Total Depravity
As usual I apologize for my long drought of posting, and call on my typical excuse of busyness. Though I do have to say that on my list of priorities this blog is not very high. I certainly enjoy posting here, though there are a myriad of other responsibilities and distractions which can and have squelched my time for posting. Thank you for bearing with me.
Today I want to examine the doctrine of Total Depravity. I first want to state its importance. It is vital doctrine to believe for Calvinism, but it is also a crucial doctrine for the whole of Christianity. Much of the foundation of what we believe rests upon the truth of Total Depravity.
Briefly, Total Depravity (also called total inability) states that when Adam fell, all of mankind as a whole fell. The punishment for this fall is death, as God had warned Adam prior to the fall. This death takes place in three stages. Physical death is the end of our time on this planet. Eternal death is the unending punishment for our sinful state. Spiritual death is the depravity in which we find ourselves. Each man1 is spiritually stillborn. What is the nature of this death?
Behind the Scenes of the Gospel
In 2 Corinthians 3&4, Paul discusses an important aspect of his ministry. Now if you’ve ever studied 2 Corinthians as a whole, you will have noticed that one of the common themes is Paul’s Apostolic authority. It seems that he had come under attack from those connected to the Corinthian church - be they members or dissenters. One of the major reasons Paul wrote the book was to address this question, and in 2 Corinthians 3&4 we see part of it emerge. (more…)
Is Calvin Defeated by Responsibility?
A very important question has been raised in our discussion, so before I go on to my next post, I think it bears addressing. The question is about human responsibility in light of the sovereignty of God and his electing purpose. How can Calvinism be true and man be responsible for his actions? (more…)
Our DNA
God has for each of you a DNA - not just a physical DNA but also a spiritual DNA
This quote is from the commencement address at ICS Uijongbu, delivered by Dr. Josephine Kim of Harvard University - a former ICS graduate - on Saturday May 26, 2007 and it blew out the left side of my head! I almost couldn’t contain the outburst that welled up inside me at hearing her say this, and for the whole rest of her speech, I don’t think I hear anything she said because I couldn’t stop mulling over this quote and plumbing the depths of its implications. It is probably going to be the springboard of a long series of discussions as I intend to unpack the doctrines that have most significantly impacted my life over the last few years - that is the doctrines of soteriology as innumerated by John Calvin. Now I say it that way instead of saying Calvinism because it is not as though I believe them for any merit I see in Calvin. I simply believe these doctrines on the basis of the Bible first and foremost and the conclusions of my own logical journey through the philosophical issues - with the Bible as my filter. (more…)
How Can We Escape Death?
Who’s to blame for the life that tragedies claim?
No matter what you say it won’t take away the pain
That I feel inside, I’m tired of all the lies
Don’t nobody know why
It’s the blind leadin’ the blind.
Guess that’s the way that the story goes,
Will it ever make sense somebody’s gotta know,
There’s gotta be more to life than this,
There’s got to be more to everything
I thought exists1
It’s sad to look at the world and see evil. It is heartbreaking to watch and hear about murder and death and violence. It is difficult to formulate an effective response in the face of such terror and horror and loss. Words cannot adequately express the emotion which accompanies these events. Inevitably the questions are raised: How can someone do this? How can God allow such evil? Isn’t God strong enough to prevent this? Who is to blame for this tragedy? (more…)