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Philippians 2:5-11 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. 9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:5-11...

This is about how the Holy Spirit will speak and how He will not speak. John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. KJV So the Holy Spirit will not speak from Himself, but speaks what He hears. We can see this truth as maintained in all Bible versions. John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his...

Is Sanctification Monergistic or Synergistic? A Reformed Survey KEVIN DEYOUNG | SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 Recently, in a leadership training class at our church, a spirited discussion broke out on whether sanctification is monergistic or synergisitic. No, this is not what every class is like at University Reformed Church. But this one was. I wasn’t there, but I was told the discussion was energetic, intelligent, and respectful. I’m glad to serve at a church where people know and care about this level of theological precision. The terms monergism and synergism refer to the working of God in regeneration. Monergism teaches that we are born again by only one working (mono is Greek for “one,” erg is from the Greek word for “work”). Synergism...

This is important as this false teaching from Pentecostals & Charismatic circles can find its way into the other Christian churches where they misapply Acts 19:1-7 as if they were disciples of Jesus Christ that had not received the Holy Spirit yet but when reading with His wisdom, you can see they were never believers in Jesus Christ but disciples of John the Baptist's. To understand what Luke was meaning by using the term "certain disciples" that Paul came across, we should keep in mind that there are 3 kinds of disciples in Jesus's days; the disciples of the Pharisees, the disciples of John the Baptist's, and the disciples of Jesus Christ. Luke 5:33 And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers...

Who am I? So, God created man in His own image. Gen 1:27. Study of the scriptures will tell you not only who God is but who you are. The world and its philosophers are on a quest for identity. They ask the nagging question that lingers in the backs of our minds. "Who am I?" As the world searches for the answer in Darwinian theories and even in myths as outrageous as aliens playing a major role in man's formation and development, the Bible gives us the true and trustworthy answer to the question of man's identity. God proclaimed in Genesis 1, "Let us make man in our image." We are not simply biological machines or products of alien influence, nor are we supreme beings dictating the beginning and the end of our existence; neither are...

The second Psalm tells us that God laughs at those who seek the throw off the authority of the Lord and His Anointed One (the Messiah). Indeed it is said that 'the Lord shall hold them in derision' (v.4). There i a biblical principle here: 'Do not be deceived, God si not mocked' (Gal 6:7). One must be hesitant about interpreting providences, but there are a number of examples in history which provide sober food for thought. Back in the fourth century, the heretic Arius denied that Christ is fully God. As a result, he was excommunicated by a synod at Alexandria. However, the Roman emperor Constantine was keen on peace rather than truth prevail in the Church, and so ordered Athanasius to restore Arius. As bishop of Alexandria...

Provisionism is a relatively new theological stance within Christian circles, gaining prominence through the work of theologian Leighton Flowers and adopted by many Southern and Independent Baptists. Though it bears similarities to Arminianism and Semi-pelagianism, it also has distinct differences, particularly regarding views on eternal security and prevenient grace. At its core, Provisionism emphasizes the sufficiency of the gospel—God’s Word empowered by the Holy Spirit—to enable a response from all who hear the call to be reconciled with God (John 6:63; Hebrews 4:12). Core Tenets of Provisionism Provisionism can be summarized by the acrostic PROVIDE: People sin: Sin has separated all from fellowship with God. Responsible: Humans...

Penal Substitutionary Atonement When you encounter professing Christians who attempt to deny penal substitutionary atonement, I would encourage you to make sure to point them to Luke 22:37 (among many other passages). Here Jesus is speaking just prior to Jesus' crucifixion, where He defines the importance and meaning of His going to the cross: Jesus is here pointing back to a quote in Isaiah 53 claiming that it is speaking of Him and that it finds its purpose and end in Him. Anyone who is familiar with that chapter of the Bible knows that it explicitly predicts the suffering servant's substitutionary atoning work for His people.

Exploring the Paradox of Prevenient Grace: Why Does One Believe and Not Another? The Arminian affirms total human moral inability and utter helplessness of the natural man in spiritual matters and the absolute necessity for supernatural prevenient grace. Furthermore, he posits that all individuals receive prevenient grace from God, which enables them to choose whether or not to believe in Christ. However, this notion implies that the person who chooses to believe is wiser, smarter, and more humble than the one who rejects Christ. This would mean it cannot be attributed solely to grace since both received grace. Such a conclusion contradicts the very essence of salvation, which is based on God's unmerited favor and not on our own merit...

I love composing and performing music dedicated to the Lord, who is worthy of all that we may offer unto Him, for He is the creator of music, not man. When I composed and performed this, it was a wonderful time of worship and praise of He who is worthy.

In which manner does regeneration occur? It seems it varies greatly. 1) Some are converted in a very sudden manner, as in one moment. Such was the case with Zacchaeus, the thief on the cross, the many on the day of Pentecost, and the jailer. With others, this transpires less rapidly. 2) Some are converted by way of great terror and consternation caused by being confronted with the law, death, and condemnation, such as was the case on the day of Pentecost, and with the jailor. Acts 16:27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 3) Some are converted in a very evangelical manner. The salvation and the fullness of the...

2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished...

Union with Christ and Federal Headship The doctrines of "Union with Christ" and "Federal Headship" are deeply rooted in the Bible and have profound implications for our understanding of salvation, sanctification, and our identity as believers. By delving into these rich concepts, we can glean insights into the mysterious workings of God's redemptive plan and the blessings that come from our union with Christ. Federal headship is a theological concept that speaks to the idea of representation. In this framework, an individual stands as a representative for a group of people, with their actions and decisions having far-reaching consequences for those whom they represent. The notion of federal headship pervades not only our theological...

We start The first part of it we begin with everything since Genesis to the law deuternomy, the first part consist of the high status women have " Before the law of the ten commandments " is what we call part 1. In part 1 will their be high status, equal status and low status in this we explain the events where women had God's favor over men and did the will of God and his plan. The powers women have God gave them and explain them in turn of events how they use them in the time before the law of moses. We start with the beggining God created men and women the first laws. Genesis 1:26-28 God made men and women like his image. Genesis 2:18-24 it is not Good for man to be alone and made women for him. And made women from the rib of men...

Does Man Have a Free WIll? by John Calvin In his very helpful book, The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, John Calvin stated that there are four expressions regarding the will which differ from one another: “namely that the will is free, bound, self-determined, or coerced. People generally understand a free will to be one which has in its power to choose good or evil …[But] There can be no such thing as a coerced will, since the two ideas are contradictory. But our responsibility as teachers is to say what it means, so that it may be understood what coercion is. Therefore we describe [as coerced] the will which does not incline this way or that of its own accord or by an internal movement of decision, but is forcibly driven by an...

Penal Substitutionary Atonement When you encounter professing Christians who attempt to deny penal substitutionary atonement, I would encourage you to make sure to point them to Luke 22:37 (among many other passages). Here Jesus is speaking just prior to Jesus' crucifixion, where He defines the importance and meaning of His going to the cross: "For I tell you that this Scripture MUST be FULFULLED in ME: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its FULFILLMENT.” Luke 22:37 (Emphasis mine) Jesus is here pointing back to a quote in Isaiah 53 claiming that it is speaking of Him and that it finds its purpose and end in Him. Anyone who is familiar with that chapter of the Bible knows that it explicitly...

As Christians, we recognize Jesus as our King, and therefore, obedience and good works play a significant role in our faith. Good works are often seen as a necessary response to God's grace and salvation, as well as a way to demonstrate faith and love towards God and others. However, the Bible clearly indicates that believers are not the sole agents (or even initiators) of their good works, but rather it is ultimately God who works in them to will and to do. This concept is known as compatibilism, and it is illustrated by three key texts in the Bible: Philippians 2:13, Ephesians 2:10, and John 15:16. These texts all emphasize the role of God in the lives of believers and in the good works that they carry out. Philippians 2:13 teaches...

When it is said that Jesus "became sin" for us, it doesn't mean that He became sinful or committed sin Himself. Instead, it means that our sins were imputed or accounted to Him, and He bore the punishment that we deserved for those sins. This perhaps may be seen more clearly when we look at the distinctions between the terms "imputation" and "impartation." Imputation means that the sins of those united to Christ are attributed or credited to Jesus, even though He did not actually commit those sins Himself or become sinful. Our sins are "accounted" as His in the sense that He willingly took responsibility for them and bore the punishment that we deserved for those sins. In this act of imputation, God views Jesus as if He were the one...

How was the Covenant of Grace Administered Under the Old Testament? Westminster Larger Catechism Q. 34. How was the covenant of grace administered under the Old Testament? A. The covenant of grace was administered under the Old Testament, by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the Passover, and other types and ordinances, which did all fore-signify Christ then to come, and were for that time sufficient to build up the elect in faith in the promised Messiah, by whom they then had full remission of sin, and eternal salvation. Rom. 15:8; Acts 3:20, 24; Heb. 10:1; Rom. 4:11; 1 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 8-10, 11:13; Gal. 3:7-9, 14. This profound inquiry beckons us to explore the means by which God's people, before the advent of the Messiah...

The Fruitful Union: How Faith and Good Works Intersect in Our Walk with Christ Our good works are the inevitable fruit of our union with Christ, not the root. We do good works not in order to be saved (or find acceptance with God) but because we are saved. But it is also true that faith without works is a dead faith. In his epistle, James asserts that a faith devoid of works is lifeless, akin to a body without a spirit (James 2:26). This stark metaphor captures the reality that genuine faith, when united to Christ, must inevitably produce good works as a natural consequence of that union. A faith that fails to produce such works, therefore, is not merely incomplete but is indicative of a deeper issue – that the faith is spurious, not...