This article is written to let you know there are all kinds of theology; none of them can save you. Many types of theology only confuse you, not knowing the truth. Even Biblical Theology cannot save you. Biblical Theology is not the Gospel. You are not saved by any theology. A sinner can be saved only by grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world.
I. INTRODUCTION
Theology is not “rational propositions about God”; not any propositions rational or not. Theology is not the categories of any human thought. Theology is not human ideas of truth classified and arranged. The problems of many types of theology are the fact that people mingle or mix the opinions or theories of men with the Holy Bible. Simply, theology is the study of God. Since God is neither a subject nor an object to be studied; it is more accurately to define theology as the study of the Word of God, and things pertaining to God. It is impossible for science to study God, for God is beyond the realm of science. God is supernatural. Science can only study nature. God is Spirit. Science cannot study the invisible. So God is beyond human wisdom, effort, experience or reason. God is Spirit, the Spirit is invisible, supernatural, and eternal. Science cannot study that which is invisible, supernatural and eternal.
Theology has nothing to do with civilization, culture, or history of any nation except the Jewish nation as it is written in the Old Testament.
The word “theology” does not exist in the Holy Bible. The concept of theology exists in the Bible. In ancient times, unlike people today who are arrogant; people were too respectful and too reverent to say directly they studied God, instead they studied the Law of the Lord, or studied the Word of God, studied the Book, studied commandments of the Lord, studied the Scriptures, studied the ways of God, study and explore by wisdom, etc.
An unbelieving secularist said, “Theology is unnecessary.” The man is gone. His words and theories are gone with him. If theology is the study of the Word of God, it is absolutely necessary.
Another secularist said, “I do not believe in the God of theology who rewards good and punishes evil.” It is not the God of theology who rewards good and punishes evil. It is the God of the Universe who rewards good and punishes evil.
Rev 11:18, “And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” Mat 25:46, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” The wicked may be in Hell for eternal punishment and says “I do not believe in God…”
Some define theology inaccurately as the study of the nature of God and religious belief. Religious belief is the opinions of men which may not reflect God. The simple definition of theology is the study of the Word of God, and His attributes, His power, His will, His nature, His wisdom, etc. This is an unsearchable subject, but God is not a subject. Those who study the Word of God may also use the universe to verify. For example, by studying the innumerable stars in the universe one can validate and verify the unlimited power of the Creator. So God is rightly called the Almighty, or the Omnipotent.
An unbeliever thought theology is the unknowable in terms of the-not-worth-knowing. Those who are in Hell like the Rich Man wanted Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers. (Luk 16:19-21). The Word of God has something concerning your destiny or eternity, don’t you think the matter is worth knowing?
John Wycliffe said, “Trust wholly in Christ; rely altogether on His sufferings; beware of seeking to be justified in any other way than by His righteousness. Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient for salvation. There must be atonement made for sin according to the righteousness of God. The person to make this atonement must be God and man.”
However, theology is not “the queen of the sciences” because then it will raise the question what is the king of sciences. There is no such a thing called scientific theology, or natural theology. There is no such a thing called contemporary theology. There is no such a thing called historical theology. There is no such a thing called contextual theology. Theology is beyond the realm of science. There is no Reformed (Calvinist) theology vs. Catholic theology. There is no conservative theology vs. liberal theology. There is no evangelical theology vs. modernist theology. There is no Calvinist theology vs. Armenian theology. There is no natural theology vs. Biblical theology. There is no such a thing called Scholastic Theology or Baptist Theology. There is no New England Theology. There are so many man-made theologies, false and faulty and fallible.
There is no such a thing called Lutheranism of Protestant Theology. Luther believed in Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) and wanted to bring the church back to the Bible. There is no such a thing called practical theology. Denominations create their own specific theology to justify their existence.
A secularist said, “Theology is not only about understanding the world; it is about mending the world.” No. Absolutely not. Theology is neither about understanding the world nor about mending the world. Theology at least has some purpose of understanding God and things pertaining to God.
The Holy Bible is right, of course there is the infinite qualitative distinction between time and eternity. There is also infinite qualitative distinction between man and God. There is the infinite qualitative distinction between Hell and Heaven. There is infinite qualitative distinction between “dead in sin” and “having passed from death to life.” There is infinite qualitative distinction between creature and Creator. There is infinite qualitative distinction between this world and the world to come. There is infinite qualitative distinction between darkness and light. There is infinite qualitative distinction between falsity and truth. There is infinite qualitative distinction between folly and wisdom.
Theology does not deal with what groups believe about God. Beliefs about God are the origin of all religions. That is the root cause of all false religions. Biblical Theology is the study of theology solely based on the Word of God. The Word of God is the revealed truth of God in Jesus Christ. Theology is the tree, the Word of God is the forest. Within the Biblical Theology you have the divisions of Old Testament, New Testament, Christology, Pneumatology, Soteriology, Systematic Theology, Exegetical Theology, Hermeneutics, Apologetics, Eschatology, etc.
Years ago when I was unemployed, I wrote the book entitled God and Savior: A Textbook on Christology. It was my first and last book cataloged in the Library of Congress.
It is stupidity to say the Christian Church does not exist in Heaven, but on earth and in time. Jewish believers and Gentile believers will become one under Christ the Great Shepherd. Members of the Body of Christ are members of the Kingdom of Heaven, citizens of Heaven, children of God who will be with God for eternity.
There is no ecumenical church, there is only the Church of Jesus Christ, the Body of Christ. Eph 1:18-19, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints; so then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.” Members of the Church of God are of God’s household.
It is a fool, in particular a stupid theologian who says God does not exist. Unbelieving theologians have demonic traits because they are agents of the devil and spokesmen of Satan. It is the blind who says light does not exist. “God is not a man, that He would lie.” “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.” Those who say God does not exist are greatly mistaken. Jhn 1:18, “No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him.” Incarnation is God became Man in Jesus Christ. Jhn 8:47, “The one who is of God hears the Words of God; for this reason reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” Anyone who does not hear the Words of God is not of God. Rom 3:4, “Far from it! Rather, God must prove to be true, though every person be found a liar, as it is written: “SO THAT YOU ARE JUSTIFIEED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.” Rev 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who is and Who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” This is the sum of Biblical Theology which does not depend on opinions of men.
Doubt is NOT the element of faith. Jesus says, Mat 21:21, “And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.” It is the devil who brings doubt to the faithful as it deceived Eve.
Loneliness is not conquered only by those who can bear solitude. Heb 13:5, “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER ABANDON YOU.” For Christians, character matters; position and power and money do not matter.
Jhn 16:7, “But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” The Holy Spirit represents Jesus Christ on earth and lives in the hearts of believers. Jhn 14:27, “Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful.”
Mat 28:20, “teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the world.” There is no reason for Christians to be lonely, for the Lord Jesus is with His followers always, to the end of the world.
What is theology?
A. H. Strong described it as “The science of God and of the relations between God and the universe.”
Charles Hodge wrote that it is “The science of the facts of divine revelation so far as those facts concern the nature of God and our relation to Him, as His creatures, as sinners, and as the subjects of redemption.”
Personally, I hold the definition of Charles Hodge to be closer to the truth. My own definition is the study of divine revelation as it is written in the Holy Bible, and things pertaining to God.
A false teacher said, “Any theology that is indifferent to the theme of liberation is not Christian theology.”
The Christian theology is concerned about liberation from slavery of sin and the redemption of our body. It has nothing to do with so-called Liberation Theology of a certain race. According to www.compellingtruth.org/liberation-theology.html
“Liberation Theology is a form of theology that focuses on interpreting the teachings of Christianity (and especially of Jesus) through the lens of a particular ethnic, economic, political, or social condition.”
There was a black preacher who preached the false gospel but certified by FBI as an “immoral person.” It is very bad to use Christianity to advance the cause of a racial group, just like years ago European imperialists used the so-called “White Man’s Burden” to enslave many nations and peoples under the banner of Christianity.
Rom 8:21-23, “that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of of childbirth together until now. And not only that, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our body.”
The Bible teaches at least two kinds of liberation: Liberation from sin and liberation form mortal body. The liberation from sin is now to whoever repents and believes in Jesus Christ. The redemption of the body must wait until Jesus Christ returns.
Christian theology does not have to fit in to anything. Christian theology stands alone to represent the Word of God. God is not what unbelievers call Supreme Intelligence. If you listen to so many obscure opinions of men about theology, they all come from the Pit. We hold all other theologies to be false or irrelevant or unimportant, namely conservative vs liberal theology, evangelical vs modernist theology, reformed vs catholic theology, etc. We reject feminist theology, liberation theology, etc. because they misinterpret the Holy Bible. Some divide the theology into the Five Kinds of Theology: Natural Theology, Biblical Theology, Dogmatic Theology, Practical Theology and Theology Proper. We believe and hold only Biblical Theology is all about and ultimately concerned.
A Catholic theologian is wrong, “Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do.”
Knowledge of the head does not save anyone. The salvation of God has nothing to do with the desire of man. Whatever man does cannot save himself. It is what Jesus Christ has done on the cross can save sinners. Eph 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Baptizing and joining the Roman Catholic Church does not and cannot save anyone.
A modernist theologian said, “Every human life involves an unfathomable mystery, for man is the riddle of the universe, and the riddle of man in his endowment with personal capacities.”
No, man is not the riddle of the universe. Man has many problems, but the problem of the universe is not man, no matter what personal capacities he may have. The problems of the world are men. There are too many foolish, violent, unrighteous, double-minded and sinful men. Psa 8:4, “What is man that You think of him, and a son of man that You are concerned about him?” Poor men have not learned to subject themselves to God.
A secularist said, “No one can be wrong with man and right with God.” Act 5:29, “But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” There were Christians, in situations who obeyed God rather than men, they “were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mocking and flogging, and further, chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented (people of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, on mountains, and sheltering in caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised.” John the Baptist was wrong with Herod and right with God. Stephens was another wrong with the Jews and right with God. You see how wrong was the modernist theologian; a man can be right with God and wrong with men. Men can be right with men and wrong with God.
A liberal theologian said, “All intelligent faith in God has behind it a background of humble agnosticism.”
Agnosticism is not humble and does not have a humble background. Intelligent faith does not exist. Faith has great or small, it does not have intelligent or stupid. The Bible says, Psa 14:1, “For the music director. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed detestable acts. There is no one who does good.” 1Jo 5:10, “The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.” Do not honor whom God does not honor, an agnostics is not honored by the Lord.
An unbelieving theologian said, “I take the Bible far too seriously to take it literally.” The Holy Bible is the Word of God. Anyone who does not take the Word of God at face value is a wicked unbeliever. The devil said to Eve, Gen 3:1, “Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The serpent who represents the devil is more cunning than anyone. The devil is cunning, and all his children are cunning. Unbelieving theologians are cunning. The devil was the first one who did not take the Word of God literally. Anyone who is serious about the Word of God would take the Bible literally. What the Bible says symbolically, such as Jhn 10:9, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” Symbolically, Jesus is the door of the sheep. The sheep means the believers and followers of Jesus. If anyone enters the door of salvation through Jesus, he will be saved. If anyone believes Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind, he will be saved by grace through faith.
Jhn 11:11-14, “This He said, and after this He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going so that I may awaken him from sleep.”
The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will come out of it.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about actual sleep.” When the Bible says something about the symbolic or spiritual, it will explain itself. So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus died.” To the Almighty Lord, death is just like a sleep, God is able to raise him up. When Jesus said to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: You must be born again. Jhn 3:4, “Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” Now Nicodemus mistook the spiritual birth for literal physical birth. The Bible explains the meaning of born again, 1Pe 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1Pe 1:23, “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring Word of God.”
Rom 2:28-29, “For he is not a real Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal. His praise is not from men but from God.” So, a true Christian can be a spiritual Jew, not literally.
There are many things pertaining to God are spoken plainly and to be taken literally true:
1. God created the universe and mankind literally.
2. God destroyed the people in the days of Noah with the flood literally.
3. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from Heaven literally.
4. God led the children of Israel walking in the dry land of the Red Sea literally.
5. All the miracles in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament are literally true.
6. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary literally but conceived of the Holy Spirit.
7. Jesus was God manifested in Jesus Christ bodily and literally, the perfect Man and the true God.
8. Jesus died on the cross for sinners literally and rose again from the death bodily, and went to Heaven with the resurrected glorious and immortal body literally.
9. Jesus is coming again literally just as He went up to Heaven literally as it is written.
10. Jesus is to judge the living and the dead literally and He is going to rule on earth 1,000 years with the saints literally.
11. Hell is the literal place of eternal punishment and torture and agony reserved for the devil and his agents and all the wicked and unbelievers.
12. Heaven is the Paradise of God literally, not a state of mind, the Holy City and the New Jerusalem in the Kingdom of Heaven, and the children of God shall reign with the Lord forever and ever literally.
An unbelieving theologian said, “God listens to Bach while the angels listen to Mozart.” It shows how ignorant was the unbelieving theologian who did not know what he was saying, full of trash. I do not believe God listens to Bach while the angels listen to Mozart. However wonderful are the creation of humans can never compare to that is divine and Heavenly. Even the songs of Zion cannot compare with the songs of the angels.
Rev 5:9, “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation.”
Thank God, I will be among those who sing a new song to the Lamb of God, our Redeemer.
Rev 14:3, “And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one was able to learn the song except the 144,000 who had been purchased from the earth.”
I will rejoice with the special 144,000 who sing the new song before the throne. It will be most interesting to meet also the four living creatures and the elders, humble and lowly as I am.
Rev 19:5, “And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.”
Thanks be to God, I will be among the small who fear God and give praise to our God.
The following is a model prayer for all saints:
“Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.”
No one is worthy to link himself to Christianity.
Not John Calvin, not Peter Lombard, not Karl Barth, not Thomas Aquinas, not John Wesley, not Jonathan Edwards, not Michael Servetus, etc. can link themselves to Christianity. Whether a certain man is a Christian or not, only God decides and knows for sure. But the Word of God also makes it clear, if you have Bible knowledge it is not difficult to discern a false brother, a false teacher, a false prophet, or an anti-christ. You cannot be a Christian minister while you preach a false gospel and live in sin (adultery). Jesus says, Mat 7:15-20, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”
The pope may represent the Roman Catholic Church. But no one is worthy to represent Christianity except Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is now the sole Representative of Christ on earth. There are many famous and infamous persons who want to link their names to Christianity. John Calvin was a false teacher because he taught that God predestined certain groups of people to go to Heaven and certain groups of people to go to Hell. According to Calvin, those who are predestined by God to go to Hell, it is useless to repent or believe. But Jesus Christ Himself says, Jhn 6:35-40, “Jesus said to them, I AM the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from Heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” If you come to Christ now, be sure Christ will not throw you out and you will have eternal life.
Believe in Jesus Christ who is the only authentic Christianity. You shall know them by their fruit. The most prominent Christian in the United States was not President Jimmy Carter, his social gospel vision is a false gospel vision. You cannot be an evolutionist and a Christian at the same time. No one, absolutely not, Republicans did not and do not and cannot claim (and win) the right to define who is and who is not a Christian. President Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, speaking regularly of their Christian faith cannot and do not link their public policies to Bible stories. In fact, Obama was the first U.S. president who supported homosexuality and legalizing same-sex marriage in America. It was wrong for M.L. King, Jr. to defend himself by saying, “Was not Jesus an extremist for love? Jesus was an extremist for love, truth and goodness; and perhaps the south, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.” Jesus was not an extremist for love. Jesus was not a revolutionary. It is a sad blasphemy for one who was certified by the FBI as an “immoral person” and a preacher of false gospel to compare himself with Jesus Christ and Biblical prophets. It is equally foolish and very ridiculous to argue on the ground because one is a minister or a Christian therefore he is entitled to be elected a political office. There are many who mix Christianity with American politics. There have been not few who declared that God called them to run for the American presidency. Where are they now? America has never been a Christian nation. Wow, these are perilous days, how many false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits unless you want to be deceived.
Although Christianity is not linked or represented by Calvinism, Armenianism, and Dispensationalism, we shall examine them in the light of the Scriptures. Nobody, no one, has the knowledge of God based on experience, reason and a theological stance.
II. CALVINISM
According to https://www.christianity.com/church/denominations/what-is-calvinism.html
“What did John Calvin believe?
Calvin believed that salvation is only possible through the grace of God. Even before creation, God chose some people to be saved. This is the bone most people choke on: predestination. Curiously, it isn’t particularly a Calvinist idea. Augustine taught it centuries earlier, and Luther believed it, as did most of the other Reformers. Yet Calvin stated it so forcefully that the teaching is forever identified with him. Calvin said it was clearly taught in the Bible.”
“What are the Five Points of Calvinism? (TULIP)
1. Total Depravity – asserts that as a consequence of the fall of man into sin, every person is enslaved to sin. People are not by nature inclined to love God, but rather to serve their own interests and to reject the rule of God.
2. Unconditional Election – asserts that God has chosen from eternity those whom he will bring to himself not based on foreseen virtue, merit, or faith in those people; rather, his choice is unconditionally grounded in his mercy alone. God has chosen from eternity to extend mercy to those he has chosen and to withhold mercy from those not chosen.
3. Limited Atonement – asserts that Jesus’s substitutionary atonement was definite and certain in its purpose and in what it accomplished. This implies that only the sins of the elect were atoned for by Jesus’s death.
4. Irresistible Grace – asserts that the saving grace of God is effectually applied to those whom he has determined to save (that is, the elect) and overcomes their resistance to obeying the call of the gospel, bringing them to saving faith. This means that when God sovereignly purposes to save someone, that individual certainly will be saved.
5. Perseverance of the Saints – asserts that since God is sovereign and his will cannot be frustrated by humans or anything else, those whom God has called into communion with himself will continue in faith until the end.”
“The five points of Calvinism can be summarized by the acronym TULIP. T stands for total depravity, U for unconditional election, L for limited atonement, I for irresistible grace, and P for perseverance of the saints. Here are the definitions and Scripture references Calvinists use to defend their beliefs.”
Note: John Calvin was very wrong about Limited Atonement and God withholding mercy. The Bible clearly teaches Unlimited Atonement. That simply means anyone and everyone who repents of his sins and believes in the Son of God, the Savior of the world, can be saved. Salvation is open for all, although not all will receive it. The love of God does not exclude anyone, for God so loves the world. Psa 84:11, “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Calvin was in the wrong to say that God withholds His grace. Christ did not die for the elect alone.
Luk 2:10-11, “And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you the Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Rom 5:6, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Us means sinners.
1Co 15:3, “For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.”
2Co 5:15, “and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf.”
Eph 3:9-10, “and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; so that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the Church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.”
Tit 2:11, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.”
Heb 7:27, “who has no daily need, like those high
priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because He did this once for all time when He offered up Himself.”
1Jo 2:2, “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
A false preacher is one who intentionally violates the World of God.
It is clear the salvation of God is for all, although not all have faith. The Word of God clearly says that Christ died for sinners, for all sinners, for the sins of the world. Who is John Calvin who dared to contradict God by saying Christ died for the sins of the elect only? Henceforth, I ditch and discard John Calvin and his teachings for good. I do not want to waste my time and efforts on a false teacher. I am not preaching Calvinism, I am preaching the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Once by chance I happened to encounter a website, the website was so outrageous that it lists Jesus Christ as a follower of John Calvin! Who was John Calvin but a false teacher who taught the false doctrine of predestination. No true Christian can be a Calvinist because a Calvinist is a follower of the wrong teachings of John Calvin. A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ and a believer in the teachings of Jesus Christ. For the same reason, a Christian cannot be an Arminian, Augustinian, Wesleyan, Lutheran, etc.
Once I asked a nursing student of a Lutheran Hospital whether she is a Christian or a Lutheran. Her answer was: Lutheran. If Martin Luther was alive and heard the answer, he would be furious. For Martin Luther did not build a new church or denomination. His efforts were to bring the Roman Catholic Church back to the Bible.
We don’t care what a Calvinist, Arminian, Wesleyan, Lutheran or Augustinian wants to believe or not to believe. We only care what the Bible says.
God is not responsible for a sinner’s action or inaction but instead the sinner should take full responsibility of his own actions without issuing excuses. These requirement insists that God is not the ultimate author of all human actions. Gen 2:16-17, “The LORD GOD commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.”
When Eve listened to the devil, saw that the tree was good for food, and it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and Eve also gave some to Adam and he ate. Do you know that God did not stop them? If you reject Jesus Christ and die in your sins, God would not stop you too.
Theology is not based on what man or individual believes or not believes. The Christian theology is only based on the Holy Bible, the Word of God, not on any other books or apocrypha or pseudo holy writings of any religion. It is wrong to label a theology based on the teachings of a certain individual; for example, Calvinism according to John Calvin. There is no Christian theology according to Calvin, Arminian, Augustine, etc. There are four Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Not one, not anyone individual, can claim theology of his own.
There is no conservative or liberal theology. There is only Biblical theology which is the Christian theology handed down by Jesus Christ and the holy Apostles. The Holy Bible is ONE, composed of the Old Testament and the New Testament. There are 39 books in the Old Testament, and 27 books in the New Testament, a total of 66 books, inspired by God. Christianity accepts no other bible or holy scriptures. Christianity does not recognize the theology or theologies of any other religion or religions. Christianity cannot be mixed with other religions or faiths. I am conscious there is an evil religion trying to associate with Christianity. The Christian theological views do not depend on the acceptance or rejection of the masses. No people, government or groups of people determine what is true Theology. Theology can only be true if it is according to the Word of God.
We are not concerned whether it was old Calvinism or new Calvinism. John Calvin proved himself to be a false teacher when he said, “God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation.” It is altogether contrary to the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. It contradicts and violates the Bible,
Jhn 3:16, “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.” A theologian who did not recognize the word “whoever” is without redeeming value. Whoever in Greek is pas which means all men; everyone; every man; anyone; each; whatsoever; whatever person; no matter who; – which occurs 1,243 times in the New Testament. John Calvin also contradicted the Word of Jesus, Jhn 6:37, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” The Lord Jesus will not kick out anyone who comes to Him. THEOLOGY which is not based on spiritual truth is fabrication, falsehood and fantasy.
A famous person said, “Sincere Christians can disagree about the details of Scripture and theology – absolutely.” The Scripture is the Word of God, the absolute truth in Christ. Your sincerity or insincerity has nothing to do with the objectivity of the Scripture. The authority of the Scripture does not depend on your sincerity or insincerity. Theology is made by men, there is room for agreement or disagreement relatively speaking. The Scripture is always true and yes.
Jos 1:8, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”
Neh 8:13, “On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the Words of the Law.”
Ezr 7:10, “For Ezra had firmly resolved to study the Law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
Psa 119:15, “I will study Your commandments
and reflect on Your ways.”
God and everything pertaining to God is written in the Holy Scriptures. Outside the Holy Bible, there is no truth in the devil, no truth in man, no truth in religion, no truth in institution, and no truth in theology.
III. ARMENIANISM
According to
“Arminianism is a system of belief that attempts to explain the relationship between God’s sovereignty and mankind’s free will, especially in relation to salvation. Arminianism is named after Jacobus Arminius (1560—1609), a Dutch theologian. While Calvinism emphasizes the sovereignty of God, Arminianism emphasizes the responsibility of man. If Arminianism is broken down into five points, similar to the five points of Calvinism, these would be the five points:
(1) Partial Depravity – humanity is depraved but still able to seek God. We are fallen and tainted by sin but not to the extent that we cannot chose to come to God and accept salvation, with the help of prevenient grace from God. Given such grace, human will is free and has the power to yield to the influence of the Spirit. Note: many Arminians reject partial depravity and hold a view very close to Calvinistic total depravity. (2) Conditional Election – God only “chooses” those whom He knows will choose to believe. No one is predetermined for either heaven or hell. (3) Unlimited Atonement – Jesus died for everyone, even those who are not chosen and will not believe. Jesus’ death was for all of humanity, and anyone can be saved by belief in Him. (4) Resistible Grace – God’s call to be saved can be resisted and/or rejected. We can resist God’s pull toward salvation if we choose to. (5) Conditional Salvation – Christians can lose their salvation if they actively reject the Holy Spirit’s influence in their lives. The maintenance of salvation is required for a Christian to retain it. Note: many Arminians deny “conditional salvation” and instead hold to “eternal security.”
If I can take the above statement to be accurate, then I might say Arminianism is closer to the Bible than Calvinism. Be it what it may, no one is saved through faith in Calvinism or Arminianism. As Calvinism is faulty, so Arminianism is not perfect. But I do not want to debate point by point on either to make them true to the Word of God. It is not my job to correct the mistakes of others. Calvinism is not the Gospel, Arminianism is also not the Gospel. They are both not the Word of God, so I reject Calvinism and do not adopt Arminianism. I am certainly not a follower of John Calvin, Jacobus Arminus, John Darby or even Augustine; I am a follower of Jesus Christ, One and Only. I see many err in theology on over-stressing or under-stressing certain aspects of the Word of God.
So now we go on to examine Dispensationalism.
IV. DISPENSATIONALISM
According to https://www.gotquestions.org/dispensationalism.html
“A dispensation is a way of ordering things—an administration, a system, or a management. In theology, a dispensation is the divine administration of a period of time; each dispensation is a divinely appointed age. Dispensationalism is a theological system that recognizes these ages ordained by God to order the affairs of the world. Dispensationalism has two primary distinctives: 1) a consistently literal interpretation of Scripture, especially Bible prophecy, and 2) a view of the uniqueness of Israel as separate from the Church in God’s program. Classical dispensationalism identifies seven dispensations in God’s plan for humanity.
Dispensationalists hold to a literal interpretation of the Bible as the best hermeneutic. The literal interpretation gives each word the meaning it would commonly have in everyday usage. Allowances are made for symbols, figures of speech, and types, of course. It is understood that even symbols and figurative sayings have literal meanings behind them. So, for example, when the Bible speaks of “a thousand years” in Revelation 20, dispensationalists interpret it as a literal period of 1,000 years (the dispensation of the Kingdom), since there is no compelling reason to interpret it otherwise.
There are at least two reasons why literalism is the best way to view Scripture. First, philosophically, the purpose of language itself requires that we interpret words literally. Language was given by God for the purpose of being able to communicate. Words are vessels of meaning. The second reason is biblical. Every prophecy about Jesus Christ in the Old Testament was fulfilled literally. Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, and resurrection all occurred exactly as the Old Testament predicted. The prophecies were literal. There is no non-literal fulfillment of messianic prophecies in the New Testament. This argues strongly for the literal method. If a literal interpretation is not used in studying the Scriptures, there is no objective standard by which to understand the Bible. Each person would be able to interpret the Bible as he saw fit. Biblical interpretation would devolve into “what this passage says to me” instead of “the Bible says.” Sadly, this is already the case in much of what is called Bible study today.
Dispensational theology teaches that there are two distinct peoples of God: Israel and the Church. Dispensationalists believe that salvation has always been by grace through faith alone—in God in the Old Testament and specifically in God the Son in the New Testament. Dispensationalists hold that the Church has not replaced Israel in God’s program and that the Old Testament promises to Israel have not been transferred to the Church. Dispensationalism teaches that the promises God made to Israel in the Old Testament (for land, many descendants, and blessings) will be ultimately fulfilled in the 1000-year period spoken of in Revelation 20. Dispensationalists believe that, just as God is in this age focusing His attention on the Church, He will again in the future focus His attention on Israel (see Romans 9–11 and Daniel 9:24).
Dispensationalists understand the Bible to be organized into seven dispensations: Innocence (Genesis 1:1—3:7), Conscience (Genesis 3:8—8:22), Human Government (Genesis 9:1—11:32), Promise (Genesis 12:1—Exodus 19:25), Law (Exodus 20:1—Acts 2:4), Grace (Acts 2:4—Revelation 20:3), and the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:4–6). Again, these dispensations are not paths to salvation, but manners in which God relates to man. Each dispensation includes a recognizable pattern of how God worked with people living in the dispensation. That pattern is 1) a responsibility, 2) a failure, 3) a judgment, and 4) grace to move on.
Dispensationalism, as a system, results in a premillennial interpretation of Christ’s second coming and usually a pretribulational interpretation of the rapture. To summarize, dispensationalism is a theological system that emphasizes the literal interpretation of Bible prophecy, recognizes a distinction between Israel and the Church, and organizes the Bible into different dispensations or administrations.”
I can see the presentation of Dispensationalism cited above is pretty comprehensive. I can see Dispensationalism is even closer to the Bible than Arminianism, although also not perfect. There are two points I want to stress: (1). I would organize the seven dispensations into three: namely, Law, Grace, and the Millennial Kingdom. (2). There will no distinction between Israel and the Church in eternity. Just as Jesus Christ says, Jhn 10:16, “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one Flock, with one Shepherd.” Gal 3:28-29, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”
Rom 10:12, “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him,.”
Col 3:11, “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”
If there is any dispensationalist who believes there will be a division between Jew and Gentile in eternity, he is greatly mistaken. He can find his errors CORRECTED by the Bible.
2Ti 2:15,”Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.”
I hold the theological stances and systems of Calvinism, Arminianism, Dispensationalism fail and do not rightly divide the Word of truth. You can ditch and discard Calvinism, Armenianism, and dispensationalism because they are not the Word of God. So I discard them and devote myself to Biblical Theology
V. BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
As a matter of fact, there is no Reformed Theology vs. Catholic Theology, no Conservative Theology vs. Liberal Theology, no Evangelical Theology vs. Modernist Theology, no Baptist Theology vs Presbyterian Theology, etc. These theologies are concepts made by men to show their knowledge. There is only one Theology which is Biblical Theology. Biblical Theology is the study of theology solely based on the Holy Bible, the Word of God. All other theologies are not recognized by the Holy Bible. It is also blasphemous to label Pauline Theology, Petrine Theology, Johannine Theology, etc. All other theologies which are not based on the Bible are false and fake theologies.
Ecc 1:13, “I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the Heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!”
Jhn 5:39, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me.”
Act 26:24, “Suddenly, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!”
Festus accused Paul of insanity because he had too much study of the Old Testament.
2Ti 2:15, “Study to show thyself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.”
True theology is the Biblical Theology which is settled by what it is written in the Bible. The Biblical Theology discards and dismisses Calvinism, Arminianism, Dispensationalism and any and every other kind of theology. Christians do not follow any theologian or philosopher. Christians only follow Jesus Christ. The Holy Bible is the sole Standard to measure everything and every theory or opinion of men. In fact, the Biblical writer, inspired by God, did not try to proclaim the Word of God in the context of their own times. The Word of God is eternal irrespective of time and place. We are not interested in assumptions, genres, dogma, conundrums, historical dimensions, reduction, reflection, induction, critical rationality, genealogy, tradition, etc. which misinterpret the Word of God.
Norman Geisler was right, “Jesus is the only way because the Bible says it to be true. Why? Because only He can bridge the gap between God and man; there’s no other way.”
Any theology without Jesus being the Way does not lead to the knowledge of God. Philip Schaff was right,
“The New Testament presents, in its way, the same union of the divine and human as the person of Christ. In this sense also ‘the word became flesh, and dwells among us.’
Psa 119:89, “LAMED
Forever, O LORD, Your Word is settled in Heaven.”
Col 1:23, “if indeed you continue in the Faith firmly established and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under Heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”
The Word of God is settled in Heaven, not on earth. All man-made theologies try to lead you astray from the Faith firmly established by Jesus Christ, and to shift you from the hope of the Gospel to human opinions of despair. You will do well just study the Word of God and obey the truth of the Gospel.
VI. INFINITE DISTINCTION BETWEEN FALSE THEOLOGY AND BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
False and unbelieving theologians are actually agents of the devil and spokesmen of Satan. They are false teachers, false prophets, and anti-christs who deceive the world and lead people astray from the truth.
God is not the infinite and inexhaustible depth and ground of all being. God is Self-Existent, Eternal, and Omnipotent, from everlasting to everlasting.
Jhn 1:3, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.” 1Pe 2:5, “you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” What are the spiritual sacrifices? The spiritual sacrifices are God’s pleasing sacrifices. Heb 13:15-16, “Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” The Christian holy priesthood unlike the past does not offer bull and ram anymore. Heb 13:15-16, “Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Every morning when I get up I offer up a sacrifice and thanksgiving to God for letting me to live another day. The sacrifices I offer my free website for the sake of Christ are also spiritual sacrifices. I am surprised so many so-called Christian organizations ask for donation, there are many secular media organizations also ask for donations which you do not see before. I believe it is wrong to merchandise the Word of God for money, some demand annual subscription of how much dollars. Doing good and sharing of your resources (charity) with the poor members of God’s household are also spiritual sacrifices that please God. Many did not know that the prayers of the saints are like incense offered to God.
Rev 5:8, “When He had taken the scroll, the four four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the LAMB, each one holding
a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Let the praises and prayers of the saints be offered up to God always and constantly. As Albert Barnes said, “Praise now is one of the great duties of the redeemed. It will be their employment for ever.”
God has nature, it is divine. Theology itself does not have nature. Judaism is a part of Christianity because Christianity fulfilled Judaism just as the New Testament fulfilled the Old Testament. Christianity has no interest or relation with or to all other religions.
The Word of God is always right, of course there is the infinite qualitative distinction between time and eternity. There is also infinite qualitative distinction between man and God. There is the infinite qualitative distinction between Hell and Heaven. There is infinite qualitative distinction between “dead in sin” and “having passed from death to life.” There is infinite qualitative distinction between creature and Creator. There is infinite qualitative distinction this world and the world to come. There is infinite qualitative distinction between darkness and light. There is infinite qualitative distinction between falsity and truth. There is infinite qualitative distinction between folly and wisdom.
The character of human life is not “ambiguity”: the inseparable mixture of good and evil, the true and false, the creative and destructive forces-both individual and social. Jesus says clearly, Jhn 5:28-29, “Do not be amazed at this; for a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come out: those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the bad deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” There is no “ambiguity” between good deeds and bad deeds.
No matter how theologians and philosophers want to beautify old age, old age is a problem. I know what I am talking, for I am an old man. Jesus says to Peter,
Jhn 21:18-19 ,“Truly, truly I tell you, when you were younger, you used to put on your belt and walk wherever you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will put your belt on you, and bring you where you do not want to go.” Now He said this, indicating by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had said this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”
There is much difference between when you were younger and when you grow old. When I was younger I roamed around the world, and I walked a thousand miles and read 10,000 books and not being tired. I used to boast that the Lord had given me a pair of strong legs better than Mercedes-Benz. When you were young, you used to do things you could not do when you are old. The most important thing about old age is what I can say and pray as the psalmist, Psa 71:17-18, “God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still declare Your wondrous deeds. And even when I am old and gray, God, do not abandon me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come.” I thank, praise, and pray to the Lord more than ever. Oh God, do not abandon me in my old age.
There is only Biblical theology which means the study of God and things pertaining to God through the Holy Bible with enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
Theology is not a set of intellectual and emotional commitments about God which dictates man’s beliefs and actions.
ATHANASIUS OF ALEXANDRIA sums up Christology:
“[We believe] in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten from the Father, only-begotten, that is, from the essence of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one essence with the Father, through Whom all things came into being, things in heaven and things on earth, Who because of us men and because of our salvation came down and became incarnate, becoming man, suffered and rose again on the third day, ascended to the heavens, and will come again to judge the living and the dead…” – from the 325 version of The Nicene Creed
I agree with G. Campell Morgan, “The deepest passion of the heart of Jesus was not the saving of men, but the glory of God; and then the saving of men, because that is for the glory of God.”
CONCLUSION
Charles Spurgeon said, “My entire theology can be condensed into four words: ‘Jesus died for me.’”
Spurgeon stressed the redemption aspect of theology. As Apostle Paul says, 1Co 2:1-2, “And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come as someone superior in speaking ability or wisdom, as I proclaimed to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” Why? 1Co 2:4-5, “and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of mankind, but on the power of God.” The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God to all who believe.
So much theology rests on the wisdom of mankind; such as higher criticism and lower criticism, etc.
The Word of God rests on the power of God. The Word of God is the testimony of God. The theology that puts Christ as the Center of everything cannot be wrong. The central message of the Bible is Jesus Christ. Christians do not need a science of mind, we need the mind of Christ.
If you ask me who is my favorite theologian, my answer is: None.
Augustine of Hippo was right, “His knowledge is not like ours, which has three tenses: present, past, and future. God’s knowledge has no change or variation.”
Theology has doctrinal wind that blows at different direction at different time and place.
Some secularist said, “The final wisdom of life requires not the annulment of incongruity but the achievement of serenity within and above it.”
Rom 11:33-36, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS
FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” The final wisdom of life is the acknowledgement that from God and through God and to God are all things.
As regards theology, you have learned about Calvinism, Armenianism, Dispensationalism, and Biblical Theology. You can ditch Calvinism, Armenianism and Dispensationalism. Biblical Theology if taught and believed correctly may lead you to the knowledge of God. But Biblical Theology is made by men, it is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even Biblical Theology cannot save anyone.
Origen said, “The power of choosing good and evil is within the reach of all.”
Since you have learned all types of theology of men are faulty, false, and fallible. It is hoped you choose the Word of God which is perfect, infallible, ultimate, and eternal.
Adam Clarke was right, “The Bible is proved to be a revelation from God, by the reasonableness and holiness of its precepts; all its commands, exhortations, and promises having the most direct tendency to make men wise, holy, and happy in themselves, and useful to one another.”
I also like Albert Barnes who said, “The Bible, as a revelation from God, was not designed to give us all the information we might desire, nor to solve all the questions about which the human soul is perplexed, but to impart enough to be a safe guide to the haven of eternal rest.”
A unbelieving theologian said, “Conscience is the perfect interpreter of life.” No. There is bad conscience. There is weak conscience. There is even evil conscience which is defiled.
Tit 1:15, “To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.”
Heb 13:18, “Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.” Christians must have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.
I agree with Albert Barnes, “It does not require great learning to be a Christian and be convinced of the truth of the Bible. It requires only an honest heart and a willingness to obey God.” Jesus says, Jhn 7:17, “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is of God, or I am speaking from Myself.” Charles Hodge was right, “The ultimate ground of faith and knowledge is confidence in God.”
1Co 2:2, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”
Apostle Paul determined that Christians to know nothing except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Why?
1Co 1:22-25, “For indeed Jews ask for miracles and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than mankind, and the weakness of God is stronger than mankind.”
The cross is the symbol of the Christian theology. As Martin Luther said, “The cross alone is our theology.”
A secularist is wrong to say, “Even if a unity of faith is not possible, a unity of love is.” What the Word of God requires is not a unity of faith, but the unity of the Faith. Love without truth is futile. Light cannot love darkness. There are so many faiths and religions which are man-made. The evil forces of ecumenicalism is trying to unite all the faiths into one World Religion. A false theologian said, “The essence of religion consists in the feeling of an absolute dependence.” Christians do not depend on feeling, the essence of the Christian faith is absolute trust in the Lord and “have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers.” Christians of all colors and races can and will attain the unity of the Faith. The Faith is the body of truth in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the central person and basis for all Christians of all generations to be united.
Eph 4:13, “until we all attain to the unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”
William Barclay hit the nail in the head when he said,
“The tragedy of life and of the world is not that men do not know God; the tragedy is that, knowing Him, they still insist on going their own way.” A false theologian can say something right, “Jesus does not give recipes that show the way to God as other teachers of religion do. He is himself the way.” A. W. Tozer said something remarkable, “The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still.” We must not be deceived by the devil.
Charles Spurgeon summarized very well, “You will find all true theology summed up in these two short sentences: Salvation is all of the grace of God. Damnation is all of the will of man.”
By the grace of God, no one needs to damned.
My friend, after you have learned the knowledge of God, and the way of God, you must not insist on going your way. Heb 3:15, “while it is said, “TODAY IF YOU
HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.” To harden your heart is to provoke God. If you board the wrong train,
you can never reach the right destination.
Will you repent and believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world so that you might be saved? You can do it now.
What is repentance? J.C. Ryle said, “The nature of true repentance is clearly and unmistakably laid down in holy Scripture. It begins with knowledge of sin. It goes on to work sorrow for sin. It leads to confession of sin before God. It shows itself before man, by a thorough breaking off from sin. It results in producing a habit of deep hatred for all sin. Above all, it is inseparably connected with lively faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance like this is the characteristic of all true Christians.”
All the knowledge of theology is of no avail if you do not know the most important event in the universe to take place is the second coming of Jesus Christ:
Rev 7:9-12, “ After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Dan 7:27, “Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole Heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His Kingdom will be an everlasting Kingdom, and all the empires will serve and obey Him.” Who is Him? Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
You have learned various theologies which cannot save mankind. But the Word of God is clear: Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Will you repent and believe in Jesus Christ so that you might be saved to prepare yourself in meeting the Judge of the living and dead and the coming of the Kingdom of God?
You can do it now.
Willie Wong Thought
Willie Wong
August 13, 2025
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