From the category archives:

By: Paul Franco

Universalistic Statements

by Paul Franco on August 23, 2010

There are many Scriptures that directly state or imply for whom Christ died that stress a universal generalization. The point of these universalistic texts is to ensure the readership does NOT limit the death of Christ to an outlook which is smaller than it actually was. Here are various texts which can be included into this discussion, but are not limited to (John 1:29, John 3:16, John 4:42, John 6:33, 51; 1John 2:2; 2 Cor 5:19; 1 Tim 2:6; Heb 2:9) .

It is important to understand how each side in this controversy understands these particularistic and universalistic passages. With no intent to misrepresent either side, I have attempted to demonstrate the meaning that is often unconsciously assumed, depending upon one’s previous religious instruction, when these texts are read.
READ MORE

{ 0 comments }

The Dark Guest

by Paul Franco on August 11, 2010

O LORD,
Bend my hands and cut them off,
for I have often struck thee with a wayward will,
when these fingers should embrace thee by faith.
I am not yet weaned from all created glory,
honour, wisdom, and esteem of others,
for I have a secret motive to eye my name in all I do.
Let me not only speak the word sin, but see the thing itself.
Give me to view a discovered sinfulness,
to know that though my sins are crucified
they are never wholly mortified.
Hatred, malice, ill-will,
vain-glory that hungers for and hunts after
man’s approval and applause,
all are crucified, forgive,
but they rise again in my sinful heart.

READ MORE

{ 0 comments }

Self-Knowledge

by Paul Franco on August 9, 2010

Searcher Of Hearts,
It is a good day to me when thou givest me
a glimpse of myself;
Sin is my greatest evil,
but thou art my greatest good;
I have cause to loathe myself,
and not to seek self-honour,
for no one desires to commend his own dunghill.
READ MORE

{ 0 comments }

Every Christian must test the accuracy of the gospel he believes and preaches by Scripture alone. Since every true Christian is endowed with a fervent love for God’s word, we are all called to search the Scriptures together in love and in unity. All of God’s people are to do this through fervent prayer and with an openness to learn by careful inspection of their own approach and theology. Acts 17:11 tells us that the Bereans received the Word of God with all eagerness, and examined the Scriptures daily to see if the things concerning Christ were true, and many of them believed. Our goal as believers is to stir up in one another a fervent hunger for truth and wisdom. Unfortunately many in the church today conclude that searching the Scriptures together and arriving at differences of opinion promotes disunity and divisiveness. However, the only real foundation for Christian unity is the truth of Scripture. Charles Spurgeon once said “the best way to promote union is to promote truth. It will not do for us to be all united together by yielding to one another’s mistakes. We are to love each other in Christ; but we are not to be so united that we do not see each other’s faults; and especially not able to see our own. No, purge the house of God, and then shall grand and blessed times dawn on us.”

We at ethea pray that the Gospel would be of the utmost importance to every Christian soldier, because it alone is the power of God for salvation.

We also pray that by revealing the unscriptural tradition of human decisional regeneration we may by God’s grace rescue many from this deception which leads to eternal death. You have often heard it preached or said somewhere in the presentation of the Gospel, “It’s what you do with Christ that matters”, this is human decisional regeneration. The Scriptures teach no such doctrine, but rather we read of the tax collector who would not so much as lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner! Luke 18:13. He understood the wrath of God was upon him and it was what God would do with him that mattered. Divine supernatural regeneration is rooted in Christ alone, by God alone, to the glory of God alone. Biblical regeneration is a supernatural work of God and not a human work of man.
READ MORE

{ 0 comments }

Propitiation

June 1, 2010

Rom 3:25 “whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in [...]

Read the full article →

Under Sin

May 7, 2010

What is meant by apostle Paul’s words “both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (Romans 3:9)? The definition of sin, is a departure in behavior from Gods standard of uprightness or an act of disobedience to Gods divine law. Paul is personifying sin in this statement as he refers to it as a living [...]

Read the full article →

Covenant Atonement

April 26, 2010

The chief point in view in the old and new covenants is to form and organize a community of people that are distinctively separated unto God. In Gods plan of redemption He decrees a people truly His own: The sheep never choose the shepherd, But the shepherd chooses His sheep! John 10:25-30, Exodus 6:7, Jeremiah [...]

Read the full article →

Chance, Luck, Fortune, Destiny

April 2, 2010

Chance and luck Isa 65:11-12 11 “But you are those who forsake the LORD, Who forget My holy mountain, Who prepare a table for Gad, And who furnish a drink offering for Meni. 12 Therefore I will number you for the sword, And you shall all bow down to the slaughter; Because, when I called, [...]

Read the full article →

“Jehovah’s Witness encounter”

December 23, 2009

Today 12/22/09 (My son Pauly’s B-Day) I was approached by a young proclaimed (JW) and found him to be very bold in his technique. He demanded that I roll down my window as he proceeded to discuss his Watchtower Tract Society magazines. I stopped him immediately by stating that I was a born again Christian [...]

Read the full article →

“An Effective Atonement” Part 1

December 19, 2009

Evangelicals are traditionally taught to view salvation based on an arminian type of theology. For this reason they are not used to thinking analytically about exactly how the atonement works. When asked the reasonable question, “How can the cross be a saving instrument?” The natural response given is different from the calvinist. [The concept for [...]

Read the full article →

“For God so Loved the World…”

November 29, 2009

If the word “world” was always used in one uniform and constant sense in the writings of the apostle John, there would be merit to the observation for universal atonement. However, the apostle John admits a variety of connotations. Therefore, the intention of it in one place cannot be the rule for the interpretation of [...]

Read the full article →

An Arminian Prayer?

October 22, 2009

Charles H. Spurgeon observes that you have heard a great many Arminian sermons, I dare say, but you never heard an Arminian prayer–for the saints in prayer appear as one in word, and deed, and mind. An Arminian on his knees would pray desperately like a Calvinist. He cannot pray about free will; there is [...]

Related Posts with Thumbnails
Read the full article →