True Religion?

There is no true religion in the world which is not Calvinistic-Calvinistic in its essence, Calvinistic in its implications... B.B. Warfield


What do you think about God? I mean, what is it exactly, that you think He does?

Some people think He created the universe and sat back to see what would happen. Like someone attending a play or a movie.

Other folks think He was dismayed by the Fall of Man and has been scrambling ever since, trying to figure out a way to rescue us.

Still others think that God is so sweet and nice that no one is going to be punished (at least, not for very long, according to Rob Bell); that what might once might have been called sins are really just mistakes (there might be some validity to that if we were to give credence to the universal excuse of childhood: "I didn't mean to!")

Then there are some who have been reading their Bibles and  understand that we (as in everybody who ever lived but one) really have messed up. The notion here is that we should admit that we're wrong and agree to accept Jesus and try to live for the Lord. To do this, they believe, would straighten out the whole situation.

There are those who agree with John Calvin: "...it is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he has previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look at himself."

Which takes us back to where we started (where we should always start): What do you think about God?

Does he declare himself to be holy?

Does he rule over all creation, know the end from the beginning, and demand that all praise, honor and glory be given to Him only?

 Until we have a Biblical knowledge of God, we can have no understanding of who (and what) we are (Calvin again).

And so we change the words from, "such a worm as I," to, "sinner such as I," to, "someone such as I." So it doesn't seem as if there was much need for the Savior to bleed after all.

Talk about evolution!

Maybe all these differences about the doctrine of salvation could be resolved if we would honestly (and seriously) examine our doctrine of God in the light of what He tells us about Himself.

And then look into our hearts, remembering Jeremiah's warning that the heart is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things.

What would remain after that but to rejoice in God's electing grace, and share the good news with others?