"For when the conscience feels anxious as to how it may have the favor of God, as to the answer it could give, and the confidence it would feel, if brought to his judgment-seat, in such a case the requirements of the law are not to be brought forward, but Christ, who surpasses all the perfection of the law, is alone to be held forth for righteousness." - John Calvin
Many have sought to discern the center of biblical theology, exploring various themes such as God, Israel, Covenant, creation, kingdom, salvation, and new creation. However, none of these themes accurately capture the essence of the Bible. They are only meaningful in relation to Christ. Without Christ, the kingdom, salvation, and new creation lose their meaning. In fact, the entirety of the Bible points towards Christ, and it is unified in Him.
First of all, what is a syllogism? A syllogism is a logical formula consisting of two premises and a conclusion, which follows of necessity from them. It is a combination of two judgments that necessitate a third judgment infallibly. A simple example of a syllogism is: If all humans are sinners, and all Greeks are humans, then all Greeks are sinners.
The story of the rich young ruler is one that many people are familiar with. In this story, Jesus tells the man that if he obeys the commandments, he will have eternal life. However, this story was not intended to demonstrate the man's obedience. Instead, it was meant to expose his inability to obey perfectly. The rich young ruler mistakenly believed that he had kept the commandments since his youth. Jesus, knowing his heart and where he would stumble, instructed him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow him.
"A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit." Matthew 7:18
“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45
The Arminian affirms total human moral inability and utter helplessness of the natural man in spiritual matters and the absolute necessity for supernatural prevenient grace. Furthermore, he posits that all individuals receive prevenient grace from God, which enables them to choose whether or not to believe in Christ. However, this notion implies that the person who chooses to believe is wiser, smarter, and more humble than the one who rejects Christ. This would mean it cannot be attributed solely to grace since both received grace.
The foreknowledge of God has been a topic of controversy throughout history. This is due to the fact that many people are ignorant of the meaning and Scriptural scope of the term. Therefore, it is easy for preachers and teachers to deceive their audience with false interpretations of this subject. The only safeguard against this is to be established in the faith through prayerful, diligent study of the Word of God.
The Westminster Confession offers a comprehensive analysis of the human will, providing one of the most insightful explanations to date. It takes great pains to depict the human will in its four-fold state: 1) before the fall, 2) after the fall, 3) after regeneration, and 4) in glory. Prior to describing the will in each state, the Confession highlights a crucial aspect of man's will that remains consistent across all four states.
Some irrational Materialist Beliefs:
Life appears to be designed, but it's not.
Justice, beauty, and truth seem to demand a non-material explanation, but in fact, they don't.
The existence of consciousness and subjective experience may appear to require a non-physical explanation, but it actually doesn't.
DNA may look like it contains information, but it doesn't.
The laws of logic may appear immaterial, universal, and invariant, but they are not.
If God has made you, a great sinner, the object of his mercy, you may be assured of:
