Jesus is Lord - this is really true. But what do we mean by the Lordship of Jesus Christ?
Many people have been told that they must " accept" Jesus to be Lord of their life. For what? So that, He can now "start" to have control over their lives. So that " he will now reign".
Whoa! As IF the Lordship of Jesus is dependent on one's acceptance/ decision. This is "anthropocentric" or man centered. It actually exalts human decision over the reign of Jesus.
The Bible portrays that Jesus is Lord because Jesus is God! He is exalted and was given a name above all names by the Father. We do not "make" Jesus as "Lord".He is Lord. He reigns forevermore. His Lordship is a reality that we have to believe. But our belief does not start or commence His Lordship not even in our personal life. He is Lord of our life even in the times we did not believe yet. He reigns in the life of all humanity and the whole creation.
That is what we should believe! That is the good news!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Are You Trinitarian?
When Christians are asked if they are Trinitarian , most will answer YES. How about you? Are you a Trinitarian? Perhaps you believe in the Trinity that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but do you understand even simple matters of what you believe.
You are not Trinitarian if...
1. You believe that the Father , Son and Holy Spirit does not exists at the same time and all of the time.
2. You believe that Jesus is in your life but you do not yet have the Holy Spirit.
3. You believe that the Father and the Son have different character and attitude towards mankind. That the Father is an Angry God while Jesus is a Loving God.
These may sound simple but... it matters... Each of these will be explained Scripturally and Theologically in the future posts in this blog.
You are not Trinitarian if...
1. You believe that the Father , Son and Holy Spirit does not exists at the same time and all of the time.
2. You believe that Jesus is in your life but you do not yet have the Holy Spirit.
3. You believe that the Father and the Son have different character and attitude towards mankind. That the Father is an Angry God while Jesus is a Loving God.
These may sound simple but... it matters... Each of these will be explained Scripturally and Theologically in the future posts in this blog.
Friday, February 6, 2009
What the Church Fathers say? ( Athanasius )
Athanasius contribution to Christianity is the explanation that there is a relationship among the Trinity.
John Piper got it right when he wrote "The relationships between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit had not received formal statement in any representative council before the time of Athanasius.(http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Biographies/1532_Contending_for_Our_All/)
In the same article John Piper also qoutes from the famous work of Athanasius On the Incarnation of the Word. This words affirm the teaching of the early church that Jesus incarnation is for ALL people and not just for few.
Here is the quote from John Piper ...
John Piper got it right when he wrote "The relationships between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit had not received formal statement in any representative council before the time of Athanasius.(http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Biographies/1532_Contending_for_Our_All/)
In the same article John Piper also qoutes from the famous work of Athanasius On the Incarnation of the Word. This words affirm the teaching of the early church that Jesus incarnation is for ALL people and not just for few.
Here is the quote from John Piper ...
the deity of the incarnate Son of God is essential because the gospel of our salvation is essential. There is no salvation if Jesus Christ was not God. It’s true that Athanasius deals with salvation mainly in terms of restoring the image of God in man by Christ’s taking human nature into union with the divine nature. But Athanasius does not emphasize this to the exclusion of the death of Christ and the atonement. You hear both in this passage from On The Incarnation of the Word:
For the Word, perceiving that no otherwise could the corruption of men be undone save by death as a necessary condition, while it was impossible for the Word to suffer death, being immortal, and Son of the Father; to this end He takes to Himself a body capable of death, that it, by partaking of the Word Who is above all, might be worthy to die in the stead of all, and might, because of the Word which was come to dwell in it, remain incorruptible, and that thenceforth corruption might be stayed from all by the Grace of the Resurrection. Whence, by offering unto death the body He Himself had taken, as an offering and sacrifice free from any stain, straightway He put away death from all His peers by the offering of an equivalent. For being over all, the Word of God naturally by offering His own temple and corporeal instrument for the life of all satisfied the debt by His death. And thus He, the incorruptible Son of God, being conjoined with all by a like nature, naturally clothed all with incorruption, by the promise of the resurrection.”
FROM :http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Biographies/1532_Contending_for_Our_All/Hmm... does John piper really believes in limited atonement ( just asking...)
What the Church Fathers say? ( Irenaeus )
Irenaeus was a student of Polycarp who was a student of John the writer of Revelation. It is to be noted that Irenaeus wrote about the identity of Jesus Christ as our federal/vicarious representative. What was true to Adam happened to all humanity, even if we are not in the Garden of Eden. Likewise Jesus is the second Adam. What was true to Him is true to all humanity.
Here is an exceprt to what was posted in www.theopedia.com about the teachings of Irenaeus...
Recapitulation Irenaeus followed Pauline theology in utilizing the first and second Adam theme found within the Apostle Paul’s writing to the Corinthians and Romans.[1] Irenaeus believed that humanity was represented federally and covenantally in Adam, and that the Garden of Eden was eschatologically alluding to the reality of the second Adam. Irenaeus explains, “that as in Adam we do all die, as being of an animal nature, in Christ we may all live, as being spiritual, not laying aside God's handiwork, but the lusts of the flesh, and receiving the Holy Spirit.”[2] When Adam fell in the Garden, humanity fell with him, and the only redemption is based upon the work of the eschatological Adam, that being Jesus Christ. Therefore, for Irenaeus the protological Adam was indicative of the eschatological Adam. The eschatological focus within redemptive history displays Irenaeus’ understanding of the nature of revelation and the culmination of it in Christ Jesus.
Irenaeus’ understanding of salvation is revealed in light of his biblical theology, especially within his doctrine of recapitulation. He believed that as the culmination of redemptive history, the incarnate Son of God recovered what was lost in the first Adam. Some theologians erroneously declare that Irenaeus is articulating a view of universalism in his doctrine of recapitulation.[3] However, Irenaeus held recapitulation to be the “summing up” of all history and humanity in Christ Jesus as the conclusion of the drama of redemption.[4] Furthermore, his belief is that in Christ, the saved are justified through his eschatological work as he is “both waging war against our enemy, and crushing him who had at the beginning led us captives in Adam, and trampled upon his head.” [5] Thus he draws a parallel with Christ and the promised seed of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis. Therefore, the summing up of all things is the fulfilling victory of Christ, the reverse of the curse, and the salvation for those who are covenantally in Christ as opposed to Adam. This understanding of the soteriological and eschatological elements within redemptive history was Irenaeus’ evangelical, apologetical, and theological emphasis. Irenaeus used this doctrinal understanding within his ministry to spread the gospel and to edify and defend the early church.
Here is an exceprt to what was posted in www.theopedia.com about the teachings of Irenaeus...
Recapitulation Irenaeus followed Pauline theology in utilizing the first and second Adam theme found within the Apostle Paul’s writing to the Corinthians and Romans.[1] Irenaeus believed that humanity was represented federally and covenantally in Adam, and that the Garden of Eden was eschatologically alluding to the reality of the second Adam. Irenaeus explains, “that as in Adam we do all die, as being of an animal nature, in Christ we may all live, as being spiritual, not laying aside God's handiwork, but the lusts of the flesh, and receiving the Holy Spirit.”[2] When Adam fell in the Garden, humanity fell with him, and the only redemption is based upon the work of the eschatological Adam, that being Jesus Christ. Therefore, for Irenaeus the protological Adam was indicative of the eschatological Adam. The eschatological focus within redemptive history displays Irenaeus’ understanding of the nature of revelation and the culmination of it in Christ Jesus.
Irenaeus’ understanding of salvation is revealed in light of his biblical theology, especially within his doctrine of recapitulation. He believed that as the culmination of redemptive history, the incarnate Son of God recovered what was lost in the first Adam. Some theologians erroneously declare that Irenaeus is articulating a view of universalism in his doctrine of recapitulation.[3] However, Irenaeus held recapitulation to be the “summing up” of all history and humanity in Christ Jesus as the conclusion of the drama of redemption.[4] Furthermore, his belief is that in Christ, the saved are justified through his eschatological work as he is “both waging war against our enemy, and crushing him who had at the beginning led us captives in Adam, and trampled upon his head.” [5] Thus he draws a parallel with Christ and the promised seed of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis. Therefore, the summing up of all things is the fulfilling victory of Christ, the reverse of the curse, and the salvation for those who are covenantally in Christ as opposed to Adam. This understanding of the soteriological and eschatological elements within redemptive history was Irenaeus’ evangelical, apologetical, and theological emphasis. Irenaeus used this doctrinal understanding within his ministry to spread the gospel and to edify and defend the early church.
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