My Personal Catechism

This is my catechism... sorta an imitation of the Shorter Catechism, but it's far shorter than the shorter catechism. =P

My personal Catechism

1. What is the number of God; what is this relationship?

Deut 6:4; 1 Cor 8:4, 6; 1 John 5:7-8; Mat 3:16-17; 28:19; II Cor 13:14; John 1:14, 18; 15:26; Gal 4:6

There are three persons in the unity of the Godhead, consisting of one substance, power and eternity: God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father is begotten by and proceeds from none; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holly Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son.



2. What is the nature/character of God?

Deut 6:4; 1 Cor 8:4,6; 1 Thes 1:9; Jer 10:10 ; Job 11:7-9; 26:14; 1 Tim 1:7; Deut 4:15-16; John 4:24; Luke 24:39; 1 Kings 8:27; Jer 23:23; Psalms 90:2; 1 Tim 1:17; Psalms 145:3; John 5:26; Acts 17:24-25; Psalms 119:68; Acts 7:2; 1 Tim 6:15; Ro 9:5; Ex 3:14; John 4:24; Acts 14:11, 15; James 1:17; Mal 3:6; Gen 17:1; Rev 4:8; Ro 16:27; Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8; Psalms 115:3; Eph 1:11; Prov 16:4; Ro 11:36; 1 John 4:8; Ex 34:6-7; Heb 11:6; Neh 9:32-33; Psalms 5:4-6; Nahum 1:2-3; Job 22:2-3; Ro 11:36; Rev 4:11; 1 Tim 6:15; Dan 4:25; Ps 145:17; Ro 7:1;

There is only one, living and true God; invisible, without body parts; immense, unfathomable, all powerful, all wise, Totally holy/pure, free, loving, unchangeable; Always was, is, and will be;. His being and perfection has no limit. He is not susceptible to impressions from external agents. Absolute and complete in Himself .Working all things in accordance with His righteous and holy will for His own glory, He abounds in mercy and forgiveness; rewarder of those that seek Him. He is terrible in judgment because of his hatred for sin; not clearing the guilty. He has all things in and of Himself, He needs nothing and derives no glory from any of His creation, but manifests His own glory on His creation. He has complete dominion over all and does to, for, and by them, whatever he pleases. Knowing all, nothing is uncertain for Him. All He does is Holy.



3. How did all that exist come into existence?

Col 1:15, 16; John 1:2,3; Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; 33:4; Ro 1:20; Jer 10:12; Ps 104:24; 33:5, 6; Gen 1; Heb 11:3; Col 1:16; Acts 17:24; Heb 1:3

God created all things for His pleasure and the manifestation of his character. He created everything out of nothing. Everything whether visible or invisible, was created to be very good. Last of all His creation was first of all His creation. God created Man last and set him up as head of all the rest of creation. The Godhead performed creation as a unit; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.



4. After creating all, what involvement did God have with His creation?

Dan 4:34-35; Ps 135:6; Acts 17:25-28; Job 38-41; Matthew 10:29-31; Pro 15:3; Ps 104:24; 145:17; Acts 15:18; Ps 94:8-11; Acts 2:23;

God is in control of all that happens to His creation. From the greatest to the least, nothing happens to his creation without His knowledge.



5. What was the nature/character of man as God created him?

Gen 2:7; Ecc 12:7; Luke 23:43; Matt 10:28; Gen 1:26; Col 3:10; Eph 4:24; Ro 2:14-15; Ecc 7:29; Gen 3:6; Gen 2:17; 3:8-11, 23; Gen 1:28

Man, the last being created by God was created in the image of God with an immortal soul, capable of reason. God gave him knowledge, righteousness and true holiness in His image. On man’s heart God wrote His law and gave him the power to fulfill this law. God left man with the ability to sin; the liberty to transgress against his own creator. Along with the law written on his heart God also gave man a command; to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. While they kept this law, they were happily in communion with God and had dominion over the creatures.



6. Did man stay in this state of righteousness allowing communion with God?

Gen 3:13; 2 Cor 11:3; Ro 11:32; Gen 3:6-8; Ecc 7:29; Ro 3:23; Gen 2:17; Eph 2:1; Tit 1:15; Gen 6:5; Jer 17:9; Ro 3:10-18;

The first man and woman (Adam and Eve) sinned by eating the forbidden fruit. God allowed this sin in order to use it for His own glory. In committing this sin, Adam and Eve lost communion with God and fell from righteousness. They became dead in sin and every part of their bodies and souls were defiled.



7. Did this corrupted sate affect all of mankind?

Gen 1:27, 28; 2:10, 17; Acts 17:26; Ro 5:12-19; 1 Cor 15:21, 22, 45, 49; Ps 51:5; Gen 5:3; Job 14:4; 15:14; Ro 5:6; 8:7; 7:18; Col 1:21; Gen 6:5; 8:21; Ro 3:10-12; James 1:14-15; Ephesians 2:2, 3; Mat 15:19

Being the root of all mankind, Adam’s and Eve’s sin was imputed to all of their decedents; and with the sin, death. All of mankind is in a state of opposition to all that is good; inclined toward all that is evil. It is from this complete corruption that all transgressions precede.



8. How does sin affect man’s state before God?

1 John 3:4; Ro 2:15; 3:9,19; Eph 2:3; Gal 3:10; Ro 6:23; Eph 4:18; Ro 8:20; Lam 3:39; Mat 25:41; 2 Thess 1:9

Every sin,, being contrary to the law of God, brings guilt upon the sinner. This guilt binds man to the wrath of God and the curse of the law. Man is made subject to death by this sin; with all anguishes whether spiritual, temporal, or eternal.



9. Is man capable of restoring his relationship with God?

Isaiah 40:13-17; Job 9:32, 33; 1 Samuel 2:25; Ps 113:5; 100:2, 3; Job 22:2, 3; 35:7, 8; Luke 17:10; Acts 17:24, 25;

The distance separating man from God is so great that man can never breach it through any amount of obedience or good works. Only through God’s grace can the separation be eliminated.



10. How did God breach the separation?

Gal 3:21; Ro 8:3; 3:20, 21; Gen 3:15; Isaiah 42:6; Mark 16:15-16; John 3:16; Romans 10:6, 9; Gal 3:11; Ez 36:26-27; John 6:44-45;

Man by his fall broke the first covenant between him and God, so God was pleased to make a second covenant. This covenant of grace was based on Christ alone; His death, burial, and resurrection. God, through the Holy Spirit makes those he has divinely called able and willing to believe and turn back to God.



11. What is the benefit of this new covenant and the renewed relationship with God?

Heb 9:15-17; 7:22; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25; Heb 8-10; Ro 4:11; Col 2:11, 12; 1 Cor 5:7; Gal 3:7-9,14; Col 2:17;

Man is no longer responsible for any part of the covenant. God does it all. It is through the messiah and the messiah alone that man receives full remission for sins. With this covenant, man’s relationship with God is restored and with this restoration, he receives the everlasting inheritance as a son of God.

My Personal Confession (think Westminster only not so awesome)

After studying the Westminster Confession, the Shorter Catechism, and excerpts from the Institutes of Religion by John Calvin, for school, I had an amazingly scary assignment. I had to write my own confession and catechism. So yeah, they are nothing like the Westminster or Shorter, but I really need a post because this blog is dying so here is my confession.

My Personal Confession

Knowing that mankind was unable to find God, even with the signs He placed in creation, God gave to man the scriptures which He inspired men to write. The scripture, being the words of God, are most necessary for man to understand salvation and to be protected from the snares of Satan. Only through scripture can man truly understand God, the universe, man, morality and ethics, evil and suffering, man’s state after death, and the meaning of history.


God
There is only one, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection. His is a spirit, entirely pure, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, completely wise, thoroughly holy, entirely free, utterly absolute. He works all things according to His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory. He is most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. He is the rewarder of all who seek Him diligently. To all men, He is completely just, and terrible in His judgments, hating sin. He will by no means clear the guilty.

God has all life, glory, goodness, and blessedness in and of Himself; and is alone all sufficient, not needing any creature which he has made, nor deriving any glory from them. He instead manifests His own glory in, by, and upon them. He has sovereign dominion over all things, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatever He pleases. He sees all, His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent, so nothing is contingent, or uncertain to Him. All His counsels, all His works, and all His commands are completely holy. He is due all worship, service, and obedience from every creature.

There are three persons in the unity of the Godhead, consisting of one substance, power, and eternity: God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father is begotten by none and proceeding from none; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holly Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son.


The Universe
All that makes up the universe is created by God, out of nothing. All things whether visible or invisible were created in six days and declared good by God. Nothing came about of its own will; nothing was made by any other besides God. Everything God created reflects all that He is. His power, His size, His creativity, all that God is, is reveled to man through his creation. Every aspect of the universe is unique for each part is formed by God to be distinct.



Man
After creating all other beings, God formed Man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls. He endued them with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, after His own image. He wrote His law in their hearts, and gave them power to fulfill it. But He gave them freedom under their own will and possibility of transgressing. Beside this law written in their hearts, God also commanded them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. While they obeyed this command they were happily in communion with God. But on breaking this command, they would become separated from God and suffer the humility and pain of this separation.

Man being created above animals was given dominion over them. He ruled over them and protected them. But on disobeying God’s command, this changed. Enmity was put between Man and beast.


Morality and Ethics
God alone is good. He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. He is a faithful God who does no wrong. He is upright and just. He is our only paradigm. To discover what is right and what is wrong, God’s character must be studied for his character is goodness.


Evil and suffering
At the moment of Man’s disobedience to God, everything changed. Immediately separation came into every relationship. Man was separated from God; separated from man; and separated from animal. From that first sin against God, man has been wicked. Though created righteous, man had the ability to sin and he gave into the temptations placed before him by Satan. Evil entered the world with that sin. The perfect world that God had created was corrupted by man’s disobedience. And as a result of this corruption that permeates the world, suffering is everywhere. This suffering could be taken away by God, along with the evil. For the two are inseparable. But the only way to take away the evil and suffering is to destroy all that is living, for evil resides in the hearts of men. So instead God made a different solution. Rather than destroying all that He had created, He paid the penalty for the sin Himself. The suffering and evil are still here, but for those that are saved, there is joy and peace in God.


Man’s state after death
Man was created with an immortal soul. Even after the body dies, the soul lives on. God created two destinations for the souls of men: Heaven and Hell. Heaven is where all those found righteous will spend eternity after their earthly death. Hell is the destination of those found unrighteous. All men, being corrupt and wicked, have the eternal destination of Hell.

God, however, did not wish for men to perish so He made a way for man to be saved from eternal damnation. He sent His own Son, Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world. After His resurrection on the third day, Jesus ascended back into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God where He acts as our mediator. It is only through trusting in Him that any man can be saved from Hell. For Jesus is the only way to the Father.

Man, however, would never choose to put his faith in Jesus; he sees no problem with himself and desires to be the master of his own life. So there is still no eternal hope for man by himself. It is only through the effectual and divine calling that man will ever come to God. God draws men to Himself and gives them their faith in Christ so that they might be saved. It is in this way and in this way alone, that man can be found righteous in God’s sight. It is not man’s own righteousness but the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

If, however, man is not called to belief, if he lives his life in his own way, doing as he pleases, he will be found guilty in God’s sight. The righteousness of Christ will be found nowhere near him. And he will spend eternity in the burning fire of Hell, where worm does not die, nor is thirst quenched. There is nothing but misery; the gnashing of teeth and weeping of tears.


History
The world is growing gradually worse and it will become no better. We see this in history. The purpose of history is to show us what to expect next. As we look at past empires and nations we can often predict what will happen in modern nations. We see the truths of the Bible unfold in history as well as in the present. And if we have a good idea of the history of the world, we will be well prepared for what will come about in the future.




So yeah, um, that's it. Nothing like the Westminster, I know, but I suppose they had several people to write it and it took them years, so I'm trying to be satisfied with it.

Biblical World View-Question 6

What happens to man at death?

Death is a subject pondered by all at some point or another. Some await it with trepidation. Others are fascinated by it's mystery. And then there are those that try to simply not think about it at all. But all have thought on the result of death to some extent.
Is death the empty beginning to nothing? Is it the end, with nothing on the other side? Or is it just the passing into another form? Will we live again on this earth creature befitting the behavior of our previous life? Is there a Heaven or Hell? If there is, how do I know which will be my future home? The list of questions goes on. Do we as Christians have answers to these questions? The answer is yes. We can be completely calm about death. We don't need to fear the unknown because it's not an unknown. We have the answers in the Bible.

Jesus gave us glimpses of what heaven will be like in His parable about Lazarus and the Rich man. Luke 16:19-31
The first thing to notice about these two men is their status on earth. The rich man was just that, rich. He was dressed in fine linen and spent every day in the luxuries that accompanied one of his wealth. Lazarus on the other hand was a beggar. He was starving and ready to accept the scraps from another man's table. Talk about losing you dignity. On top of that, his body was covered in sores and these sores were licked by dogs. A pretty miserable situation. Now, you are most likely sitting there thinking "What on earth does this have to do with death?" Verse 22 answers that.

Luke 16:22 - The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.

"Ok? So what? What are you trying to get at?" Simply this, EVERYONE DIES!!! That's right. No sugar coating. It doesn't matter how rich or how poor you are, YOU ARE GOING TO DIE! Now that that's settled, we can really get down to business. What lies on the other side of that unspeakable abyss we call death? What happened to these men who lived such different lives?

The rich man, after death, entered Hell, where he was tormented. Lazarus, however, was carried to Abraham's side. The rich man seeing this former beggar pleaded with Abraham and in his pleadings he gave us a small peak at what Hell is like. He calls for Lazarus to put water on his tongue which is in agony because of the fire. From this small request we learn a lot. There is fire in Hell. The fire causes agony. There is thirst for those who dwell there. And no water is available to quench this thirst.

How does Abraham respond to the rich mans cry? He reminds him of the good he received in his life and the bad Lazarus received in his. He then tells us something about the passage from Heaven to Hell. It is inhibited by a great chasm. There is no passage from one to the other.

So how did Jesus answer the question"'What happens to man at death?'. In the glimpse that He gave, He showed two possibilities. Heaven, and Hell.


Heaven:What is it like?

Psalms 33:13-14, Matthew 6:9, Acts 1:11

Heaven is God's dwelling place.

John 14:1-3, John 17:5, 24, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17,

A place is being prepared for us in heaven.

2 Corinthians 12:2,4, 2 Corinthians 5:1-8

While only God knows all that is in store for us in heaven, we do know that it will be more wonderful than anything we can imagine. We will be clothed with heavenly dwellings.

Psalms 23:6, Revelation 21:4

Heaven will be without tears, pain, and suffering. It is an eternal home of goodness and mercy.

Revelation 5:6, Revelation 14:1, Revelation 22:4

The Lamb (Jesus) will be enthroned, and all who are saved will be with Him and His father's name will be on their foreheads.

Jeremiah 30:22, Ephesians 2:7, Ephesians 3:9, 1 Corinthians 2:9


That which God has prepared for His people is incomprehensible.



Hell:What is it like?

Matthew 25:41-46 Revelation 20:11-15

Those who's names are not found in the book of life will be thrown into the eternal lake of fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels.

Matthew 8:12, Matthew 13:42,50, Matthew 22:13, Matthew 24:51, Matthew 25:30, Luke 16:23, 1 Thessalonians 5:3, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, 2 Peter 3:7, Jude 7, 13, Revelations 20:10

Hell is an eternal fire of burning sulfur which is enshrouded in the blackest darkness. It is filled with weeping and gnashing of teeth because of the great torment. There is no water to quench the thirst of those dwelling there. But worse than all these torments is the separation from God.


What does the bible teach about the resurrection?

Psalms 49:15, Psalms 71:20, Hosea 13:14, John 5:25, John 6:40, Acts 24:15, 1 Corinthians 15:22, 2 Corinthians 4:14, 1 Thessalonians 4:16

All will be raised from the dead and taken to God for judgment. Those that have believed in Christ, however, will be raised first. God has ransomed us from the graves power and it no longer has dominion over us.

When you add all this information together you get the answer to the question, 'what happens to man at death'. First, all shall be raised from the dead and taken to the judgment seat of God. There He will judge all men and send them to their eternal home. Those that are redeemed by the finished work of Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Heaven with God. Those that are without redemption will be spend eternity in the fire of Hell.

Biblical World View-Question 5

What is the cause of evil and suffering?

"Do I serve God for nothing?"
"I just don't understand! Why did this happen to me?"
"Either God must not be all-good or He is not all-powerful."
"If a righteous, holy God created the world, where did all the ugliness come from?"
"How could a good God exist in light of all the misery in the world?"

Questions such as these have plagued man kind for nearly as long as there has been man kind. Man has struggled to understand. He has looked for answers. But only those that look in the right place have been successful in finding what they seek. There is only one place where answers can be found. That place, is the Bible.


Psalm 25:8, Psalm 33:5, Psalm 34:8, Psalm 119:68, Psalm 145:7, Isaiah 63:7, Jeremiah 33:11,
Nahum 1:7, Matthew 19:17, Romans 2:4, Romans 11:22,


In summery, these verses tell us that the God of this universe, the one and only God, is a God of abundant goodness, righteousness, uprightness, justice, kindness, compassion, tolerance, patience, refuge, night, and love that endures forever.

Well, that right there can lead to more of the same questions above. "How can a God like that be in control and yet evil and suffering are so rampant?" or "Is God the source of evil and suffering?"


Genesis 1:4, Genesis 1:10, Genesis 1:12, Genesis 1:17-18, Genesis 1:21, Genesis 1:25, Genesis 1:31


If all that God created was good, then He cannot be the source of evil and suffering. So what is? Did God create man as a robot without the ability to make moral choices, or is he a free moral agent?


Genesis 2:15-17, Jeremiah 35:15, Ezekiel 33:11, Hosea 6:1, Matthew 22:3, Luke 14:17,
2 Corinthians 5:20, Revelation 3:20,


Man is not a robot. He has the ability to choose right or wrong. So what did he choose? Is he the cause of evil and suffering?


Genesis 3:6, Isaiah 43:27


Man chose to disobey God. This was the first sin committed by man. What was the result to this sin?


Genesis 3:16-19, Romans 5:12-13, 1 Corinthians 15:21


The result of sin, is the evil and suffering that so prevails in the world around us. And since the sin was committed by man, the cause of evil and suffering is man. Well, what about the omnipotent God that is supposedly in control? Does God have enough power to stop evil?


Job 42:2, Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:6, Isaiah 43:13, Habakkuk 3:6, Matthew 19:26, Mark 14:36,
Luke 1:37, Revelation 19:6


Yes, God has enough power to stop evil. Nothing is impossible with Him. Well, then why doesn't He destroy evil?



Genesis 6-7, 2 Peter 3:3-13, Lamentations 3:22, Ezekiel 33:11


You ask, "Why doesn't God destroy evil?". I say, do you really want Him to? The last time God destroyed all evil, He did it by destroying the entire earth by a flood. He will destroy all evil again. When He does it then, He will consume the whole earth with fire. It is only because of his love that we are not yet destroyed. He is patient with us and is giving us more time to come to Him before the whole world perishes.

But that's not the end of the story. God did do something about evil. He sent His only Son to become sin for us, that we might become righteous.


2 Corinthians 5:21, Isaiah 53:12, Psalms 69:20-21, Romans 5:8, Luke 19:41



As Christians, how should we respond to suffering?


Job 42:5-6, 2 Corinthians 1:9, Hebrews 12:5-6, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, 1 Peter 1:6-7, Hebrews 3:17-18,
James 1:4, 1 Peter 4:12-13, Philippians 3:10-11, 1 Corinthians 11:20-32, 1 Peter 5:10, John 9:3

As Christians, when we see suffering we should let it remind of several things. How lowly we are. How much we need to rely on God to raise us up. If it's a punishment for something we have done, we can be assured that God truly loves us. It reminds us of what Jesus went through for us. We can be sure that it will bring us to a more mature state if we let it. We can have the knowledge that Gods work might be displayed through our sufferings. And we will remember the grace that God has bestowed upon us. This is the Christian response to Suffering.

Biblical World View-Question 4

What is the basis of ethics and morality?

This question is a very important one. Today, people are trying to eliminate the line between right and wrong. Or they say that everyone has their own right and wrong. They claim it's all a matter of opinion. This is a chaotic view. But if it's not correct, on what grounds does a person decide right from wrong? What does the Bible have to say?

Deuteronomy 32:4 - He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is he.

If God is upright and just, and his works are perfect, then He must be 'a' paradigm. A foundation of what we call right and wrong. But is He the only one? Is it possible that there is more than one basis for morality?

Matthew 19:17 - "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."

Mark 10:18 - "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.

God is the only being that is good. He is the only one that can, in His own person, define good. Therefore, all that is moral has it's foundation in God. He is the basis of ethics and morality. As David Quine puts it; "Because His word is the exact expression of His character, God Himself is therefore the standard." God is the standard, therefore we must know God in order to know right from wrong. God made Himself known to us through his word, the Bible. So we must constantly study the Bible and learn from it what God calls right and wrong.

We have been given a map to life. If we know the map, we will know what our lives should be like. And we will not have to sit and wonder if what someone says about ethics and morals is true. So get out your map and start studying, and discover where the line between right and wrong really is.

Biblical World View-Question 3

What is the essential nature of man?


What is man? Is he anything more than a mere animal? If he is different from animals, what makes him different?

Genesis 1:26-27 tells us the distinguishing factor, setting man apart from animal. Man was made in the image of God. The image of God? What does that mean. It means that, unlike animals, man can think. He doesn't run on instinct. He can make choices, reason, have preferences, have motivations, etc. All the personal attributes god processes, man also has because God gave them to him.

When God created man, He created him to be righteous.

Genesis 1:31 -God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

The Hebrew word 'tob' used in this verse, translated in the NIV as 'good', can refer to quality as well as to moral goodness.

Man was righteous, never having sinned. But God didn't want a bunch of automatons. So He gave man a choice. The ability to obey or disobey. And then He gave them a rule. Just one, not that hard to keep track of and obey, right? Unfortunately Adam and Eve found it to hard to obey. They broke Gods one rule and imediately, things went wrong for them.

Seperation! Everything began to separate. First, the relationship between man and God was severed. Genesis 3 tells us all about mans becoming separated from God. It let's us know that the intimate relationship previously shared was gone and Adam and Eve were banished from the garden. Man was also separated from Man.

Genesis 3:12 - The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

The passing of blame here signifies the beginning of mans' separation from other men. Here they are no longer united. They now have an 'every man for himself' attitude. Thirdly, man became separated from nature(animals, plants, etc.).

Genesis 3:15 - And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel."

Genesis 3:17b-19 - "Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.

18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."

So because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve, all of man kind would now be sinful.

Romans 5:12 - Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned

But that's not the end. God did not turn His back on the people he created. We have not been deserted to live our despicable lives with no rescue. God chose to save us from our unrighteousness. Now of course, unrighteousness must be punished. So the only way to save us from our unrighteousness is by way of punishment. But God declared that the only punishment equal to our crime was that of death.

Romans 6:23a - For the wages of sin is death

So someone had to die in order for our sins to be payed for in full. And not just someone. It had to be an innocent party. For if the person paying the price was sinful, it would be what he deserved and would not be able to save himself or anyone else. So an innocent person had to be found. Unfortunately.......

Romans 3:32 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

There was not a single member of the human race that could be the sacrificial lamb. So God, out of His love and mercy did the unthinkable. He sent His only son to the earth, and allowed Him to be taken and killed by men. Jesus Christ became the perfect sacrifice for our sins. This allowed us to be once again united with God.

Romans 5:15-19 - But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Being made righteous by Jesus' death, we are no longer separated from God. But just as Adam and Eve were not robots, we also are not. We can still choose to sin. And our nature is still inclined toward sin. So at this point, man's nature is evil. Unlike the common teaching of today, man is not 'basically good'.

The essential nature of man is evil. He is still in the image of God, but he lacks all attributes related to righteousness. But now, he has a way to escape from that evil that resides in him. God has provided the way.

Biblical World View-Question 2

What is the nature of the universe - its origin?

Genesis chapter 1 and 2, and 5 verses 1-2 give us a detailed description of the universe's origin. They tell us that God created the universe out of nothing. He formed it in six days and then declared it good. Some people(Christians, not non-Christians), however, don't like to think of this as literal. They claim that, yes God did create the universe, but He used evolution to do it. The six days talked about are figurative. They refer to six passages of time. Well, I believe that if this was the case, the rest of the bible would give us some evidence to back it up.

Gen. 2:7 - the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Gen. 2:19 - Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.

Ps. 33:6, 9 - By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

Ps. 148:5 - Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.

Isa. 45:18 - For this is what the LORD says—
he who created the heavens,
he is God;
he who fashioned and made the earth,
he founded it;
he did not create it to be empty,
but formed it to be inhabited—
he says:
"I am the LORD,
and there is no other.

Ez. 28:13 - You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.

Heb. 11:3 - By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.


All of these verses definitely support Genesis' literal meaning. Evolution doesn't even make sense in light of these verses. I mean, think about it. If God is all powerful, when He spoke things into existence, why would it have taken billions of years to fully form the way her wanted it. But Genesis 2:19 is the one that makes it the most clear. Evolution is based on the idea that each living creature evolved from another living creature, that evolved from another living creature, that evolved from another living creature, that evol..........Genesis 2:19 states that all the beast of the field and birds of the air were formed from the ground. There was no evolving from one to another. But then it goes on to say that God had the man(Adam) name them all. According to evolution, man wasn't even around during the lives of some of the creatures that have lived in the past and are now extinct. This can't be true if he named each and ever one of them.

So, through studying the entire bible, we can see that the first chapter of Genesis can be taken literally. God created the universe in 6, 24 hour, days. He spoke it into existence with no starting point except for his own ingenuity. He didn't google the recipe for creating man from dirt. He already know how.

Biblical World View-Question 1

Is there a God or gods? If so, what is He like?

What does the bible have to say about this? Let's take a look and see.
"In the beginning God......." Genesis 1:1

The first verse of the bible tells us that there is a God. So, what is he like?

Duet. 6:4 - Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

James 2:19 - You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

These verses tell us that there is only one God.

Gen. 1:26 - Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Gen. 11:7 - Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."

Isaiah 6:8 - Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

Matt. 3:16-17, John 15:26, 1 Pet. 1:2

In these verses God uses a plural pronoun which seams to indicate that there is more than one.

Mat. 28:19 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

This verse gives us the three separate beings of God.

John 1:18 - No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

John 17:11b - Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.

John 17:21 - that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

John 17:22 - I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one

While God does have separate beings they are part of the same person. Though this is hard to rap our finite minds around, it's what the bible says so we can be sure that it's true.

Gen 1:1, Gen 1:31, Ps. 33:9, Isa. 44:24, Isa. 45:18, John 1:1-3, Col. 1:16-17, Heb. 11:3, Rev. 4:11

God created all things.

Neh. 9:6 - You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Ps. 36:6,7 - Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

7 How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men
find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Ps. 107:9 - for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

Ps. 121:8 - the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Heb. 1:3 - The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

The father sustains all things. Jesus, being the exact representation of God's being has the same sustaining power.

1Chron. 29:11,12 - Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.

12 Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.

Ps. 66:7 - He rules forever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations—
let not the rebellious rise up against him.
Selah

Is. 45:7 - I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the LORD, do all these things.

Dan. 4:35 - All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: "What have you done?"

Ro. 11:36 - For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Eph. 1:11 - In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

Rev. 19:6 - Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
"Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

God is a powerful ruler. He is over everything. Everything belongs to him.

Mat. 6:26 - Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Mat. 10:29 - Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

1 Pe. 5:6,7 - Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

God care about us.


Now, this is just scratching the surface of Gods character and attributes, but covering them all and giving each justice would require more than just a single post. It would require an entire blog dedicate to the topic. So for now, I'll just sum up what we do have.

There is one Godhead made up of three individual persons. The father, the son, and the holy spirit. Some kind of way, they are united into one, while still maintaining there uniqueness and identities. As humans we can't really fathom how this is possible but we can accept it as true because the infallible word of God says that it is. God created all things that are in existence. But He didn't create them and then leave them alone. He is here, sustaining all things. Being the creator of all things, He is the ruler over all. Everything belongs to Him. And, on top of this all, He loves and cares about us.

What is a World view anyway?

This is a question that is important. If we don't know what a world view is in the first place, how can we know what ours is. And if we don't know what ours is, we really don't know what we believe. That's a bad situation to be in. So, what is a world view?

A world view is the thing through which you see everything in life. It is like tinted glasses. The color of the glasses effects the colors you see in the world around you. It's your outlook on life. Everyone has a world view, even you. You may not know exactly what it is but you have one non the less. My reason for posting on the subject is to hopefully help you understand the importance of developing a world view, the importance of knowing what your world view looks like, and the importance of being able to recognize what other peoples world views look like.

So, how do you know what your world view is? It's not always easy to analyze yourself and what you believe. After reading Answers for Difficult Days by David Quine, I came to the conclusion that the best way to discover what you believe(what your world view is) is to answer a few questions. 7 to be exact.

• Is there a God or gods? If so, what is He like?
• What is the nature of the universe- It's origin?
• What is the essential nature of man?
• What is the basis of ethics and morality?
• What is the cause of evil and suffering?
• What happens to man at death?
• What is the meaning of history?

By answering these questions, you can get a better idea of what you really believe. You can also use them to understand what others believe.