Browsing Tag:

Salvation

In Blog, Names of God, Theology on
November 15, 2021

He is Jehovah Nissi

During America’s Civil War, flags were enormously important to soldiers. They were so important that soldiers would sacrifice their lives to protect their flags from enemy capture. State and regional regimental flags were morale builders, and they were a great source of pride for the soldiers. They also had a more practical purpose. Battlefields could get loud and confusing, and it could be easy for regiments to become scattered. So, a regimental flag would mark the position of the regiment and be a visual rallying point for the soldiers to follow.[1]

But America isn’t the only nation who has treasured her flag in battle. Even nations in ancient history would fly their flag or banner at their front lines. Seeing their flag at the front lines would give soldiers a feeling of hope, and it was a focal point for them during their battles.[2]

Shortly after their exodus from Egypt, ancient Israel fought against the Amalekites. During this battle, Moses went up on a hill with his staff. When he held up his hand and staff, Israel prevailed. But if he lowered his hand and staff, the Amalekites prevailed. Two men, Aaron and Hur, went up with Moses to help him hold his hands up during the entire battle. Israel ultimately won the battle and defeated the Amalekites.

“And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner,” Exodus 17:15, ESV

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In Blog, Reformed Theology, Theology on
October 11, 2021

The Five Solas

There are so many false gospels out there today that are unfortunately very popular amongst some who claim to be Christians. The prosperity gospel teaches that one will be healthy and wealthy when they come to Jesus. The self-love gospel is hyper-focused on loving the self and doesn’t place much emphasis on sin or repentance. The social justice gospel preaches that Jesus came to stop oppression rather than to save sinners. Some believe that Jesus isn’t the only way to salvation. Others believe you have to do good works to earn your salvation. And those with a progressive view of Christianity spout ideas like the Bible isn’t the Word of God, homosexuality isn’t a sin, and hell doesn’t really exist.

Knowing and preaching the true gospel is important for many reasons. The Bible tells us that those who teach are held to a higher standard and will be judged with greater strictness (James 3:1). God’s Word also tells us that those who preach a gospel that differs from what’s written in it is cursed or, as the New Living Translation puts it, condemned to hell (Galatians 1:9). They will be judged and condemned because they are essentially leading people to eternal spiritual death, and Jesus once said that it would be better for these false teachers to have a millstone tied around their neck and drowned (Matthew 18:5-6).

These may seem like harsh words, but they highlight the extreme importance of having a proper view of the gospel. It is only when we know and understand the foundations of our faith that we can share the true gospel with others. You may be wondering, Well, what are the foundations of our faith, of Christianity, of the gospel? You don’t have to figure them out on your own. Thankfully, the Reformers formulated five phrases based on the truths of Scripture to describe the pillars of the gospel, and they all begin with the Latin word for alone – sola.

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In Attributes of God, Blog, Theology on
August 2, 2021

He is Righteous

Nobody likes a self-righteous person. Nobody likes those people who always think they’re better than everybody else. Nobody likes those people who always try to one-up others. But, if you think about it, you’ve probably acted in a self-righteous way at some point in your life. There’s probably been a time when you’ve believed you were better, smarter, or stronger compared to someone else, whether you verbalized that thought or not. There’s likely been an instance where you did something to one-up another person. We don’t like self-righteous people (and the self-righteous side of ourselves!) because we know that nobody is altogether righteous and nobody is really more righteous than somebody else. Everybody sins! There’s only one Person who truly is more righteous than anybody else, but He never puts us down because of it-

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In Blog, Names of God, Theology on
July 5, 2021

He is Jehovah-Raah

Sheep aren’t exactly known for being smart. They are defenseless against predators. They can get stuck on their backs. They can’t swim, so they can easily sink and drown in water. They can eat grass down to its roots, which destroys whatever pasture they’re in. Sheep have even been known to walk off cliffs. This is why shepherds are so important! The shepherd watches over his sheep constantly and protects them from predators. Sheep know their shepherd’s voice and follow him to safety and green pastures. If a sheep falls on its back, the shepherd sets them back up on their feet. Sheep are completely dependent on their shepherd.[1]And this leads us to an amazing truth about God-

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In Blog, Reformed Theology, Theology on
June 21, 2021

The Calvinist’s Favorite Flower

What is a Calvinist’s favorite flower? A TULIP.

If you understood this joke, you’re probably a fellow theology nerd. Welcome to the club! If you didn’t get the joke, no worries. Today we’re going to talk about Calvinism and TULIP, so hopefully you’ll understand the joke by the end.

Let’s start with what Calvinism is. Calvinism, or Reformed Theology, is a branch of Protestantism whose beliefs are based on the teachings of John Calvin and other reformers. Calvinists emphasize things like the grace and sovereignty of God, predestination, and justification through faith. I learned about Calvinism for the first time a few years ago. After doing some research about their beliefs, I discovered that I, myself, was a Calvinist, and I developed a deeper affection for God and His Word and a thankfulness for His merciful salvation. Their main teachings are summarized by the acronym, TULIP, and we’re going to look at each letter of this acronym and how each teaching is supported by Scripture.

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