What is Original Sin?

Question: "What is original sin?"

Answer: The term “original sin” deals with Adam’s sin of disobedience in eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and its effects upon the rest of the human race. Original sin can be defined as “that sin and its guilt that we all possess in God’s eyes as a direct result of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden.” The doctrine of original sin focuses particularly on its effects on our nature and our standing before God, even before we are old enough to commit conscious sin. There are three main views that deal with that effect.

Pelagianism: This view says that Adam’s sin had no effect upon the souls of his descendants other than his sinful example influencing those who followed after him to also sin. According to this view, man has the ability to stop sinning if he simply chooses to. This teaching runs contrary to a number of passages that indicate man is hopelessly enslaved by his sins (apart from God’s intervention) and that his good works are “dead” or worthless in meriting God’s favor (Ephesians 2:1-2; Matthew 15:18-19; Romans 7:23; Hebrews 6:1; 9:14).

Arminianism: Arminians believe Adam’s sin has resulted in the rest of mankind inheriting a propensity to sin, commonly referred to as having a “sin nature.” This sin nature causes us to sin in the same way that a cat’s nature causes it to meow—it comes naturally. According to this view, man cannot stop sinning on his own; that is why God gives a universal grace to all to enable us to stop. In Arminianism, this grace is called prevenient grace. According to this view, we are not held accountable for Adam’s sin, just our own. This teaching runs contrary to the fact that all bear the punishment for sin, even though all may not have sinned in a manner similar to Adam (1 Corinthians 15:22; Romans 5:12-18). Nor is the teaching of prevenient grace explicitly found in Scripture.

Calvinism: The Calvinistic doctrine states that Adam’s sin has resulted not only in our having a sin nature, but also in our incurring guilt before God for which we deserve punishment. Being conceived with original sin upon us (Psalm 51:5) results in our inheriting a sin nature so wicked that Jeremiah 17:9 describes the human heart as “deceitful above all things and beyond cure.” Not only was Adam found guilty because he sinned, but his guilt and his punishment (death) belongs to us as well (Romans 5:12, 19). There are two views as to why Adam’s guilt should be seen by God as also belonging to us. The first view states that the human race was within Adam in seed form; thus when Adam sinned, we sinned in him. This is similar to the biblical teaching that Levi (a descendant of Abraham) paid tithes to Melchizedek in Abraham (Genesis 14:20; Hebrews 7:4-9), even though Levi was not born until hundreds of years later. The other main view is that Adam served as our representative and so, when he sinned, we were found guilty as well.

The Calvinistic view sees one as unable to overcome his sin apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, a power possessed only when one turns in reliance upon Christ and His atoning sacrifice for sin upon the cross. The Calvinistic view of original sin is most consistent with biblical teaching. However, how can God hold us accountable for a sin we did not personally commit? There is a plausible interpretation that we become responsible for original sin when we choose to accept, and act according to, our sinful nature. There comes a point in our lives when we become aware of our own sinfulness. At that point we should reject the sinful nature and repent of it. Instead, we all “approve” that sinful nature, in effect saying that it is good. In approving our sinfulness, we are expressing agreement with the actions of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. We are therefore guilty of that sin without actually having committed it.

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/original-sin.html#ixzz3UXcAS1rr

Mid-Acts Dispensational

INTRODUCTION
Mid-Acts dispensational theology is a unique form of the evangelical Christian faith also known as “The Grace Message.”1 It garners this title because of its emphasis on the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24) and the dispensation of the grace of God (Eph.3:2). This theology, also described in Scripture as “the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery” (Rom.16:25-27), is distinctively Pauline in character but congruent with historically recognized Christian orthodoxy. At its foundation is the theonthropic character and vicarious sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn.1:1-18; Phil.2:5-11; I Cor.3:11 cf. Chalcedonian Creed2). Grace theology is also consistent with the “5 Solas” of the Protestant Reformation as proclaimed by spiritual giants like Luther, Calvin, Knox, and Zwingli.3 In addition, the historic fundamentals of the Christian faith, as championed by R.A.Torrey and his contemporaries in the midst of the modernist/fundamentalist controversy of the early 20th century4, are integral tenets of mid-Acts dispensational theology.

Grace theology hinges upon a literal-historical-grammatical interpretation of the Bible. This does not mean that there is not figurative or allegorical language in the Word of God but that Scripture is to be read and subsequently interpreted in a normal fashion much like any other piece of literature.5 Among dispensationalists, this approach to Scripture has been expanded, developed, and described by some as “rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Tim.2:15). To “rightly divide” (Gr. Orthotomeo) means to straightly cut and therefore make distinctions by understanding Scripture within its proper dispensational context.6 The thrust of this dispensational hermeneutic is encapsulated in the old adage, “While all of Scripture is written for us, it is not all written to us or about us, God’s Word must be rightly divided.”7 This approach to properly handling Holy Scripture is demonstrated by none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:14-21; Isaiah 61:1-3).8

Apparent Biblical contradictions are often the result of either a lack of comprehension of the immediate context or a failure to “rightly divide.” These perceptions drive the faithful student of Scripture to trust God the Holy Spirit for further understanding (I Cor.2:10-16; Eph.1:18). Biblical enigmas should not foster a sense of skepticism about the integrity of Scripture but rather a greater need to trust God for spiritual illumination. The authenticity of Scripture is not an issue for the believer in Christ because their fundamental presupposition is that the Bible is a reliable historical document that is also the verbally inspired Word of God. The objective standard of Scripture is therefore the first and final authority for all matters of faith and practice, orthodoxy and orthopraxy, belief and behavior, what Christians should believe and how Christians should live.9

This foundational background contributes to understanding where mid-Acts dispensational theology fits within the overall framework of the evangelical Christian faith as well as comprehending its distinctions. The essentials of grace theology include the historical beginning of the Church, the body of Christ, in the mid-Acts period subsequent to Pentecost but prior to the writing of the Apostle Paul’s first epistle, the one Holy Spirit baptism whereby the believer in Christ is identified or placed into the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ at the moment of salvation, the temporary postponement and setting aside of God’s prophetic plan and purpose for Israel until after the pretribulational rapture of the Church, Jew and Gentile salvation apart from the instrumentality of Israel but freely received by the grace of God through faith alone in the risen Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption on behalf of lost sinners at the cross of Calvary.

INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE
The present day attacks on the inspiration of Scripture are manifold. From the scientific claims of millions of years of earth history (and an even older universe) and the evolutionary progression of all life-forms from a common ancestor to the postmodern repulsion to the objective truth claims of Holy Scripture which include the exclusivity of Jesus Christ, there are a multitude of attacks being posited against the authority of the Bible as a special revelation from God. In the midst of this cultural milieu, it is incumbent upon Christians in general and pastors in particular to be equipped in knowing how to defend Biblical integrity against the skeptical questions of the day by upholding the authority of the Word of God over and above autonomous human reason.10

Biblical inspiration and inerrancy are directly tied to one another therefore my position is that God’s inspired revelation of Himself in the Holy Scriptures11 is accurate, reliable, without error, and therefore authoritative. Erickson describes this position accordingly, “Absolute inerrancy holds that the Bible, which includes rather detailed treatment of matters both scientific and historical, is fully true.”12 As a result, it is my firm conviction that the Bible is the Church’s first and final authority for all matters of faith.

The theologian’s understanding of Biblical inerrancy is directly related to his position on the inspiration of Scripture. Erickson writes that, “Inerrancy is a corollary of the doctrine of full inspiration.” In II Timothy 3:16, the Apostle Paul writes, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (c.f. II Pet.1:21). The historic evangelical position on Biblical inspiration is that all Scripture is verbally inspired by God and is of plenary authority. Verbal inspiration is described by Erickson as being “that the Holy Spirit’s influence extends beyond the direction of thoughts to the selection of words used to convey the message.”13 He also defined inspiration as the “supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit on the Scripture writers which rendered their writings an accurate record of the revelation or which resulted in what they wrote actually being the Word of God.”14

Since Scripture is verbally inspired by God, is can be understood to be accurate, reliable, and without error. The Bible is God’s special revelation of Himself to mankind in written form. Its transmission accurately records everything including the lies of men and Satan. Since the Bible is accurate, it is therefore dependable and worthy of our greatest trust. What follows is that Scripture is also inerrant to the point that it is absolutely authoritative. This authority is derivative because Scripture is a direct revelation from the God Who cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Skepticism over the authenticity of Holy Scripture is reflective of the theologian’s position on the character and integrity of Almighty God.

My position firmly rests on the absolute inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures because the Bible is the verbally inspired revelation of the benevolent, omnipotent, and transcendent Creator God of the universe. Holy Scripture is the standard by which individual believers in Jesus Christ and the corporate body of Christ determine orthodoxy and orthopraxy. It is never subservient to the autonomous human reasoning of fallen man which includes hermeneutical considerations from “science.”15 Such a precedent has been under severe attack since the garden therefore it is imperative for men of God who stand in the pulpit to stand unequivocally upon the Word of the God Who is and has clearly spoken (II Tim.4:2).

Christ and the apostles all view the Scriptures as the authoritative and verbally inspired Word of God. Peter affirmed its dual authorship and authority over personal experience (II Pet.1:16-21). Paul taught its Divine origin and subsequent authority as the inspired Word of God (II Tim.3:15-4:5). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself upheld the inspiration of Scripture even to the smallest detail of a letter or verb tense (Matt.5:17,18; 22:32). He also stood upon its inspiration and authority by affirming the historical accuracy of the Bible from the very beginning (Matt.19:4-6; Mk.10:6-9).16

HISTORICAL BEGINNING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
Grace theology has traditionally recognized Acts chapter 9 or Acts chapter 13 as acceptable positions on the historical beginning of the body of Christ because they both mark the inception of the Church prior to the writing of the Apostle Paul’s first epistle. This distinct eccelesiology is therefore recognized as mid-Acts dispensational theology and distinguishes itself from other interpretations of the Church. Not only does the grace view distinguish itself from Presbyterian and Reformed positions which see the Church as a replacement or a form of spiritual Israel but also the dispensational Baptist understanding that Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. Of the two acceptable views, the Acts 9 position appears to be more Biblically accurate and more consistent by recognizing Paul’s unique testimony of salvation, his simultaneous calling to ministry by the risen Christ, and the defense of his apostleship evidenced by his epistles.

The unique testimony of Paul’s salvation while on the road to Damascus where the risen Christ appeared to him confirms that God initiated something different in Acts 9. Paul taught that his salvation was the first in a sequence in order to be a pattern for the salvation of others who would be saved after him (I Tim.1:16).

When the risen Christ saved Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road, He also commissioned him as the apostle of the Gentiles. His salvation and apostleship are inextricably linked to one another. First Corinthians is an epistle that necessitated a defense of his apostleship and its accompanying authority because of its corrective nature and rebuke contained therein. Paul writes, “Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord” (I Cor.9:1 NKJV cf. I Cor.15:8,9)? These texts are consistent with Paul’s testimony before King Agrippa where Christ is recorded to have explicitly stated that He sent Paul to the Gentiles on the road to Damascus (Acts 26:15-18).

The Pauline epistles defend his apostleship and message by stating that he received his commission from Christ Himself. In the very first verse of the rebuke-filled epistle to the Galatians, Paul clearly states that his apostleship was from Christ. “Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead)” (Gal.1:1 NKJV cf. Rom.1:1-5). Finally, in Colossians, Paul writes, “For the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you” (Col.1:24b,25a NKJV cf. Gal.1:11,12).

The Biblical teaching that the historical beginning of the Church is generally located in the mid-Acts period and specifically in the ninth chapter correctly recognizes Paul’s apostleship and message as distinctly for the edification of the body of Christ. This relegates the General Epistles17 to be specifically written to the Jews and therefore pertain to God’s prophetic program for Israel. Paul’s testimony of the Jerusalem Council bears out that Peter, James, and John agreed to confine their ministry to the Jews (Gal.2:6-9). With this in mind, Hebrews through Revelation are to be studied, preached, and taught not only for their dispensational content but also for life principles and truth regarding the character of God as the Sovereign Governor of history.

ONE HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM
First of all, water baptism must be recognized as a ceremonial Jewish rite. God delivered the Hebrews out of Egyptian bondage and called Israel to Himself at Mount Sinai where He gave them His law through Moses, the man of God. It was there that He told them, “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex.19:6a NKJV cf. I Pet.2:9). When the Levites were consecrated into the priesthood, they were ceremonially washed with water (Ex.29:1-4).

Water baptism was also not an option but a mandatory step of religious devotion. Many years after the giving of the law at Mount Sinai, John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, “came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Mk.1:4 NKJV cf. Lk.3:3). Israel was called to be a kingdom of priests and the kingdom was at hand because the King, the prophesied Messiah, had come. Despite John’s earnest pleas and warnings of the wrath to come, their religious leaders despised God’s truth and spurned His will by rejecting John’s baptism (Lk.7:30). After Christ’s ascension, the twelve waited for the promise of the Father which came upon them through the Spirit’s outpouring at Pentecost. Once the people were confronted with their rejection of Messiah, Peter instructed them to “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38a NKJV cf. Mk.16:16).

The careful student of Scripture will also recognize that there are multiple baptisms recorded in the Word of God. Three of which are John’s baptism with water, Christ’s baptism with the Holy Spirit, and His baptism with fire (Matt.3:11). Fulfillment of the second in the sequence is observed on the day of Pentecost where Christ is baptizing His people with the Holy Spirit. By way of contrast, the Apostle Paul teaches that believers become members of Christ’s body by being baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit. Elsewhere, he teaches that one essential of the seven-fold doctrinal unity of the Spirit is the “one baptism” (Eph.4:5). Since there are multiple baptisms in Scripture, this demands an answer as to which one of them is for the body of Christ. The Biblical conclusion is that the one baptism for the Church in the dispensation of grace is the one Holy Spirit baptism whereby believers in Christ are identified or placed into His death, burial, and resurrection at the moment of salvation (Rom.6:3,4 cf. Eph.1:13,14).

ISRAEL AND THE BODY OF CHRIST
There is a clear bifurcation between God’s prophetic program for the nation of Israel and His mystery or secret program for the Church, the body of Christ. Prophecy’s theme pertains to Israel’s hope of an earthly kingdom where Messiah will rule and reign for 1,000 years. The theme of the mystery pertains to the body of Christ and the exaltation of its members in the heavenlies with their Head, the Lord Jesus Christ.

This two-fold purpose between prophecy and mystery is demonstrated by the Apostle Paul in his recognition of God’s design for Israel to be a channel of blessing to the world as the covenant people of God. It was to them that the covenants of promise were given as well as the law and the overall service of God as His representatives on earth. Israel was to be the agent of truth through which God’s light would shine unto the nations and draw them unto the Creator. Apart from their testimony, the Gentiles were in darkness possessing no hope in the world (Eph.2:11,12). Instead of drawing the nations unto Jehovah, their harlotry drove the Gentiles to blaspheme the name of God (Rom.2:24). Israel’s heart was hardened to the point that when Messiah came, she rejected His ministry and called for His crucifixion. In obstinate rebellion, Israel spurned the apostles’ testimony and stood by their rejection of Christ by stoning His servant, Stephen.

Upon the three-fold rejection of the Godhead, the Lord temporarily set His prophetic program aside and ushered in His mystery or secret program for the Church, the body of Christ. Today, through Israel’s fall, salvation has freely come to the Gentiles as Israel has been blinded until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Rom.11:11,12,25). This present state of affairs will continue until after the pretribulational rapture of the Church (I Thes.4:13-18) when God resumes His plan and purpose for the earth with the prophesied time of Jacob’s trouble, the outpouring of His wrath in the dreaded tribulation period (II Thes.2:1-4).

Today, in the dispensation of grace, God is lavishing the world with the riches of His grace through the risen and exalted Christ. The Church is the steward of God’s message of grace and it is through its ministry that Jews and Gentiles alike are made nigh to God and blessed with a position in His family described as being fellow heirs (Eph.2:13; 3:6). God is no longer dealing with mankind primarily through His law, as in times past, but now He operates primarily on the basis of His grace. There is no longer national distinction, but under grace God is dealing with the world on the basis of His grace made available through the shed blood of Christ at Calvary.

SALVATION
The salvation of depraved sinners through Christ begins and ends with God Himself. Adonai Jehovah is the transcendent, immutable, and holy Creator God of the universe. Mankind committed a treasonous act of rebellion against His sovereign authority and subsequently plunged the human race under the curse of physical and spiritual death (Gen.2:17; Rom.5:12). Left by himself, man will one die physically and be banished forever from the presence of God and suffer the second death in the lake of fire (Rev.20:15). From the heart of God, came redemption through the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ as the perfect and only Savior of mankind. Any lost sinner can be saved from the penalty of his sins in the lake of fire by God’s grace through faith alone in the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

Salvation has always been made available to mankind by the grace of God although it has not always been received by faith alone in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Theologians understand today that the merits of Calvary are applied retroactively to the redeemed of all ages (Rom.3:25) even though believers at the time may have known very little truth beyond the prophecy of the coming Seed of the woman (Gen.3:15). In times past, there were required expressions of faith that were outward testimony of the genuine faith value of one’s belief in God. For example, the ceremonial rites of the covenant, under the Mosaic law, mandated animal sacrifices as a blood atonement or covering for sin’s committed. Recognizing that there were required expressions of faith under the law is the key to understanding the contrast between such Biblical texts at James 2 and Romans 4.

In the dispensation of grace, salvation is still available to lost sinners by the grace of God but the gift is received through faith alone apart from any works. Today, a person must see himself as a depraved sinner deserving of wrath in the sight of a holy God (Rom.3:9,19-20, 23; 6:23). Once the sinner sees his need for salvation, he must understand that the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, shed His blood on the cross to pay for his sins, was buried, and conquered sin and death by rising again on the third day that He may glorify Himself in giving the gift of eternal life to all who will receive it by faith. Intellectual agreement with historical fact is not salvation but the lost sinner must have the merits of Christ personally appropriated to his heart and life by receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. A sinner receives Christ by placing his faith and trust in Christ. The sinner must respond in faith to the grace of God by believing in his heart that Christ died on the cross for his sins and rose again that he might have life eternal. At the moment of salvation, the believer receives the total forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ, the gift of eternal life through Christ’s resurrection, is robed in Christ’s righteousness through the one baptism, and made eternally secure in Christ through the sealing by and with God the Holy Spirit (Eph.1:13,14; 2:8,9). Soli Deo Gloria!

CONCLUSION
Mid-Acts dispensational theology is consistent with historic Christian orthodoxy but distinct among the evangelical Christian faith. Its essentials include a mid-Acts beginning for the body of Christ, an emphasis upon the believer’s total identification into Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection being a product of Holy Spirit baptism at the moment of salvation, the temporary postponement and setting aside of God’s prophetic plan and purpose for Israel until after the pretribulational rapture of the Church, Jew and Gentile salvation apart from the Mosaic law but freely received by God’s grace through faith alone in the risen Christ and His shed blood on behalf of depraved sinners at Calvary. Grace theology thoroughly emphasizes the gospel of God’s grace (Acts 20:24) and the dispensation of His grace (Eph.3:2) and is therefore also known as “The Grace Message.” As the primary dynamic of Biblical doctrine and Christian living, believers in Christ are not only saved by grace (Eph.2:8,9) but also live well-pleasing and fruitful lives unto the Lord by His grace (Titus 2:11-14). The sum and substance of Who God is and what He has done through Christ is for the purpose of glorifying Himself throughout eternity and that our lives, as redeemed saints, would bear testimony “to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” [Jesus Christ] (Eph.1:6).

What is common grace?

Question: "What is common grace?"

Answer: The doctrine of common grace pertains to the sovereign grace of God bestowed upon all of mankind regardless of their election. In other words, God has always bestowed His graciousness on all people in all parts of the earth at all time. Although the doctrine of common grace has always been clear in Scripture, in 1924, the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) adopted the doctrine of common grace at the Synod of Kalamazoo (Michigan) and formulated what is known as the “three points of common grace.”

The first point pertains to the favorable attitude of God toward all His creatures, not only toward the elect. “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made” (Psalm 145:9). Jesus said God causes “his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45) and God “is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35). Barnabas and Paul would later say the same thing: “He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy” (Acts 14:17). In addition to His compassion, goodness, and kindness, God also sheds His patience upon both the elect and the non-elect. While God’s patience for His own is undoubtedly different from His patience with those whom He has not chosen, God still exercises “longsuffering” toward those whom He has not chosen (Nahum 1:3). Every breath that the wicked man takes is an example of the mercy of our holy God.

The second point of common grace is the restraint of sin in the life of the individual and in society. Scripture records God directly intervening and restraining individuals from sinning. In Genesis 20, God restrained Abimelech from touching Sarah, Abraham’s wife, and affirmed it to him in a dream by saying, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her” (Genesis 20:6). Another example of God restraining the wicked hearts of evil men is seen in God’s protection of the land of Israel from being invaded by the pagan nations on their border. God commanded the men of Israel that three times a year they would leave their plot of land to go and appear before Him (Exodus 34:23). To ensure the protection of God’s people from invasion during these times, even though the pagan nations surrounding them desired their land year-round, God promised that “no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God” (Exodus 34:24). God also restrained David from taking revenge on Nabal for scorning the messengers that David sent to greet Nabal (1 Samuel 25:14). Abigail, Nabal’s wife, recognized God’s grace when she pleaded with David not to seek vengeance against her husband, “since the Lord has kept you, my master, from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands…” (1 Samuel 25:26). David acknowledged this truth by responding, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you…” (1 Samuel 25:34).

This second point of common grace not only includes God’s restraining of evil, but also His sovereignly releasing it for His purposes. When God hardens the hearts of individuals (Exodus 4:21; Joshua 11:20; Isaiah 63:17), He does so by releasing His restraint on their hearts, thereby giving them over to the sin that resides there. In His punishment of Israel for their rebellion, God gave “them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices” (Psalm 81:11-12). The passage of Scripture best known for speaking of God’s releasing of restraint is found in Romans 1 where Paul describes those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. God “gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another” (Romans 1:28).

The third point of common grace as adopted by the CRC pertains to “civic righteousness by the unregenerate.” This means that God, without renewing the heart, exercises such influence that even the unsaved man is enabled to perform good deeds toward his fellow man. As Paul said of a group of unregenerate Gentiles, they “do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law” (Romans 2:14). The necessity of God restraining the hearts of the unredeemed becomes clear when we understand the biblical doctrine of total depravity. If God did not restrain the evil that resides in the hearts of all men, hearts which are “deceitful and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9), humanity would have destroyed itself centuries ago. But because He works through common grace given to all men, God’s sovereign plan for history is not thwarted by their evil hearts. In the doctrine of common grace, we see God’s purposes stand, His people blessed, and His glory magnified.


Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/common-grace.html#ixzz3Tsxf9zyL

compare translations

Which Bible version is the best?
by Matt Slick

Deciding on which Bible version is best isn't as simple as we might hope. Different Bibles have different translation styles. But, let's take a look and compare.

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek. When translating from those languages into English, different styles of translation can be used. Some Bible translators attempt to produce as literal a translation as possible. Others try to carry the meaning from the original into English. However, because the original languages are so different than English, a direct translation sometimes sounds a bit "wooden" and not as smooth as native English might sound. Also, certain phrases in the original language just don’t make sense in the English, so an equivalent phrase is used to carry the meaning.

Translators are aware of these issues, and most try to keep the original intent and the original wording as accurate as possible. So, they try and make it smooth and accurate. For the most part this is easy to do and relatively few passages present any real translating challenge.

Okay, so which Bible translations are the best? Depends on what you are looking for. If you want a more literal translation then go with the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the King James Version (KJV), and the English Standard Version (ESV). A more “flowing” translation is the New International Version (NIV), and even more loose is the Phillips Translation and the Living Bible.

I suggest that you get one of each, a literal-leaning translation as well as a meaning-leaning translation. Between the two of them you'll do fine.

NASB KJV ESV NIV
Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
John 1:18 No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
John 8:58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"
Rom. 5:18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

When Will the Battle of Gog and Magog Occur? Mark Hitchcock

When Will the Battle of Gog and Magog Occur? Mark Hitchcock
Ezekiel 1-24
25-32 Judgment on Judah's Near Enemies
Judgment on Judah 33-48 Blessings on Israel
Chs. 38-39 are divided into seven sections each beginning with the ominous words "Thus says the Lord God" (Adoriat Yahweh) (38:3,10,14,17; 39:1,17,25)
A helpful teaching outline is the journalist's questions Who, What, When, Where, How and Why. The focus of this study is the "When question."
There are six main views on the timing of this invasion among conservative, premillennial scholars: 1) before the tribulation; 2) near the beginning of the tribulation; 3) sometime just before the middle of the tribulation; 4) at the end of the tribulation; 5) during the "transition period" between the end of the tribulation and the actual establishment of the millennial kingdom; and 6) at the end of the millennium.
I. The General Identification of the Time
A. The Placement of Chapters 38-39 in Ezekiel
B. The Chronological Terms
1. "latter years" ('acharith hashshantm 38:8) 2. "last days" ('acharith hayyamim 38:16)
The words 'acharith hayyamtm are used fourteen times in the OT: Gen 49:1; Num 24:14; Deut 4:30; 31:29; Isa 2:2; Jer 23:20; 30:24; 48:47; Ezek 38:16; Dan 2:28; 8:23; 10:14; Hos 3:5; Mic 4:1.
While one could make a case for all of these occurrences referring ultimately to either the tribulation or the millennium, in several passages this term is clearly a technical term which refers to the consummation of history or what Scripture calls the 70th week. (Ezekiel 38:8,16; Dan 2:28; 10:14). Horst Seabass, Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, 1:210-12.
The placement of chapters 38-39 in Ezekiel and the chronological terms used eliminate two of the above views as viable alternatives: 1) before the tribulation; 2) at the end of the millennium.
The "transition period" view can also be eliminated because it is inconceivable that Israel could be fully restored to the land, wealthy, living securely and that this vast horde of nations could assemble their massive army and invade Israel all in a period of 75 days.
II. The Specific Identification of the Time
A. The Regathering of Israel (Ezek 36-37)
B. The Rest of Israel (38:8,11,14; cf. Dan 9:27)
C. The Response of Israel (39:22)
D. The Retribution of God (39:7)
E. The Return to Ancient Weapons (39:7)
F. The Relationship of Ezekiel 38-39 and Daniel 11:40-45
1. the same time period
a. Dan 10:14
b. Ezek 38:8,16
c. Dan 11:40-12:1
The events in Daniel 11:40-45a seem to occur just before and at the mid- point of the 70th week. Several points support this conclusion. First, as a result of the destruction of the king of the South and king of the North, the willful king invades Israel. This Is consistent with Daniel 9:27. Second, the willful king begins his persecution of Israel at this point. Third, the entire context of vv.40-45 pictures the ascension of the willful king to power which the Scriptures reveal will begin at the middle of the tribulation (Rev 13:4-5). Fourth, at this point the willful king establishes his headquarters in Jerusalem and desecrates the temple (1 1:45a; 9:27) Fourth, the great tribulation is clearly mentioned in the following context in 12:1.
2. the same geographical areas
a. a northern confederation of nations
Ezek 38:1-6 Magog, Rosh, Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Gomer, Togarmah
Dan 11:40-45 the king of the North (the Seleucid empire in
Dan 11:5-35)
b. a southern confederation of nations Ezek 38:5 Cush, Put
Dan 11:40-45 the king of the South (the Ptolemaic empire in Dan 11:5-35)
Dan. 11:43 specifically mentions Libya and Cush.
c. Israel
3. Daniel and Ezekiel were contemporaries

Elijah is Coming Thomas Ice

Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse. —Malachi 4:5–6

Elijah is seen as one of the most important figures in all of Judaism. He is the forerunner of the writing prophets to Israel, thus the first of the prophets who often confronted the kings of Israel and Judah. Elijah played the role of calling Israel back to her faith as revealed in Moses. Thus, Elijah was already yoked together with Moses as an embassy of the Lord in calling Israel back to the Mosaic Law as the basis of God�s rule over the nation. Elijah�s past career paves the way for his future ministry, along with Moses, in calling the wayward nation of Israel back to faith in the Lord during the future tribulation. Elijah�s future role is illustrated in modern Judaism by the fact that during the annual Passover meal an empty chair is set at the table to demonstrate that if Elijah were to show up during that meal then he would be welcome.

Elijah�s Future Ministry
Malachi clearly teaches that Elijah will make a visit during the tribulation to the nation of Israel (Mal. 4:5). Elijah will be joined by Moses, as the two from the past who appeared at Christ�s transfiguration (Matt. 17:3). It should be noted that the verse preceding the Elijah prophecy says the following: �Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel� (Mal. 4:4). Thus, even in the Malachi prophecy about Elijah coming, Moses is mentioned in the context, which provides support for the notion that Moses is one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11 along with Elijah.
Like Enoch, Elijah was translated to heaven without dying. 2 Kings 2 records this interesting event with an emphasis upon the mode of Elijah�s transportation to heaven. 2 Kings 2:1 says he was taken �by a whirlwind to heaven.� In 2:11 the whirlwind is further described as �a chariot of fire and horses of fire.� No doubt this was an appearance of the Shechinah glory of God since Hebrews 1:7 says, �and of the angels He says, �Who makes His angels winds, and His ministers a flame of fire.�� God objectively marked Elijah as a genuine prophet by identifying him with the glory of God and his rapture to heaven. Enoch was raptured before judgment while Noah remained and was preserved through the judgment. Elijah was raptured while Elisha remained behind.
Malachi 4:5-6 foretells of an important role that Elijah will play in relation to the nation of Israel. Such language teaches that Elijah will play a future role during the tribulation in the conversion of the nation of Israel, before the second coming of Christ. Since Malachi�s prophecy makes it clear that Elijah will play a role in end-time events, it is almost certain that this return of Elijah during the tribulation will be as one of the two witnesses spoken of in Revelation 11:3.

My Messenger
Malachi 3:1 says, �Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,� says the Lord of hosts.� Isaiah 40:3-4 is a parallel passage of John the Baptist who is said to be, �A voice is calling, �Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley.�� This passage provides the predicted role for John the Baptist to play as the one who would precede and prepare the way for Jesus at His first coming (Matt. 3:1-6). Elijah will prepare the way for Israel before Christ�s second coming, since Israel rejected Jesus at His first coming.
There are some who teach that the ministry of John the Baptist was a fulfillment of the prediction of the coming of Elijah from Malachi 4:5 at Christ�s first coming. This is not the case. John the Baptist fulfilled a different prediction, that of Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3-5. Yet, John the Baptist was said to be �a forerunner,� who would come �in the spirit and power of Elijah� (Lk. 1:17). Christ told His disciples concerning John the Baptist �if you care to accept it, he himself is Elijah, who was to come� (Matt. 11:14). But Israel did not accept Jesus as their Messiah at His first coming and therefore the kingdom did not arrive. In fact, when John the Baptist was asked directly, �Are you Elijah?� He clearly said, �I am not� (John 1:21). Thus, because of Israel�s rejection, John the Baptist was John the Baptist (My messenger) and not Elijah. So Elijah is still to come.

Elijah will Come
Elijah will come �before the great and terrible day of the Lord� for the purpose of restoring �the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers� (Mal. 4:5-6). The point of the end-time role of Elijah is to prepare Israel for accepting Jesus as their Messiah, something that did not occur at Christ�s first coming. Therefore, the ministry of Elijah is that of restoration of the Jewish family, which will prepare them for the second coming of the Messiah. The phrase �the great and terrible day of the Lord� is probably a reference to the second coming event that will occur just after the tribulation period. Even if this phrase is a reference to the tribulation as is the lesser term �day of the Lord,� Revelation 11 sets the context for the ministry of the two witnesses.
Elijah will fulfill his ministry as one of the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11:3, which says: �And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.� According to Revelation 11:3-14, there will arise two unique witnesses proclaiming the gospel for a period of 1260 days during the tribulation. Their supernatural ministry is related to Jerusalem and the nation of Israel, in which they perform a special witness to God�s program of judgment. In support of Elijah, the passage says, �These have the power to shut up the sky, in order that rain may not fall during the days of their prophesying� (Rev. 11:6a). Elijah performed a similar miracle during his ministry in the Old Testament before he was taken up to heaven in the fiery chariot (1 Ki. 17:1; 18:41-45).
I believe strongly that these two witnesses will be Moses and Elijah, even though the early church consensus was Enoch and Elijah. Enoch, instead of Moses, is still a popular view held today on the basis that these are the only two who did not die but were translated to heaven. It is argued that they were raptured because they were to be brought back into history during the tribulation as I have described. However, the multiple reasons given for Moses as the other witness with Elijah trump the single notion that it will be Enoch who will team with Elijah as the two witnesses during the first half of the tribulation.
Both Moses and Elijah were involved in the transfiguration, which anticipated the second coming of Jesus Christ (Matt. 17:3). These two individuals, specially sealed by God to be witnesses to Jerusalem and Israel, will arise during the first half of the tribulation. Like the prophets of the Old Testament (see Rev. 11:4 and compare with Zech. 4), the two witnesses will be able to perform miracles and they will be protected by God against those who try to harm them until their mission is complete. For three and a half years they will minister in Jerusalem without being harmed. Perhaps they will oversee the rebuilding of the tribulation temple during the first half of the tribulation since they will have the supernatural authority to call down fire upon anyone who would mess with them. This would enable them to protect the function of the temple service until they are taken out of the way and the beast (antichrist) will then be able to enter into the rebuilt temple at the mid-point of the tribulation and defile it (Dan. 9:26–27).
The two witnesses will be clothed in sackcloth (Rev. 11:3) which is symbolic of the fact that they are prophets of doom (cf. Isa. 37:1-2; Dan. 9:3). While Jerusalem is not mentioned by name as the city of their ministry, Revelation 11:7 says that their dead bodies will lie "in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified." The reference to the crucifixion clearly places these two witnesses in Jerusalem. The reference to Sodom and Egypt implies that during this time there will be licentious behavior and Jewish persecution in the city.
At the end of the 1260 days, God will remove their special protection so that the Antichrist will then kill them and their bodies will be left in the streets of Jerusalem for three and a half days after which God will resurrect them and rapture them to heaven. Once they have ascended to heaven, a great earthquake will occur, destroying a tenth of Jerusalem killing 7000 people. Revelation 11:13 says, �the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.� The rest are contrasted with the rebellious earth dwellers and I think refers to the Jews of Jerusalem who are converted to Jesus as their Messiah as a result of the ministry of the two witnesses. As new converts to Jesus, they would readily follow His command to flee to the wilderness when the see the abomination of desolation (Matt. 24:15). Thus, the ministry of Elijah is complete. Maranatha!

"What is sanctification? What is the definition of Christian sanctification?"

Question: "What is sanctification? What is the definition of Christian sanctification?"

Answer: Jesus had a lot to say about sanctification in the Book of John, chapter 17. In verse 16 the Lord says, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world,” and this is before His request: “Sanctify them in the truth: Thy word is truth.” Sanctification is a state of separation unto God; all believers enter into this state when they are born of God: “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). This is a once-for-ever separation, eternally unto God. It is an intricate part of our salvation, our connection with Christ (Hebrews 10:10).

Sanctification also refers to the practical experience of this separation unto God, being the effect of obedience to the Word of God in one’s life, and is to be pursued by the believer earnestly (1 Peter 1:15; Hebrews 12:14). Just as the Lord prayed in John 17, it has in view the setting apart of believers for the purpose for which they are sent into the world: “As Thou didst send Me into the world, even so send I them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth” (v. 18, 19). That He set Himself apart for the purpose for which He was sent is both the basis and the condition of our being set apart for that for which we are sent (John 10:36). His sanctification is the pattern of, and the power for, ours. The sending and the sanctifying are inseparable. On this account they are called saints, hagioi in the Greek; “sanctified ones.” Whereas previously their behavior bore witness to their standing in the world in separation from God, now their behavior should bear witness to their standing before God in separation from the world.

There is one more sense that the word sanctification is referred to in Scripture. Paul prayed in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “The God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul also wrote in Colossians of “the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel” (Colossians 1:5). He later speaks of Christ Himself as “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27) and then mentions the fact of that hope when he says, “When Christ, who is our Life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with Him be manifested in glory” (Colossians 3:4). This glorified state will be our ultimate separation from sin, total sanctification in every aspect. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

To summarize, sanctification is the same Greek word as holiness, “hagios,” meaning a separation. First, a once-for-all positional separation unto Christ at our salvation. Second, a practical progressive holiness in a believer’s life while awaiting the return of Christ. Third, we will be changed into His perfect likeness—holy, sanctified, and completely separated from the presence of evil.


Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/sanctification.html#ixzz3Syibqc7R