Not very long ago, I was the kind of person that despised the doctrine of unconditional election. In fact, I despised reformed doctrine (I only knew it as Calvinism back then.) I had this crazy illustration in my mind, painted by equally prideful Christians, that Calvinists were tyrants who didn’t believe in preaching the gospel because of these “unscriptural”  doctrines and creeds. What I didn’t know was that the picture that is often portrayed of reformed theology is that of hyper-Calvinists who sway and overcompensate largely in the opposite direction of the Armenian’s movement. Both are equally heretical.

Because I didn’t understand election, I used the common argument in evangelical churches today. Going beyond what the scriptures teach, I reasoned in my own mind that God predestined us to salvation because he foreknew that we would make that choice. Today, this seems to me a very silly and futile argument.

There is one main problem I have with this argument, and it’s a huge problem. The only verse used to support this argument is Romans 8:29

²⁹For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

According to the argument God only foresees what is ultimately our work, not his work. In other words, the point of this interpretation is that God does not cause our faith, he only foresees the faith which we cause. But the problem with this interpretation is that it is not consistent with the rest of scripture.

It assumes that the meaning of “foreknowing” is not the meaning it has in many Old and New Testament texts that would give a more coherent meaning to this passage. Listen to these uses of “know” and ask yourself what each means. In Genesis 18:19 God says of Abraham, “I have known him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord.” Virtually all the English versions translate this, “I have chosen him.” In Amos 3:2 God says to the people of Israel, “You only have I known among all the families of the earth.” He knew about all the families, but only chose Israel. In Matthew 7:23 Jesus said to the hypocrites at the judgment day, “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” Psalm 1:6 says, “The Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.” He knows about the way of the wicked too. But he knows the way of the righteous in the sense of approving and recognizing and loving. In Hosea 13:5 God says to Israel, “I knew you in the wilderness, In the land of drought,” meaning he took note of your plight and cared for you. And Genesis 4:1 says, “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain.” That is, he made her his, and knew her intimately and loved her.

Because of all those texts I think John Stott and John Murray are exactly right when both of them say, “”Know’ . . . is used in a sense practically synonymous with “love’ . . . “Whom he foreknow’ . . . is therefore virtually equivalent to “whom he foreloved.’” Foreknowledge, is “sovereign , distinguishing love” (John Stott, quoting Murray, Romans, p. 249). It’s virtually the same as set your affection on and choose for your own.

John Piper, Desiring God

Furthermore, it is not consistent with the teaching of salvation in the whole of scripture. The bible consistently teaches that God is the author of our faith, and that we do not choose anything. Those who come to Christ become His children by His will, not by theirs. “They were not God’s children by nature or because of any human desires. God himself was the one who made them his children”

who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.     John 1:13

God, before the foundation of the world, chose to make certain individuals the objects of His unmerited favor or special grace.

“Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.      Mark 13:20

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,      Ephesians 1:4-5

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.   Revelation 13:8

Individuals from every tribe, tongue and nation were chosen by God for adoption, not because of anything they would do but because of His sovereign will.

For though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad , so that God’s purpose in election would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.” Just as it is written, “JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.”           Romans 9:11-13

So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.                    Romans 9:16

And Isaiah is very bold and says, “I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME, I BECAME MANIFEST TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME.”     Romans 10:20

who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works , but according to His own purpose, grace which was granted us and in Christ Jesus from all eternity,    2 Timothy 1:9

God could have chosen to save all men (He certainly has the power and authority to do so), and He could have chosen to save no one (He is under no obligation to save anyone). He instead chose to save some and leave others to the consequences of their sin.

And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”    Exodus 33:19

What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.” So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.                 Romans 9:14-24

When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed .       Acts 13:48

and, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.            1 Peter 2:8

The theme of God’s election to salvation is constant throughout the old and new testament, not based on our own will or “choice”, but of God’s will and choice. Romans 8:28 teaches a far more important message, that all who are predestined will be saved.

And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.      John 6:39

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.     Romans 8:30

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.    John 6:37

For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.   John 17:2

They are Christ’s sheep (John 10:1-30) who hear His voice and for whom He died (John 10:15) in order to give them eternal life and make them secure forever in the hand of God (John 10:26-30).

but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”             John 10:26-30

Jesus’ words “it is finished” (John 19:30) are a sweet sound of the finished plan of salvation on the cross. Christ’s death on the cross was not to make salvation possible. Christ died on the cross to save. His work is finished in the salvation of God’s people, in those he chose from the foundations of the world.

Read my post:  What does John 3:16 mean?

also quoted, gotquestions.org Unconditional election, is it biblical?

But is the purpose of the preaching of God’s word being ignored, while the purpose of the training of children exalted? What do the scriptures say about conduct during the preaching of God’s word?

If you are under the impression that having a nursery is only for selfish and irresponsible parents, I encourage you to open your heart for a moment and your mind to the scriptures. Jeff Noblit, who is Paul Washer’s pastor, gives some insight to this topic in his sermon Why We Encourage Using the Nursery Until Your Children Are Able to Listen With Understanding from Nehemiah 8:1-3, 8 which can be found here.

I think above all, we need to be careful in forcing guilt and blame on other believers for silly things with no scriptural basis. I have yet to find a bible verse that condemns a parent for leaving their child in the presence of another while they attend to other tasks. I think it quite a good idea to suggest that we treat the preaching of God’s word with reverence, so that when a child enters the age of understanding the scriptures, they might be as attentive and respective of the preaching of the word as we have been. How do we allow ourselves to become so distracted during the preaching  of the word, and yet expect our very young children to do exactly the opposite?

Need help understanding election? Paul washer answers one man searching for answers in the video below.

Colossians 2:13

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,”

(Us all: speaking to believers)

Ephesians 2:1-10

^“1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ²in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. ⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Web MD states,

If you become pregnant with an IUD in place, your doctor will recommend that the IUD be removed. This is because the IUD can cause miscarriage or preterm birth (the IUD will not cause birth defects). Taking out an IUD early in a pregnancy lowers risks of miscarriage or preterm birth. But IUD removal can also cause a miscarriage. As a pregnancy progresses, miscarriage risk is lower if an IUD is removed than if it is left in place. ¹

Here is a short documentary about the birth control pill and informed consent. For the full length documentary, visit 28daysonthepill.com

A couple of days ago, my friend Ruth @ But First We have Coffee posted a video of Mary Tocco, an influential woman in their decision to not vaccinate their children.

Last year, before our second son was born, I had done a small bit of research about vaccines. Mainly I had found that some vaccines were manufactured by using aborted baby tissue, and was disgusted. We were in such a busy time in our lives and I didn’t feel I had the capacity to fight with my doctor to obtain vaccines that did not contain aborted baby tissue. We have vaccinated our second son thus far.

But Ruth was right; Mary Tocco’s videos are very eye opening and informing. She is a wealth of information that the average parent is not aware of concerning vaccines. The scariest part of her videos to me is when she talks about Thimerisol. Thimerisol is a form of Mercury that is used as a perservative and sanitizer in vaccines. She talks about the fact that Pregnant and nursing mothers are warned not to ingest too much mercery from fish, etc; But then we are injecting large amounts of mercury into pregnant mothers and newborn babies. Mercury is a highly toxic metal that causes liver failure, poisoning, and brain death in significant amounts.

You can visit Mary Tocco’s website Childhoodshots.com . Another great website is Thinktwice.com . Mary Tocco is an independent researcher (which means nobody pays her to do this) and has dedicated her life’s work to traveling and doing speaking engagements about vaccines. You can click on the video above and it will take you to youtube.com. The rest of her videos are in the sidebar there.

It all started out very “innocently” (or shall I say ignorantly?) When he was a baby I had read a lot about attachment parenting and natural parenting, and gotten quite a few ideas in my head that a baby was just an innocent human being, who with the right positive reinforcement would wind up as a gentle, loving, person. HA! What little did I know. In such denial I was. If only I could have had a glimpse into the life of my future “strong willed” child.

Though honestly, I don’t know very many children who are not strong willed. Do you? So, around the time my son began to walk (at 10 months), his will began to multiply and manipulate. My husband and I already had our work cut out for us in reversing the bad habits we had taught our little monster. We had to begin teaching him discipline at 1-1.5 year old that we should have been reinforcing from the beginning.

The Lord and his Word (and the help of several other mature Christians) has helped us along the way. In that short span of time we have learned as much about parenting as we have about our own attitudes. With the birth of our second son, we were determined to do things differently. I taught baby how to go to sleep on his own. I used the wake, nurse, play, sleep cycle (as opposed to wake, play, and nurse to sleep cycle I had gotten in with our first.) We just finished night weaning at 9 months, which I think could have been acheived sooner and was done easily when baby was moved in his big brother’s room. And finally to the title of this post, we began teaching him the word “No” at about 8-9 months of age.

I had heard many times with our first, that he was too young to know what “no” meant. But, I have in fact learned from my own experience that babies can learn the word at a young age if you teach them. They know far more than they can tell you! We began with telling him no when he squirmed and wiggled during diaper changes. At first, it seems like a game to them. In a few short times during the day we would practice obedience around 8 months of age. He would squirm, and I would tell him no and set him firmly and still where I wanted him. If he would squirm, I would tell him no again and set him back. If he still didn’t get it, a light tap (and I do mean light, it doesn’t take pain to train a baby) on the booty would get his attention. I would do this until he layed still. Some babies have quite the will and will still think this is a game. The goal is the obedience during each “session”, however much patience and time it takes. Never get angry or upset. This is a learning experience for them. Praise them when they obey. Sometimes they will obey and sometimes they will test you. YES, an 8-9 month old WILL test you! In our experience, our 10 month old knows clearly what “No” means and obeys. He gets praise for listening. It is such a joy to see obedience at this young age. It is so much easier and gentler when you start early. It takes much more time and effort (and frustration) to undo the will a child acquires when they are not trained young. It must be very confusing for them, also! They are able to do anything they want with no consequence for months or even years, and all of a sudden mom and dad (and everyone else) is telling them “NO!” and expecting them to obey. Why should they believe you?

I know this was a bit of a ramble. I had many thoughts pouring out of my head that I wanted to get down!

Last week I awoke from an all-night dream that I had started my period. I immediately remembered something I had heard ladies talk about before, that they often dream of their period before it starts or pregnancy before they find out they’re pregnant. I pushed it aside a bit and said, “we’ll just see, i guess.”  As it turns out, I started my period two days later.  I guess it’s not a surprise to me as I just finished night weaning my youngest. Since then, my mind has been focused on childbirth, knowing that another baby could be in the future for us at anytime now, and knowing that I had begun chaniging my mind about childbirth in our last pregnancy. I felt an overwhelming sense that we (as a patient/doctor relationship and as a society) are treating pregnancy as a medical illness rather than a natural occurance created and controlled by our sovereign God. I spent much of that pregnancy visiting the doctor for needless “routine visits” and submitting to our family doctor’s “expertise” over our personal wishes. Overall it left me frustrated, anxious, and impatient. All-in-all I felt as if God was leading me to trust in him more through the entire process, and rely on myself and the medical establishment less.

A frustrating reality is found in looking at the options a woman in the United States has for an intimate birth. In Nebraska, Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) are prohibited from attending home births. There is absolutely no regulation for Entry Level Midwives (ELMs), and at this point it is not clear what would happen if the state decided to try and prosecute them for attending a home birth. Although it seems reasonable that this would not hold up if they are not presenting themselves as a CNM, it is not fullproof, and many ELMs are unwilling to attend, or are working “underground”. A families choice for home birth in Nebraska is limited to the difficult task of trying to find an ELM that will attend or having an unassisted childbirth. There is a group currently working to change the laws in Nebraska for Midwifery, Nebraska Friends of Midwives. By the way, it is a misdemeanor in Nebraska for a father to catch his own baby, even though my husband caught our first son in the hospital. That one just cracks me up.

Online I have found quite a bit to ponder. My husband, the skeptic that he is, will not discuss it until he can make an informed decision about the safety of each choice, namely homebirth. His reasonable fear is the death of either I or the baby.

Here are a few links to information and support for Natural and Unassisted Childbirth that I found helpful: (note many of these are not Christian and in fact “spiritualistic”, but still very helpful if this is not a stumbling block for you)

Birth Junkie

Is Homebirth Safe? storknet

Independent Childbirth

Birthing Naturally

Joyous Birth (Australia)

The Skinny on January (Unassisted Pregnancy UP & UC personal blog)

Unassisted Pregnancy & Childbirth Australia

Birth & Motherhood

I am also interested in hypnobirthing, but will be doing more research. I would really like to find a Christian hypnobirthing resource or have even had the thought of making my own. Especially the hypnobirthing affirmations, I would include more affirmations about trusting in the Lord through birth.

Hypnobirthing Birth video ~

Hypnobirthing, Getting Started

Hypnobirthing Affirmations

¹As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ²saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

⁴This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
⁵“Say to the Daughter of Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ “^[a]

⁶The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. ⁸A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna^[b] to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[c]
“Hosanna^[d] in the highest!”

¹⁰When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

¹¹The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Every once in awhile, I’ll be by myself, doing housework, or rocking a baby to sleep and a song will come to me. A song that I have never heard before. Sometimes the words do not flow perfectly, but somehow there is a new tune inside that I have just got to get out. The difficult thing for me is, that by the time I reach a pad and pen, I can’t seem to remember what the words to my melody had been.

Last night, as I just so happened to be rocking a baby to sleep, swaying back and forth in our bedroom; The sun was just setting and I can remember the dim light that filled the room as I hushed a heavy, sweet smelling bundle in my arms. I began to sing out a praise to the Lord. This time, some of the words stuck very vividly in my mind as well as the tune. I closed my eyes and let the words flow as I sang my little one to sleep last night. I rocked him even after he had fallen asleep, finishing ‘my’ hymn and praising the Lord for his glorious grace and the gifts that he had given me, especially the blessing in my arms.

Something has urged me to write down what I remember and record the tune so that I can recall it. I couldn’t help but wonder today what It would be like to have my personal praise sung by a congregation of believers. I wondered for a second if God would give me the words to a glorious hymn that truly honored him, was scriptural, and truly gave praise to God. It’s possible. All I know is that lately I have just had the words to sing a few beautiful tunes, at least in my eyes. And it’s much more satisfying than empty meaning. The words really mean something to me and to my relationship with God.

I hope you find YOUR time with God today. Praise him, in whatever way.

(Ephesians 5:18-20) 18 …, but keep getting filled with spirit, 19 speaking to yourselves with psalms and praises to God and spiritual songs, singing and accompanying yourselves with music in YOUR hearts to Jehovah, 20 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ giving thanks . . .

Since I first heard that the Duggars had come out with a new book, I had determined that I would really like to get a copy and read it. Within a couple of weeks, I had heard excellent reviews on the book, and was becoming even more eager to buy it. Last week I finally picked up a copy at the book store. Less than a week later I had devoured it, thoroughly enjoying it, and coming away from the book with a deeper respect for the values, character, and general love for our Lord that this family has.

Filled with examples of God’s provision and faithfulness, Jim Bob and Michelle recount the events of their lives from childhood, to marriage, to the present. They take you step by step through each phase of their story: Salvation, Business, Children, Struggles. This book is a testimony to God’s work in their lives.

On top of a wonderful emphasis on God and his plan for them, Jim Bob and Michelle also share some practical tips they have learned along the way.

Jim Bob tells of the important lessons he has learned on his business journey, placing emphasis on biblical ethics and scriptural character qualities that truly count. He also shares with us his struggles in fatherhood, and the versus and lessons that have helped him overcome them.

Michelle also offers some tips and tricks that she has learned as the mother of 18 children. She discusses discipline, potty training, and lots of information about home schooling.

I feel as if I have just spent a day in the Duggars livingroom listening to memories being shared. I can honestly walk away from this book saying that it offers up something valuable to almost any reader, regardless of age, status, or gender. I want to thank the Duggars for their heartfelt “story” and insight, and may God continue to guide and direct your (and your children’s) paths.

]]> http://reformedchristianblogs.net/creativecounterpart/2009/04/03/20-counting-the-duggars-review/feed 0 http://reformedchristianblogs.net/creativecounterpart/2009/01/03/lordship-salvation-in-a-nutshell http://reformedchristianblogs.net/creativecounterpart/2009/01/03/lordship-salvation-in-a-nutshell#comments Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:32:36 +0000 http://creativecounterpart.wordpress.com/?p=299 Lordship Salvation is misrepresented or misunderstood by many. It is often seen as a way to determine the salvation of others. This article from Grace to You should clear a few things up. You can read the rest of the article HERE.

The gospel that Jesus proclaimed was a call
to discipleship, a call to follow him in submissive
obedience, not just a plea to make a
decision or pray a prayer. Jesus’ message liberated
people from the bondage of their sin while it
confronted and condemned hypocrisy. It was an
offer of eternal life and forgiveness for repentant
sinners, but at the same time it was a
rebuke to outwardly religious people whose
lives were devoid of true righteousness. It put
sinners on notice that they must turn from sin
and embrace God’s righteousness.
Our Lord’s words about eternal life were invariably
accompanied by warnings to those who
might be tempted to take salvation lightly. He
taught that the cost of following him is high,
that the way is narrow and few find it. He said
many who call him Lord will be forbidden from
entering the kingdom of heaven (cf. Matt.
7:13-23).
Present-day evangelicalism, by and large,
ignores these warnings. The prevailing view of
what constitutes saving faith continues to grow
broader and more shallow, while the portrayal
of Christ in preaching and witnessing becomes
fuzzy. Anyone who claims to be a Christian can
find evangelicals willing to accept a profession
of faith, whether or not the person’s behavior
shows any evidence of commitment to Christ.
In this way, faith has become merely an
intellectual exercise. Instead of calling men
and women to surrender to Christ, modern
Lordship Salvation

The Distinctives series articulates key bibilical and
theological convictions of Grace Community Church.
evangelism asks them only to accept some basic
facts about Him.
This shallow understanding of salvation and the
gospel, known as “easy-believism,” stands in
stark contrast to what the Bible teaches. To put
it simply, the gospel call to faith presupposes
that sinners must repent of their sin and yield to
Christ’s authority. This, in a nutshell, is what is
commonly referred to as lordship salvation.