Month: May 2016

Free Will: What Does It Mean Based On Scripture?

“Free Will” is a term that is commonly brought up in bible discussions, but what does it mean? Calvin said that it was a term that he didn’t want to bring up in conversation. In fact, Calvin wrote in “Institutes”: “Man will then be spoken as having this sort of free decision, not because he has free choice equally, of good and evil, but because he acts wickedly by will, not by compulsion. Well put, indeed, but what purpose is served by labeling with a proud name such a petty thing?” “But how few men are there, I ask, who when they hear free will attributed to man do not immediately conceive him to be master of both his mind and will, able of his own power to turn himself toward either good or evil…If anyone, then, can use his word without understanding it in a bad sense. I shall not trouble him on this account…I’d prefer not to use it myself, and I should like others, if they seek my advice, to avoid it”.

Nowhere in the bible does it say that we are “free” in the sense of being outside of God’s control. Neither does it read that we are allowed to be free to do right of our own volition without God’s power.

Absolute freedom that is totally out of God’s control is not possible. God maintains and directs all things providentially in this universe by Himself. So the challenge is to interpret the word “free.” If we were able to be “free” to make our own choices, then we would be equal to God in respect to our will. God will know our choices before we make them, but does that mean we are not free to make choices? Absolutely not.

Acts 4:27-28 27 “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.

God Bless

Brian Mason

The Feast of Booths aka The Feast of the Tabernacles

Here is a clear and concise article on the Jewish Festival “”Feast of Booths”

http://considerthegospel.org/blog/2015/09/23/the-feast-of-tabernacles-layered-like-an-onion-with-meaning/

God Bless

Brian Mason

Misunderstood Scripture

One of the most quoted bible scriptures that has been taken out of context. John 3:16. The rest of the pericope is puts it into context:

John 3:16- 21 (NASB)

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Universalist’s like to glom onto John 3:16 and translate it to say that all are saved, however bible scripture says that not “everyone” is saved!

Matthew 7: 13-14, “13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it”.

Matthew 22: 14, “14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Luke 13: 22-28, “22 And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; 27 and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out.

Are you saved?

2 Corinthians 13: 5-8 “5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? 6 But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test. 7 Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth”.

Again, are you saved? Of course you must first know what the Christian faith is and what it means for you to enter into that faith. You must know and acknowledge that there is only one God in all existence and that Jesus is God in flesh, you are a sinner, you need to repent of your sins and that the only way to find forgiveness is to trust in Jesus alone, by faith alone, through grace alone. Do not bow down to idols or statues. Salvation is a gift from God and you don’t need to work for it. Jesus did that on the cross already for the believers!

God Bless

Brian Mason