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Creator of the Indie Gospel network and one of its contributing artists.
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Category: Theology
There are different causes of suffering, much of it is caused by sin. It is often horrific, senseless, and certainly not the will of God. Rather, it stems from the abuse of free will by created beings (angels or men) and results in judgment by God.
To understand why God PERMITS such things to happen, I recommend this article - Why Does God Allow Suffering? Below I will deal with a different kind of suffering, the kind that is CAUSED directly by God
The Bible is full of references where God causes hardship, suffering, sickness, and even death. Atheists and skeptics often use these verses to attack and...
Is the prosperity gospel the true Gospel of Jesus Christ or another gospel (Gal. 1:8)? There are some very sincere people who believe it to be biblically sound. They have many " proof " texts to support their position but how can we be sure the texts in question are being interpreted correctly? Is the real meaning of the texts being ignored and a presupposition read into them, a process called eisegesis?
Here are a few brief...
There is a tremendous amount of confusion in Christianity over the most basic and elemental question - what must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, yes, but in what sense? That is a loaded question! The word "believe" means different things to the various schools of thought within Christendom. Let's take a brief look at what is being taught and compare it with the word of God.
There is a foundation (a rock) spoken of in Scripture - which is Christ.
I once had a Messianic Jew try to tell me that Eph. 2:20 teaches that the Church is built on the apostles and prophets, rather than Christ. Although he claimed to follow Yeshua, his Jesus was just another prophet, less than divine, and for him the New Covenant did not supersede the Covenant with Moses.
However, Paul tells the Ephesian believers that they are being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets - in the Greek genitive case (the case which shows possession). Paul is referring to the foundation which is laid by the apostles and prophets - which is Jesus Christ. He is NOT saying that the apostles and...
There is a very dangerous doctrine that has become wildly popular today. You have no doubt been exposed to it at one time or another. Perhaps you have even bought into it, I did myself at one time.
It was placed in the notes of the Scofield Reference Bible, and various Bible commentaries. It was popularized by best-selling books such as The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey and the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye. It is loudly trumpeted by numerous televangelists such as Jack Van Impe , and John Hagee.
I am talking about a false view of end time prophecy, or eschatology. A counter-reformation doctrine called futurism which was developed by the Jesuit Francisco Ribera (1590)....
Why do people have a tendency to create a false dilemma out of so many issues? Often one side of an issue is so strongly emphasized that the other side becomes lost or is even seen as an opposing idea. Meanwhile, both sides are true and harmonize, so to reject one or the other is presenting a half-truth. This is often more deadly and dividing than a complete and total fabrication.
Let's take the role of the written Word in the life of a Christian. Some so strongly emphasize its role that they make an idol out of the Bible. They exchange a living relationship with the WORD (Christ), for " head knowledge " of the Word (scripture).
Some people seem to have forgotten that it is God who divided men up into different nations and that he did it for a very important reason. Let's take a look at what the word of God has to say about this topic.
Genesis 6:11 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined
Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is essential to the Christian experience. Although much can be found about prayer in the Bible there are three passages that help to put prayer into perspective for me:
Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us... Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith...
We can have confidence as we approach God in prayer. We can enter the very throne room of grace without fear or shame because of what Jesus has done. If you are like me with a sinful past and are still making mistakes, this is an important concept.
The second...
Why does God allow suffering? Theologians and philosophers have struggled with this question for ages. After all, if God is all-powerful and all-knowing, can't he prevent or stop it? For some people, this is a stumbling block to faith and they never get past it.
I would not be so presumptuous as to claim an authoritative answer that others have missed. However, I do think there are some insights into this mystery, that God has provided in his Word.
The problem of suffering appears to be centered around free will. God created us (and the angels) with free will, and if he had not, we would be mere robots - not truly alive. He created us as free moral agents with the ability to choose...
Romans 7 is one of the most hotly contested scriptures in the Bible. Early Greek Fathers saw it one way, Latin Fathers saw it another. Their views come down to us today wrapped in Arminian and Calvinist interpretations and there are brilliant scholars with alternative ways of looking at it as well.
Personally, I reject Calvinism strenuously for its Manichean fatalism, introduced to Christianity by Augustine and later adopted by Calvin. However, I agree with the Calvinist camp on this particular text, with a few caveats.
With Arminians, I would agree that a regenerate person should have new motivations and be no longer DOMINATED by the sin nature. However, I disagree with the extremists who deny that there...