Visiting the prisoners

 Some people have wondered if they should have been visiting people that they knew were prisoners. One place in the Scriptures that gives ...

ThiS iS hOw wE HAve To coMmuniCAte riGht NOW: Visiting the prisoners:

Going Against One's Word or Breaking Vows

"Inherent in the problem having to do with breaking a vow that one has previously made (from a Biblical point of view) is the classic distinction between "law" and "grace"....."

(for the rest of the post, click here)- ThiS iS hOw wE HAve To coMmuniCAte riGht NOW: Going Against One's Word or Breaking Vows:     .

My Doctrine

   It has become more and more apparent to me that giving a doctrinal statement somewhere would help my ministry and life efforts, so I am going to freely give it right here. (thankfully, I won't have to write or rewrite a whole creed or confession.) I am hoping that it will help heal schisms, mainly through persons being reconciled to God through Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:18).
   My doctrine is Protestant and Reformed. The closest confession or creed to how I actually believe is the Westminster Confession of Faith. I hold to the five points of Calvinism in "tulip" form which are: 1) Total Depravity 2) Unconditional Election 3) Limited Atonement 4) Irresistible Grace and 5) Perseverence of the Saints.  I hold to Sola Scriptura and agree the canon is closed. I am noncessationist on the topic of spiritual gifts. The modern giving of prophecy, however, is not equivalent to revelation of canonical importance unless it's mirroring something already said in the scriptures (like what I wrote about here), and in that case since it's already in the Bible, and so then one is not adding to canon in that case anyway. The Scriptures contain sufficient teaching for life, morals, and salvation. I am not the only person with a Reformed Theological stance who is a noncessationist when it comes to spiritual gifts. With me on that viewpoint of noncessationism would also be Vincent Cheung and Wayne Grudem.

The Nihilism Hypothesis

   The Nihilism Hypothesis is a hypothesis which I have generated from current societal observation. My hypothesis is that the epistemological failure of evidential apologists is resulting in philosophical nihilism on the parts of many people in society, perhaps on a grand scale. The essence of the problem is that who would subscribe to a worldview that they cannot know for sure to be true? I myself would not. Yet, I subscribe to a worldview that I know to be true beyond a reasonable doubt. I am not sure that evidential apologists can say that they know their worldview is true to the same capacity as that. I have had online discussions which seem to indicate that that may very well be the case of the matter.

   The way that philosophical nihilism is being expressed by the madding crowds is in the form of sayings and platitudes, like "no one cares," and "I don't care." That this point of view would result in people acting and talking like modern Philistines is not surprising. They don't have the right view of themselves and others, so cannot give an honest assessment of anything at all in the realm of knowledge. 

   I praise God that I can know for sure my worldview is true, and that I can know beyond a reasonable doubt that Jesus of Nazareth lived, died on the cross, and resurrected. I know that "saving knowledge" can be held way beyond reasonable certainty.
   One could accuse me of arguing from subjectivity, but what do the Scriptures say? "that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." 2 Colossians 2:2-3 NASB