By one man’s disobedience many (that is, all men) were made sinners”: “sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned.” (Rom 5:12,19) The Apostle contrasts the universality of sin and death with the universality of salvation in Christ. “Then as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men.” (Rom 5:18)

The consequences of original sin and of all men’s personal sins put the world as a whole in the sinful condition aptly described in St. John’s expression, “the sin of the world”. (John 1:29) This dramatic situation of “the whole world [which] is in the power of the evil one” (John 5:19, 1 Peter 5:8) makes man’s life a battle:

The whole of man’s history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day. Finding himself in the midst of the battlefield man has to struggle to do what is right, and it is at great cost to himself, and aided by God’s grace, that he succeeds in achieving his own inner integrity.

I think that last paragraph speaks, at least in part, to the thrust of your blog: What is sin and What does it mean to live a holy life? Sin is a disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness. Holiness is the daily battle, the hourly struggle, the minute-by-minute fight to successfully defeat temptation and evil,…and, with the assistance of God’s power, spirit, and grace,…obediantly live God’s will.

God bless you!

-Dave.

God Bless,
Mimi

Call it whatever you like and come at it from whatever theological persuasion you adhere to. But, my responsibility as a Christian is to be Holy. There are marks of a holy life. I think I will post on that in the very near future. That is after all, the thrust of my blog.

Thanks to all who are stopping by and leaving your thoughts. Keep it up!

~Kevin

Here is a good definition of three theologies re: calvinism
from
gotquestions.org

This is a very good site for study helps.

Question: “What is infralapsarianism, supralapsarianism, and sublapsarianism?”

Answer: These three theological terms deal with God’s predestination of certain individuals to be saved. The focus of infralapsarianism, supralapsarianism, and sublapsarianism is the order with which God determined things to happen. In what order did God decide to create humanity, allow the Fall, to elect some to salvation, and to provide salvation for humanity. Ultimately, these are issues that we are incapable of fully grasping. It does not truly matter what order God decreed what to occur. What truly matters is that God created humanity, humanity sinned, and God decided to provide salvation through Jesus Christ.

Infralapsarianism puts God’s decrees in the following order: (1) God decreed the creation of mankind, (2) God decreed mankind would be allowed to fall into sin through its own self-determination, (3) God decreed to save some of the fallen, and (4) God decreed to provide Jesus Christ as the Redeemer. Infralapsarianism focuses on God allowing the fall and providing salvation.

Sublapsarianism is very similar to infralapsarianism, putting God’s decrees in the following order: (1) God decreed to create human beings, (2) God decreed to permit the fall, (3) God decreed to provide salvation sufficient to all, (4) God decreed to choose some to receive this salvation. The only difference between infralapsarianism and sublapsarianism is whether God decreed to provide salvation through Jesus Christ and then decreed to choose some to be saved, or vice-versa.

Supralapsarianism puts God’s decrees in the following order: (1) God decreed the election of some and the eternal condemnation of others, (2) God decreed to create those elected and eternally condemned, (3) God decreed to permit the fall, and (4) God decreed to provide salvation for the elect through Jesus Christ. Supralapsarianism focuses on God ordaining the fall, creating certain people for the sole purpose of being condemned, and then providing salvation for only those whom He had elected.

I find infralapsarianism to be the more Biblical position. I do not believe the Bible portrays God as decreeing the fall and creating people for the sole purpose of eternal condemnation. Supralapsarianism results in the doctrines of limited atonement (Jesus died only for the elect) and double predestination (God predestines some to be saved and others to be condemned). Supralapsarianism is typically the view of 5-point Calvinists, while infralapsarianism and sublapsarianism are usually held by 4-point / moderate Calvinists. Ultimately, though, these are issues best left up to God. Instead of worrying or arguing over when God decreed what, our concern should be on proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who need to hear it.

My point is that in order for God to be totally omniscient, He would have to have not only complete foreknowledge of all possibilities , He would have to know what choice we were going to make. Therefore there is only one possibility. I have ben accused of 5 point Calvinism and I am saying that believing God to have complete prescient knowledge is Scriptural and not neccesarily in support of the hardcore double predestination calvinists. The theology of a God without complete prescience, is what is known as process theology or open theism.

Check these links out:

http://www.gotquestions.org/open-theism.html

http://www.gotquestions.org/process-theology.html

Supralaps…what? please explain your big word.

Its a new one for me.

Thanks…