Ironworks

      Have you ever been in discussion with someone of an opposing view? As you talk you may give them the time to make their points and then you will make a rebuttal. When you speak to someone who believes a doctrine unfounded in the Bible, how might you correct it? With the Bible a common thing that I have found when discussing the error of Perseverance of the Saints or “Once Saved Always Saved,” is that when confronted with the Word that disproves this doctrine, they will resort to this statement, “He/she was not saved in the first place.” So how might we answer that?      In Acts 8:4-24, we read of the account of Philip’s preaching in Samaria. Simon believed and was baptized into Christ (cf Acts 8:13;Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). However, when he saw that Peter and John were able to give the gift of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, he offered money to buy it. Peter did not tell him to be baptized so that his sins would be remitted. He had alrea...

Our next item that is up for dismantling is the false doctrine of Irresistible Grace. This, like every other element of Calvinism, is dependent upon the doctrine of Total Hereditary Depravity, which we have dismantled previously. I still want to present the case on why the doctrine of Irresistible Grace does not stand up to the test of the Scriptures.  What Is the Doctrine of Irresistible Grace? The Orthodox Presbyterian Confession of faith states,  "This effectual call is of God’s free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it." What is the Logical Conclusion of this Doctrine?  The advocates of the doctrine of Irresistible grace contend that because man is so depraved that he cannot do anything good whatsoever, he must be kidnapped and forced into salvation with Go...

     Unconditional election is the doctrine held by many individuals in the religious world. “Unconditional election means that God does not foresee an action or condition on our part that induces Him to save us. Rather, election rests on God's sovereign decision to save whomever He is pleased to save.” Simply put, the doctrine of Unconditional Election states that you simply do not have to do anything to be saved. There is no command you have to follow, no submission to God’s will. Rather, God takes your free will from you and forces you to be His child.       Edwin Palmer, who served as executive secretary on the NIV Committee on Bible Translation, and was coordinator of all translation on the NIV said. “Foreordination means God’s sovereign plan, whereby He decides all that is to happen in the universe. Nothing in this world happens by chance. God is in back of everything. He decides and causes all things to happen that do happen. He is not sitting o...

     “I was born that way.” “We have a sinful nature.” You have likely heard these expressions or something like them from someone who teaches the concept of original sin. They practice their presentations and will put out so many verses to present a false doctrine that has been the cornerstone of many religious bodies (i.e. Reformed Theology and the like). I do not want to paint with such a broad brush because many people who are Calvinists do not know they hold to an error that was organized in the 15th century and its very basic origins in Augustine in the fourth and fifth centuries. Over the next few weeks, I will aim to write on the five points of Calvinism, sometimes called by the acronym T.U.L.I.P. We shall begin with T for Total Hereditary Depravity.       This erroneous doctrine teaches that man is born with the inherited sin of Adam. Thus, every human born of the seed of Adam is born totally depraved, he is sinful from his first cry, and ther...

But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah”  Genesis 6:8 The fact of the worldwide flood is instrumental to our understanding of God’s desire to save man. We learn this story from our parents, we discuss it in our Bible classes, and occasionally we hear a sermon mentioning it. Have you considered that this is but one example of how grace, faith, and obedient works are critical in salvation?  Grace  When we look at Genesis 6:8, we see that Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah. The Hebrew word ḥên is translated here as favor but is accurately translated as grace as well. God made an observation that the wickedness of men had caused every thought they had to be evil continually. It was so bad that the Lord changed His mind (repented) that He had made man, and it grieved Him. This is a far cry from the description of the creation being described as good. The choice of sin by each individual disfigures the goodness in which we are all created.  We fully employ ourse...

  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Mark 13:13             The final step of salvation is ongoing throughout the rest of our natural lives. We must remain faithful unto death (cf. Rev. 2:10). The Word of God instructs the first century church, as it does all New Testament Christians, that we must be faithful whether or not it is a good, spiritual-high moment or if it is safe. We must remain faithful even when it might cost us our lives. This was a very real circumstance for the church under the Roman Empire and in many nations today. There are brethren today in countries who face certain death for wearing the name Christian. This is clearly in agreement to what is written above when Jesus made it clear there were expectations of His people. We will be hated because of Jesus’ name; we will face opposition from all sorts of people and religions. ...