One In Jesus

What is faith in Jesus?

Really? That’s an awfully high standard. I thought “faith” was asking Jesus to come into my heart as my personal Savior. Or confessing that he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

But you are interpreting “faith” as something much, much harder. Surely you aren’t serious! Continue reading →

[Veto Roley has again posted a very thoughtful comment that, I believe, continues to take the conversation in a good direction. (And I’m really enjoying responding to his thoughts.)

As before, his words are in italics. Mine are in regular font.]

Paul, though, does not seem to leave the conversation in Romans at a “fairness” level. Rather, Paul charges that we have chosen to reject God. The Jews have chosen to reject God Who had revealed Himself to them in the Old Covenant Scriptures, through the prophets and, lastly, through His Son, Jesus. Gentiles, lacking the revelation given to the Jews, are no less guilty, though, of the charge of choosing to reject God, who revealed Himself through nature or, as you noted, general revelation. The creation screams that God is. Therefore, we are not condemned because we have sinned by violating some command or principle that we do not know, but we are condemned because we have chosen to reject the Creator and, in rejecting Him, we have chosen to rebel against our rightful King. We are condemned, Jew and Gentile alike, not because God isn’t fair, but because God is just. Continue reading →

Why faith in Jesus?

I thought I was having lunch with a controversialists! You’re so orthodox as to be boring. There’s not much new here!

Sometimes the old, staid traditionalists actually get things right, and the clever, new, creative, original thinkers are just dead wrong. You know, it’s not like the church has been filled with idiots for the last 2,000 years. Our predecessors actually got most things right! Continue reading →

Missions

The result of all this is a familiar refrain: We must do more mission work. We must plant more churches. We must tell our neighbors about Jesus.

(Rom 10:14-17 ESV)  14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”  17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Continue reading →

Election

The Scriptures also speak of the “elect.” Many of the passages in Isaiah speaking of the “chosen” use the same word translated “elect” in the New Testament.

Speaking of the Kingdom, Isaiah says,

(Isa 65:9 ESV) I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen [elect] shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there. Continue reading →

Veto F. Roley wrote a lengthy comment that leads into some helpful areas for discussion. Veto’s comments are in italics. Mine are in regular font —

As you will notice from my comments, I come from the available light POV — that God only holds us responsible for that which we know or should know.

I agree. Romans 1 -2 seems to argue that God only judges us based on what we know.

It seems to me that knowledge that is sufficient to condemn (Rom. 1:18-20) is equally sufficient to produce faith, in some matter, and faith results in salvation.

Continue reading →

A chosen people

So you’ve persuaded me that Paul doesn’t really teach “available light,” and that “available light” creates insurmountable problems, but that leaves what is — to me — a massive problem. How can God choose to save some people and not others?

I’m no Calvinist, and I’m sure you aren’t either, but the gospel hasn’t been preached to everyone. And it seems that those who’ve never heard the gospel have no chance of salvation. How can that be? Continue reading →

Maybe the Jews were subject to a stricter rule because they had God’s word. What about the pagan? Maybe N. T. Wright isn’t right, you know!

Let’s turn back to —

(Rom 2:6-8 ESV)  6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;  8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

Some argue that righteous pagans (those who’ve never heard God’s word) can meet this standard, but that’s a works salvation argument. Paul says “according to his works.” His point is that the standard is the same for Jews as for Gentiles. God isn’t being a respecter of persons. They are stand before God under the very standard. Continue reading →