God talk

  Part one is all about thinking about the issues of salvation and eternal life and where we stand.   In the second part we are going to look at how Herman Bavinck explains the steps towards being born again.   Nowadays the term ‘born again’ gets thrown all over the place and it has lost its meaning in modern culture.   We forget about sin and the broken relationship with God.   For some people being born again is a lifestyle choice and there is no conviction of what sin actually is.   In some churches sin is probably not even mentioned because it causes offence. This is the whole point.   A patient has every right to know what the cause of the ailment is.   It is the same with spiritual truths.   Let us bite the bullet and look deeper into the social ills of our soul in the direction to finding the perfect cure. I took this one evening when I went for a local walk.   “16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish

  There has always been controversy on how we become followers of Christ.   The truth is we were dead in our sins and trespasses and there is no way a person who is dead towards God can become alive.   It is an impossibility. Faith is seen as a gift of God and so it should be.   St Augustine was living the sinful life and then he heard a child singing about opening a book. He took it as a command from God and he got converted after reading Romans: “ Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. Romans 13:13-14” (Taken from https://www.midwestaugustinians.org/conversion-of-st-augustine ) Whilst walking 10000 steps this was the view! Beautiful   Faith is a gift because God has to make the first move and then there is the effect of salvation (mystical union).   I don’t understand how the work o

November the 16 th is a very special day for those who enjoy Herman Bavincks Theology.   Volume 2 of his Reformed Ethics is published on that day.   I have ordered mine, but it will take time to arrive as it is through the post.   Here in Finland the clocks have gone back to the Wintertime and one can feel that soon the temperatures will be below zero.     It reminds me of the children’s story about the Moomin.   Autumn is almost finished and soon the snows will come and the Moomin will be hibernating except the young ones as they start their own adventures.   In the United Kingdom today is Bonfire Night.   This is a celebration of stopping a gun powder plot to blow up the houses of Parliament.   So, our question today is: What are the subjective causes of the spiritual life for the believer?   When I was studying I made a box for my calliper This raises serious questions about the steps to conversion (the origin of our spiritual life) being a follower of Christ.   Herman Bavinc