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Showing posts from September, 2013

Limited vs. Unlimited Atonement

The first thing we need to do is define the word atonement in relation to the Bible. It comes from the Greek work katallagÄ“  which means to reconcile. Related terms are propitiation and expiate. The Hebrew term is kapar.  This word means to cover, to pacify. When the Lord Jesus Christ died and shed his blood on the cross, He was atoning for mankind’s sins. Meaning that whosoever believed in what He accomplished would have their sins removed forever, and be guiltless before the Lord. God the Father has to punish sin for His holiness sake, and since He loved the world so much, sent His only Son to die in our place; to become a substitute and pay the penalty for our sins which is death.  Jesus the Bible says He became sin so that we could become the righteousness of God in Him [(Christ, II Cor 5:17-21)].                  Jesus had to die in order for man to live. There was a divine exchange, Jesus took on our sin so that He could grant us His righteousness. Let me be clear,

The Will(s) of God

Does God have one or two wills? There are times in the Bible where God makes a declaration, and the thing comes to pass. There are other times where God gives a command, and sometimes it’s disobeyed.                           What’s going on? God’s will has two components: 1.               God’s decretive will 2.        God’s desired will God’s decreed will is that characteristic of God whereby whatever He determines will come to pass every time. It’s 100% guaranteed to occur. This is His sovereignty being put on display. God’s decreed will is prophetic. Every prophecy in the Bible has been fulfilled or will be fulfilled in the future. This element of God’s will is irresistible – meaning it under no circumstances can be disappointed. Why? Because God determined before hand that what He promised will come to pass. There are numerous accounts in scripture where God has decreed His will in the earth. Here are a few; 1.         The promise of the Messiah – In Ge

Can man become a god?

Recently there was a conversation I was privy to where a woman believes we as Christians are/or can become  "gods".  This, of course, is a misunderstanding of an O.T. passage in Psalms 82:6,7 where it says, “I said you are gods, and you are children of the Most High. But, you shall die like men, and  fall like one of the princes.” The word gods in vs. 6 is the Hebrew word Elohim. In the general sense, it means one who is a magistrate or a judge. In the supreme sense, it making reference to the Lord of all. In regards to humans, it is not making reference to deity at all. Judges are those who have great authority from Almighty God in the earth to execute justice and fairness, make right decisions regarding the welfare of man. These gods are to exonerate the innocent and punish the guilty. These gods are God’s representatives on the earth. In Roman 13:1-2 says, “ Let every soul be subject to the higher powers or governing authorities. For there is no authority except