So, for better or worse, this summer I put together my first preaching series on heaven. Happily for the success of my summer series on heaven, heaven does not fall into category 3. It is probably somewhere between 1 and 2. Most pastors, biblical scholars and devoted Christians are familiar with the spots of the Bible that talk specifically about heaven 1. Part of the fun of this series has been spending time on some of these in-between moments where God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are probably speaking in the language of eternity, but we often overlook the broader meaning because we interpret in the language of earth or more brutally, in the language of right-here-right-now.
Admittedly, I have read both stories and about the lives of Abraham and Isaac over and over and over and managed to miss that eternal language. Surely that is eternal language for what comes next and it sure sounds like some type of family reunion.
If we endure, we will also reign with him. It was there for me to use, or not use. If I did that, I was propelled along, entirely by the wind. But if I chose not to set t he boat up suitably, nothing much happened. That image has consoled me a lot, I still refer to it and it is really my pwersonal picture of what I have to do to work with God. If that image helps anyone on this page, you are most welcome to it. I quite like that.. Kia kaha. After all.. Is God capable of imperfection Himself?
Creating imperfection and knowing it in advance does make one wonder. One must begin to seek, learn and heed the commands of God through his Holy Scriptures.
By His wounds we are healed. Salvation is not by faith, but through faith in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit is one able to understand the word which is truth , and believe. What is the intention of God in putting Satan in paradise? If God is in control of everything, then, why God allowed Human to have freewill that obviously Eve and Adam used it?
Do you have any other reason? No mention of the glorious life, ministry, sacrifice , resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ who fulfilled all the requirements of God on our behalf.
No mention that people must be born again, must choose Jesus and trust in HIM for salvation. This article must leave many people scratching their heads in confusion. Certainly left me scratching my head and then some… It clearly states in Scripture that when we reach the final judgement we are to be judged on our acts. It states in Scripture that only God can make you holy and that you need his mercy for forgiveness to meet Him in Heaven.
Of course He loves you. And He can reject you just the way you reject a child who has disobeyed you. You still love the child but you also have to punish him to correct him.
That also applies to us. Do presbyterians have missionaries? How woukd one know which one was the chosen one? Whats the point in sending missonarirs to spread the Gospel?
God loved us so much that he gave his Only Son John We were created in his image for his glory as it is written in the bible. Each of us needed regardless as to what part of this puzzle you fit into. Mercy and Grace is anew every day repenting every night in true humble faith. Its all in the living word. I pray Gods love and peace and Guidance for each of us. I love you all. God Bless.
Luther rejoiced in the doctrine of predestination, which he believed is so clearly taught by Paul and, in fact, in the whole of the Scriptures — but he quickly stopped short of trying to explain why God works this way.
He simply said it is a mystery that God has not revealed. If people are troubled by the doctrine of predestination and worried about whether or not they are saved, they should look at the wounds of the crucified Christ. There they will see what they need to know, what God has revealed — that God loves sinners enough to die for them — and they will be comforted.
I feel it everyday even the bad days and I feel how it transfers to others when we interact. Thanks for reminding me why I feel the way I do about so many of the issues we deal with each day! Wow — I came here to sincerely get educated about the Presbyterian faith and I just keep finding lies and misconceptions that you are spreading about Catholicism. Myth 4: A person can buy indulgences. Myth 5: A person used to be able to buy indulgences.
The financial scandal surrounding indulgences that gave Martin Luther an excuse for his heterodoxy, involved indulgences in which the giving of alms to some charitable fund or foundation was used as the occasion to grant the indulgence. There was no outright selling of indulgences.
To give money to God or to the poor is a praiseworthy act, and, when it is done from right motives, it will surely not go unrewarded. Please spread teaching about YOUR faith and stop spreading lies about the faith of others. Wondering if you read the post? None of those are mentioned….
Blessings on your journey, my friend. All faiths welcome here. What is predestination? Do Presbyterians believe in free will? Previous Next. Blessings — Jeff V. So — what about the whole question of free will then? Make sense? OK — keep looking through the telescope…! Spread The Word! Related Posts. Unstinting Unstinting. Plan and Vision Plan and Vision.
Michael Emmerson May 6, at am - Reply. Michael Johns May 22, at am - Reply. Jeffrey Vamos May 24, at am - Reply. Michael and Michael, Good thoughts both and — Michael J — indeed yes, vexing that Calvin chose to burn another Christian — irritant and curmudgeon that he was.
S B August 9, at pm - Reply. We marvel at those who live so long and we agonize over those who die at much younger ages. We pay attention to the passing of the seasons and the years. At the same time, through our faith in Jesus Christ, we believe in the life that is eternal.
That is a part of it, but eternity also includes the present. It even includes the past. Eternity has no beginning and no ending. It is a reality which is outside of time as we experience it but it includes our experience of time. The best way to think of eternity is to think of God, who is eternal. God is immortal. So we enter eternal time, we enter eternity through God. In the Gospel reading Jesus acknowledged the resurrection as a Day in the future.
I remember the first time I encountered this idea was when I was doing field education in seminary and the pastor who was supervising me told me this view, which he claimed was the biblical view. Our problem is that we have too many ideas from non-biblical sources, like hymns, poetry, art, cultural myths, and so on.
I was perplexed but over the years have come to embrace this view and thanks to the wonderful book by N. Wright, Surprised by Hope , have more clarity about heaven, the afterlife, and the extreme importance of this present earthly life. But let me say this in terms of the intersection of eternal time and chronological time once again. Whether any part of us is alive or totally dead after we take our last breath and our hearts stop beating and our brains no longer have any activity, for the dead person it will be as if they died and immediately found themselves in the resurrection in the new heaven and the new earth because for them they will no longer be aware of chronological time.
They have totally entered into eternal time which includes the past, the present, and the future all at once. Ah, but what about unbaptized babies who die? The medieval argument ran this way: They never got a chance to grow up and become wicked, so it seems unjust to condemn them to hell.
There is no point in sending them to purgatory to purge away their sins, because they did not live long enough to commit any. On the other hand, they were not baptized, so they cannot go to heaven. They must end up in some fourth place, limbo, instead. Presbyterians give an answer parallel to the one regarding purgatory: God will take care of this, and we do not need to speculate on yet another place in the afterlife.
Where does the authority of the church reside? Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox, Methodist and Episcopal churches believe it is carried in the office of the bishop. Bishops receive their authority from previous bishops, all of whom received their authority from still earlier bishops. Catholics and some Anglicans trace this authority back to the apostles themselves. Presbyterians believe church authority is not carried in individuals this way; rather, church leaders can declare the will of God only on the authority of Scripture.
When you have problems, you may ask your friends to pray for you. But why restrict yourself to present-day friends? Why not also ask radiant Christians from previous centuries to offer up their intercessions on your behalf? This is perhaps the most positive way to think of praying to the saints.
Yet there is a problem here. Asking Saint Joan to pray for you becomes praying to Saint Joan. But praying is an act of worship and devotion, and this can be offered only to God. In Roman Catholic thinking when you die you are carrying the guilt of all the sins you have committed since your last confession.
If your sins are venial relatively slight , you will now work them off in purgatory.
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