Tried With Fire

I highly recommend Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung. It's a short book that packs a big punch. Also as someone who has had a wrong view of the will of God for most of my life, this book clears up a lot of things. I didn't realize how confused I was/am until reading this book. It has been a breath of fresh air cutting through the mystical ideas of the will of God that I used to hold. Part of my confusion may be due to being taught that the entire history of mankind since the fall is Plan B. Therefore, God doesn't appear to have very good control over His creation since He has been trying to salvage things since the Garden. In fact, the will of God becomes a very tenuous thing because there is absolutely no security that His will will happen since man and the devil seem to be awfully good at derailing it. Also, if human history is Plan B, what plan am I in? Given all the wrong choices that I could have made, I could be in the third, fourth, or fifth derivative of Plan...

For most of my Christian life, I've had this lurking fear that it was up to me to make the right choices, live the right life, or else. If I failed, then I missed God's will. If that happened, I missed Plan A so I might be in Plan B or even C or D depending on how badly I messed up. This past combination of Arminianism and deeper life teaching was a double whammy because acceptance with God was based on my sanctification not my justification. There was always a question in my mind about God's acceptance if I wasn't living the victorious Christian life which was the result of a wrong choice which was a result of not living the victorious Christian life which was the result of a wrong choice which was the result of not living the victorious Christian life... So forth and so on. It was like a hamster wheel because I was trying to get to the place where I would be received by God because of something I had done. But the place I was trying to get to does not exist . Hence t...

This morning Pastor Ryan spoke on Hebrews 6:4-12. This was a very difficult passage in it of itself and the message was very sobering. It is frightening to think of those who believe they are spiritually okay and yet in the end crucify afresh the Son of God. I am very thankful that God gave the pastor the grace and the boldness to preach from such a hard text. It was also very moving to hear him plead with any who were there who might be in that condition of being deceived as to their true state before God. So much hinges on our correct understanding of what it means to "be saved". That phrase has become so common place that it could mean anything and it does mean just about anything depending on who you talk to. We can be self deceived and deceive others if we don't know what it says in the Word regarding salvation. We can believe that we are fine with God and lead others to think likewise when we are still under the wrath of God. I know in the past that I thought it was...

I am relatively new to the Doctrines of Grace so I am pondering these in relation to things I had previously held to be true. In the last several months, I have become more aware that my view of God often makes Him smaller than He really is which is also demeaning to the character of God. The idea that God is totally sovereign and reigning over everything would be something that I would certainly not deny. But when the rubber meets the road, do I really believe that or do I believe that somehow He is not fully in control and that sinful man (myself or others) and the devil can thwart Him? I can say that I believe God is in control but my actions and attitudes may contradict that. What hinges on this is - if God is fully in control then everything that comes into my life whether good or bad is from His hand and according to His purpose and ultimately for my good. Conversely, if somehow He is not fully in control, then there may be things that come into my life that are the result of sin...