-
Last week we discussed some of the issues that cause trouble in understanding the Holy Spirit. This week we want to add three major preconceptions that cause greater confusion of the Holy Spirit in the religious world: Calvinism, Pentecostalism, and Emotionalism (or Subjectivism).
The basic tenants of Calvinism teach that man does nothing and God does everything in regards to salvation. This is seen in the Calvinistic doctrines of Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, and Irresistible Grace. Likewise, man cannot understand God’s word by himself; he must have God’s help. This, it is argued, is the role of the…
-
The understanding of certain subjects is imperative to being a Christian – who God is, the nature of sin and death, the sacrifice of Christ, repentance, baptism, heaven, hell, and many more. Most of the time we feel comfortable with our level of knowledge concerning these topics; especially our concepts of God the Father and Jesus the Son. But what about the Holy Spirit? Do we need to understand the person and work of the Holy Spirit just as we understand the person and work of Jesus Christ? Or is our understanding and study of the Holy Spirit purely…
-
Many preachers keep a notebook of random thoughts on a variety of subjects that they intend to use in a sermon or article sometime. Many of those tidbits never see the light of day. Others write articles like this one and present those unrelated reflections. Here are a few from one preachers notes.
Prayer: Do you really realize the benefits of prayer? When you pray to God you never get a busy signal. He never puts you on hold. You are never interrupted by call waiting. You can talk as long as you want. And the call is toll free. What…
