On the "Nature" of God
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Editorial Note:
Faith
The Paradox of Righteousness
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It is an exceedingly beautiful and wondrous paradox: that the sovereign God of the universe has called us not unto blind, rote, or automatic conformity with His will, but unto willing obedience and submission to His will, which we cannot do without His help.
...the question is not one of our capability, but one of our willingness.
Depression: a Gift from God?
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Last week, in our Fundamentals of the Faith class, I found myself extemporaneously expositing the following thought:
"I believe that God, in His compassionate dealings with those whom He loves, sometimes allows trials to come to the ones He finds especially submitted to His will, who are eager to discover what path He has laid out for them.
On the Existence of God
Department:
There is no Proof
The existence of God cannot be proven; it can only be “known,” apart from scientific proof. Neither can God's non-existence be proven. There exists no scientific proof either way. This is not whimsical opinion. This is a fact with which we must all simply agree. There is no argument here.
Who is Jesus?
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Today's question is, "Who is Jesus?"
The following partial list came to mind as I wrote what follows. This is a very thin cross section of the whole answer:
- Alpha
- Word
- Source
- Savior
- Perfect
- Man
- God
- Brother
- Judge
- Omega
Jesus is the Alpha.
An Imagined Prayer of Jesus
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Okay, this is not doctrine. This is not dogma. It's just my imagination... I am putting myself in the place of Jesus, as he faces the cross at Calvary, and even as He is going through the throes of His crucifixion. Please do not think I am being irreverent or presumptuous. I do not pretend to be holy or to identify with the Deity, as Christ surely was.
This is, from the viewpoint of a man (of which Jesus was one) standing before his God at the point of persecution from those whom he loves, my imagined prayer of Christ, who loved others more than He loved life itself...
On the Sovereignty of God and the Free Will of Man
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God is Sovereign.
In the end, God will have His way.
But meanwhile, today, God doesn't always get His way.
This explains why there is evil in the world, and why we have the power to choose between good and evil. He has given us each free will, with which we choose.
The Doctrine of Divine Toleration
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This writing was instigated by a discussion regarding the Doctrine of Divine Impassibility. I found myself at odds with my reformed brethren, who hold steadfastly to various previously affirmed doctrines, of which this is but one. Whereas they are zealous to affirm the various doctrines which comprise the foundations of their faith, I, on the other hand, am more inclined to simply argue in accordance with my own personal experience, and with what God has taught me about Himself over the years.
On Electromagnetism and Intelligent Design
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Most modern arguments for Intelligent Design focus on the complexity and elegance of all the various forms of life in our world, including ourselves. Indeed, one only has to look at any of the many sub-processes of the human body, such as the Krebs Cycle, in order to be filled with a sense of wonder about who it was that put all this together.
The Foundation of My Faith
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When I was about seven years old, I met God. I don't know how, or exactly when it happened, though I recall a couple of pivotal events. One was at the Douglas County Fair. There was a small tent in which my buddy and I were invited to see a short slide show about Jesus. The Gospel was clearly presented, and I recognized it as what must surely be truth.