Passion Defined

The purpose of this post is to serve as a more specific introduction to the series that I am starting. As I mentioned in my last post, this series will deal with salvation, theology, and doctrine, and the importance of knowing what God says in His Word.

Before I go further in this post, let me mention one thing that I forgot in the previous, general introduction. My purpose for this series is not a response to any person or idea, nor is it because I want to be divisive or contentious. This is something that I have been studying for quite a while now and I have a strong desire to share what I have seen in the Holy Scriptures. Nothing I say is directed to specific people or to attack others for their beliefs. The things that I will mention are the culmination of my studies, conversations, Biblical understandings, and other things that I felt were relevant to address as they pertain to this discussion. As I said, nothing is directed to or against any person. My purpose for this post is to portray truth and glorify Christ Jesus. Now, for the rest of the intro...

I know that many people today question the relevance of doctrinal discussions. After all, if we are all Christians serving the same God and striving to live holy lives, then what difference does it make whether we believe differently about theology? It makes a tremendous difference. The way that we live, act, and think is directly impacted by the way we believe about God and His Word. Think about it. The decisions that we as Christians make are determined by what we believe about God and what He requires of man. At the end of the day, if theological differences can't be resolved between brothers and sisters who believe differently, the best thing to do is agree to disagree and not let the issue cause contention in the body of Christ. Satan likes to use those kinds of things to hinder believers in their walk with Christ. We must constantly be on our guard and strive to live at peace with all men. However, that does not and will not change the fact that theology is vitally important to the believer. We must be firmly grounded in Biblical truth, rooted in the doctrines of Scripture.

The topics of this series certainly are "hot buttons" in Christianity today. When believers begin to discuss things such as salvation, election, atonement, eternal security, and things of that nature, they seem to automatically draw swords and begin to duel in an earnest attempt to disprove the opposing view by their knowledge of the Scriptures. I know this all too well; I have engaged in many a "duel" such as this and some have had desirable results, others not so desirable. This series will address these controversial topics. I have decided to call this series, "Salvation and the Sovereignty of God." We will examine appropriate views of God and man as it pertains to salvation, the nature of salvation, the work of salvation, and what it implies for those who have received salvation and those who will receive salvation. We will also examine what these beliefs imply as far as evangelism. I also hope to examine some of the common arguments made against the doctrines I will be presenting and how they are based on misconceptions of the doctrines I believe.

As I go through the series, don't just take anything just because I say it. Search the Scriptures and examine what I have to say. God's Word is clear and there are no contradictions. When topics such as these are discussed, people automatically go to certain Scriptures that seem to indicate otherwise than what someone else may be saying. There may be those who would disagree with what I have to say, and if you do, that's fine by me! It's not my goal to change your heart; my goal is to present truth. As I said in my previous post, I won't ignore comments from those who disagree, but before we revert to those favorite verses we all have, might we consider something? If there is something wrong with what I say about the verses I use for these posts, search God's Word and show me how the verses I use are wrong. Examine the contexts, study the Greek/Hebrew, and show me, from God's Word, how what I say is in contradiction to the Scriptures used. If you do that and I am found to be in error, I will be the first to admit that I am wrong. If you disagree and want explanations to certain passages, I will be more than glad to explain them. We all must be faithful to diligently search out that which is being taught to ensure that it is sound. I pray that you will find much truth in this series.

God bless,

Joshua

Hello readers and brothers and sisters in Christ!

I will be beginning another series of posts about a very, very important issue: the issue of salvation. This will be unlike my other series, a big reason being the great importance of this topic. This series will deal with doctrine and the truths of the Bible.

I’m now going to lay down some groundwork for this series. Let me say first of all that I realize that I probably won’t please everybody by the stipulations I give for this series. Some of the precautions I will be taking are for the protection of those that will be involved in this discussion. That having been said, I will be moderating each comment that comes through before it can be seen on my blog. In previous years I have personally witnessed how these issues can quickly get out of hand and how our argumentative natures can quickly get the better of us in a negative way. I want to avoid that at all costs. I will not disregard comments that I disagree with, but they must be spoken in a manner that brings glory and honor to the name of Christ. Feel free to express your opinions, but remember to do so in a humble way. If there is a particular issue that is being discussed and things begin to get a little too heated, I will stop that discussion and not allow further comments. I may be coming across as way too strict, but let me explain a couple of the reasons why I’m taking these precautions. The first is because many of us are friends on this blog, and I don’t want anything to come between any of us that would damage or hinder friendships. The second reason is because this blog can be seen by anyone (Christian and unbeliever) and we have a responsibility to bring glory to Christ and to be careful in the way we act. We want our lights to shine for Christ and to walk and talk in a way that points others to Christ. If we come across as just a bunch of bickering, religious people, we may turn others away from Jesus, and that is the opposite of one of the reasons I have this blog.

Let me also say that I will strive to be humble in the way that I present these doctrinal truths. I realize that I am not perfect and that I don’t know everything (and I never will because I am not omniscient), but there are certain things that by much study and meditation, I have come to believe. My beliefs are my own; I don’t hold to them because my parents told me to, some other instruction of man told me to, or because any other books or materials told me to. I believe what I believe because of the undeniable evidence for these truths that is in the Holy Bible. I am aware of those who would oppose my doctrinal stance, but differing views do not shake my faith. As I said before, I don’t propose in the least to know everything, and if someone says something that I don’t have an answer to, I can guarantee you that I will study diligently for an answer! Whether or not that answer is accepted, I can’t control. It’s not my responsibility to change your mind; God is the one Who works in the hearts of men.

And, on a less important note, I will be posting the parts of this series as I have time. As a full-time college student, worship leader, guitar instructor, piano accompanist, etc., my schedule is quite full and there may be times when I am unable to post for several weeks. Just know that I will be continuing as I have time! ;-)

Here is some additional instruction about the way I will be handling comments and questions. If you have a comment about a specific verse or have a specific question, I will be holding onto those and when things seem to quiet down as far as commenting, I will compose a question-and-answer follow-up post. If you would like to ask a question but wouldn’t feel comfortable knowing that others will see that you asked it, please know that I won’t be revealing names. I will simply answer the questions. If you would still feel more comfortable leaving an anonymous question/comment, that is fine as well. Please know that comments and additional insights are welcome!

By the way, this post is just to serve as an introduction for the overall series, but hopefully soon I will be able to give a more specific “intro” to the actual information of this series.

My prayer is that God alone would be glorified and that each of you will be blessed in the weeks to come!

Joshua