Archive for the 'Holy Spirit' Category
La Voz
Today I was continuing my journey through 1 Samuel, reading through the monarchy of Israel and Judah. In today’s reading, Samuel is called, God enacts his oracle of judgment upon Eli’s house, and Philistines stole the ark from Israel after demonstrably winning a battle. Quite the exciting read if you ask me. My mind though, kept going back to Samuel’s call. I keep asking myself, what did that voice sound like?
I named the post “La Voz” which means “the voice” in Spanish. It’s the name of the villain in the amazing Denzel Washington movie, Man on Fire. You never see the villain, you only hear his voice–with the exception of his jaw and mouth. But it’s the voice that I am curious about in this passage. Read more
Related posts:
- No related posts
Can I know if I am elect?
PADavis recently commented on a post I did some time ago on Romans 8:29-30
. In that post I discussed what Paul means by predestination and foreknowledge. PADavis writes
I am still unclear if one knows or consciously realizes that he or she is predestined for salvation? I am Nazarene and Armenianism is the world/theological view presented here. So I am just learning about Calvinism and have always been curious as to how one knows whether he is saved or has been predestined by God. In our belief we say that “we know that we know we are indeed saved” when we have repented of our sins and asked Jesus Christ into our hearts. So does the Calvinist know he or she is truly saved or called by God?
I was going to respond in a comment but I thought this would be better answered in a separate post. First, my initial thoughts when reading this comment seem like there are actually two questions being asked, and I’m not sure if both are tintended. The first question, which is the first sentence in the comment, seems to deal with an unconverted person. The second question, the last sentence in the comment, seems to talk about a converted person. In other words it seems like question 1 is asking if an unconverted person knows if he or she is predestined to be saved. Question 2 is asking if the saved person can have an assurance of their salvation. I will answer both questions but if it is one or the other is intended and not both, then at least know I’m trying to answer what it is that is being asked and am sorry if I’m about to speak too long on something not in view. Read more
Related posts:
No comments
The Newest Imler
Henry Reed Imler
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. [Psalm 127:3-5 ESV
It is my prayer that they will be like the parents in Deuteronomy 6 who teach their children to walk in the law of the Lord and that they will be the parents that Paul talks about in Ephesians 6:4, resting upon the Spirit to train up their children in the dicipline and intruction of the Lord.
Related posts:
1 comment
Timothy and Isaiah
Moving along in my dabbling in the justification passages in Paul and their relationship to Isaiah 53:11. In Acts 13:38-39, the resurrection of the crucified Jesus in an unstated way effected justification for “everyone who believes.” This parallels what was seen in Isaiah 53:11 where the “Righteous One, my [Yahweh's] servant will justify the many.” Isaiah 53:11 provided the conceptual framework for Paul to articulate justification as he did in Antioch Psidia, resurrection leads to justification. First Timothy 3:16 is another text that I’d likd to look at. Isaiah’s prophecy figures very prominently in Paul’s letter to young Timothy Read more
Related posts:
No comments
Are God’s glory and love at odds with each other?
I came a cross an interesting post today from noted NT scholar, Ben Witherington III (BW3), entitled “For God so loved Himself?” Is God a Narcissist? In this post he critiques an unnamed NT theology book whose central thesis is that the theme of the NT is “God magnifying himself through Jesus Christ by means of the Holy Spirit.” I haven’t read this yet so I can’t offer any critiques of either this book or Witherington’s response. But BW3 argues in this post that this self-adulating the idea of God conflicts with God’s love. I strongly disagree with BW3’s position on the relationship between God’s love and glory. But before I could take the time to write up my own critique of BW3’s post, Dr. Denny Burk wrote a response entitled Witherington’s Critique of Schreiner’s NT Theology. I really liked the critique of BW3.
Related posts:
No comments
Timothy and Esther’s Prayer
When Jonathan Edwards was growing up, his parents prayed for three things for little Jonathan:
1.) That he be filled with the Holy Spirit;
2.) That he know the Holy Scriptures;
3.) That he be great in the sight of the Lord.
It is very evident looking at what he recorded during his life that he knew the Scriptures very well. Reading of the ministry of Edwards and the life that he lived, it is very evident that he was filled the Holy Spirit. By human eyes, Edwards was and is great. He was used by God in a great manner and greatly during the (First?) Great Awakening. As a fellow believer in Christ, he was great before God in that he was chosen by God before the foundations of the world for salvation in Christ Jesus and through grace he was given a heart to believe and through that faith he obtained the righteousness freely offered by Christ’s death. Thus in the eyes of God, Edwards is as great as Jesus who has so made him by virtue of His righteousness.
Moral of this snippet: God honors the prayers of praying parents. Parents pray for your children, God will hear and listen to you. You never know, your child might become the next Edwards or Calvin or Luther or Augustine or Spurgeon or Whitefield or Graham or Lewis.
Related posts:
1 comment
Puritan Wisdom and Sin
Over the next few days, I will be posting some quotes by the great Dr. John Owen. He was a 17th century puritan preacher and president of Oxford. I have been wanting to read Of the Mortification of Sin in the Believer for a couple of years and I am finally doing it now that I have found a copy. I have read his preface and opening chapter and here are two quotes that I have really been hit with:
The intendment of the apostle in this prescription of the duty mentioned is, — that the mortification of indwelling sin remaining in our mortal bodies, that it may not have life and power to bring forth the works or deeds of the flesh is the constant duty of believers.
The vigour, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depends on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.
Related posts:
No comments