James Smith, “Rills from the Rock of Ages”, 1860)
“I will not carry out My fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Israel. For I am God — and not man; the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath!” Hosea 11:9
Answers
Debate on Calvinism – James R White
The City of God and the City of Man: Christians and politics
Grant Swart
A quote by Michael Gerson, advisor to the former president of the USA, George W Bush, recently caught my attention: “In the end, what Christians should remember is that they live in the city of man but they’re also citizens of the city of God. One’s Christian faith should inform the values and priorities that we bring to everything we do in the city of man.”
His fellow advisor at the time of Bush’s campaigns, Peter Wehner, said on the same subject, “When Christians get involved in politics, sometimes the cause can take precedent over your Saviour.” He further stated, “We’re called to be faithful, not to be victorious. We have to remember that.”
I found those words to be worthy of our consideration and of relative value for us with politics in mind, and the role of the Christian in determining who would best govern our communities.
I have added the following article by Wayne Grudem, with thanks, which I found to be simple and instructive, regarding the involvement of the Christian in political matters. Continue reading
What Theology is This?
Pastor Steven J. Cole
Flagstaff, Arizona
Dave Hunt’s Misrepresentation of God and Calvinism
As I read Dave Hunt’s latest book, What Love is This? subtitled, “Calvinism’s Misrepresentation of God,” I felt both profound sadness and righteous anger. I was sad because many unsuspecting and uneducated Christians will believe that Hunt is accurate and thereby miss out on one of the richest spiritual gold mines available, namely, the life and writings of John Calvin and his heirs in the faith. I was angry because Hunt deliberately misrepresents and slanders both Calvin and Calvinism, and in the process grossly misrepresents God Himself. I know that his misrepresentation is deliberate because many Calvinists, including myself, wrote repeatedly to Hunt as the book was being written, pointing out his errors and asking him to stop misrepresenting what we believe. But sadly, he stubbornly ignored our corrections and went full steam ahead.
The resulting book is a first magnitude theological and spiritual disaster. If you rely on the supermarket tabloids as your reliable source of news, you’ll probably find Hunt satisfying for your theology. It will give you the same sort of sensational slander as the tabloids, only it is presented as if it were biblically and historically based. But if you want to grow in your knowledge of the living God, I advise you to leave this tabloid theology on the shelf.
Let us not only think of ourselves
J.C. Ryle
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke volume 1,
[Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1986], 257. {Luke 8:16-21}
Let us not only think of ourselves. Let us also think of others. There are millions in the world who have no spiritual light at all. They are without God, without Christ, and without hope. (Eph. 2:12) Can we do nothing for them? There are thousands around us who are unconverted and dead in sins, seeing nothing and knowing nothing right. Can we do nothing for them?
Claimed from Oblivion
Grace Unlimited – Dr. Joshua Mack
Ephesians 2:11-12
Some people are excited to hear that there is an ancient source of information that is very hard to gain access to. Suppose it was said that all of the secrets to life were inscribed on an aged scroll. That scroll, however, was kept in a most remote place on earth. Even the journey to get there was arduous. But more than that, the scroll is housed in an impenetrable castle, guarded by an elite force of soldiers.
No-one has ever gained access to this document.
Not all questions deserve answers and not all questions are deserved
by Grant Swart
Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
When the life of a person is effectually saved by the Grace of God, that salvation which is freely received by faith, it is inevitable that the person will perform differently in his life and good works will necessarily follow. The faithful servant knows that those good works are certainly not in order to earn or maintain salvation, but rather are a natural result of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Those who believe in God, must take care to consider their good works and also take the opportunities that come their way in the run of day to day living, to do those good works. Worthy and righteous good works will be because of the love in the heart of the saved believer. In this regard let us also consider the difference between a deserved question and a deserved answer, when even our best deeds are filthy. (Isaiah 64:6).
For the Love of His Truth 