It looks like Tuesday will be a good day to drive across frozen mud to collect wood.
First Fish Fry of Lent
I went to the first fish fry hosted by our church.
Many customers showed up, especially considering that it is the first week of Lent as observed by the "western" church. Listening to the chatter, several of the attendees had called around to check the prices and menu and decided to drive all the way to Charlotte.
Is this why LGBT pushed for "marriage"?
To the best of my knowledge, the courts in the US cannot "force" a spouse to testify against the accused. Nearly all other witnesses can be compelled via threat of "contempt of court" charges.
WOKE Judges
There were multiple causes of the Protestant Reformation. It was comparable to systemic organ failures due to sepsis.
One of the axis of failure (or one of the organs that ruptured) was the tension between "Predestination (the reformer's position)" versus "Free will" which was more the position of the Roman church.
"Predestination" is based on the belief that God is all knowing. He knew us before he knit us together in our mother's womb. Since he "knows" what will happen in the future, then the future must be cast-in-stone and unchangeable. Therefore, even before we are born, God knows if we will go to heaven or go to hell. Ergo, our divine destinies are not under our control.
"Free will" is based on the idea that we have the choices on a minute-by-minute basis of whether we will follow God's commandments ("If you love me you will follow my commandments") or be selfish. On Judgement Day, we will be called to account for our choices and we will either be consigned to hell or go to heaven.
The argument still rages. Today it is seen in the criminal justice system where WOKE judges and prosecutors refuse to hold criminals accountable "because of their background". It is the secular version of sin, redemption and salvation. Their "logic" is that the violent person was doomed to be violent due to their gender, place of birth, poverty or the color of their skin and therefore they cannot be held responsible for "society's failings".
At this point, society's trajectory under the secular manifestation of "Predestination" is not very promising.
News from Canada
Meta-analysis reveals that a significant portion of the violent crime in Canada is due to an extremely antisocial family from Sweden, the Gunpersons.
So, ERJ, are you saying that salvation is dependent on works? Seems at odds to what I read in scripture as being a gift by the grace of God...
ReplyDeleteIf you are asking about my personal beliefs:
DeleteIt is dependent on BOTH. James 2:14-24 is a concise version of that belief.
I know many point to Romans for "Justification by Faith" but Paul writes earlier in Romans 2:1-6 that "...the just judgment of God, who will repay everyone according to his works".
James 2:14-24 is an excellent answer.
DeleteWe are saved from our sins by Jesus's sacrifice but need to follow our Father will.
Upon rereading your question, I see that I did not directly answer your question.
DeleteI believe that God offers his grace to all people. In the Nicene Creed that is the meaning of "catholic", lower-case-"c". It means "universal". Christ made salvation available to all peoples, not just the children of Abraham.
That grace is offered to everybody. Many chose to not accept that grace and willfully, even joyously, wallow in sinful lives.
Again, those are my beliefs not not universally accepted.
Our pastors have reminded us it’s free will, we can choose to sin or not. We can choose to accept grace and better ourselves.
ReplyDeleteSirach 15: He hath set water and fire before thee: stretch forth thy hand to which thou wilt.
Before man is life and death, good and evil, that which he shall choose shall be given him.
Good works are required, even small one.
Southern NH