Presupposition in Christianity

Everyone has a presupposition about something. Presupposition is something you believe to be true even without having any proof. In other words, it is a background belief in which your system, ideas, arguments, and studies built upon. If your presupposition is wrong then everything that follows from it is wrong. Presupposition plays a significant role in having a worldview. Every rational man has presuppositions about God knowingly or unknowingly.

Book Review: Saved without a Doubt

Saved without a Doubt

Being Sure of Your Salvation by John MacArthur

The book begins with a letter from someone who was in doubt of his salvation. Then the author writes about people who have false assurance, who don’t believe in assurance, and about full assurance. The book is divided into three parts: 1. Is it a done deal? 2. Is it real? 3. Is it something I can feel?

The author, John MacArthur writes that we’re to be assured of our salvation first and foremost because Scripture promises eternal life to those who believe in Christ (John 20:31). He writes that salvation is a collective work: the Sovereign decree of the Father, the High Priestly work of Christ, the Seal of the Spirit. He explains those troubling verses: Galatians 5 and falling from grace, Hebrews 6 and those once enlightened, John 15 and the burning branches, Matthew 12 and the unpardonable sin. And then he provides 6 links in the chain of truth that bind all true believers eternally to their Savior and Lord: those are- peace with God, standing in grace, hope of glory, possession of divine love, certainty of deliverance, and joy in the Lord. If no sin a person commits prior to his or her conversion is too great for Christ’s atoning death to cover, surely no sin he or she commits afterward is too great to be covered. Then the rest of the section explain about the purpose of Salvation, giving a big picture: God created us so that there would be a group of people who would give Him the glory He deserves.

The second part starts with reference to false conversion. MacArthur framed eleven tests from an apostolic expert: Distinction between Saving versus Common operations of the Holy Spirit. The test includes sensitivity to sin by believers. The author is of the opinion that since unbelievers are so insensitive to the reality of their condition, human sinfulness is the right starting point in sharing the gospel.

In the third part of the book, MacArthur writes about how a Christian can experience the assurance of a secure salvation. One reason why people doubt is because of strong preaching, and then he writes that “the pulpit is supposed to create anxiety, but it should also give comfort and assurance to precious people who honor Christ and desire to be more like Him. Good biblical preaching maintains that balance.” Others doubted because of their guilty conscience because what conscience knows about is guilt and conviction. It knows nothing of grace and mercy. Then MacArthur writes about the Christian virtue to add Virtue upon Virtue: such as Remembrance, Diligence, Excellence, Knowledge, Self-Control, Perseverance, Godliness, Love, Fruitfulness, Beware of Spiritual Amnesia, Growing Spiritually, Enjoying Great Spiritual Reward, and Delighting in the blessings of assurance. Then he writes about gaining victory such as never to have a victim mentality, “Let that make an indelible impression on you because you’ll never get victory over sin if you believe sin is an unbeatable foe.” John also writes about the need for killing the enemy by using prayer to expose your hidden sins. The book ends with a chapter on perseverance.

Recommendation:

This is a very good book for everyone both for new believers and pastors. It is a must read book for every Christian or people who are not sure of their salvation. Personally, after reading this book, Romans chapter 8 becomes more precious than ever before, especially about the Security of Salvation and the Absolute Sovereignty of God. This book will be of significant help because it talks about Salvation, how it cannot be lost but is secured eternally even with troubling verses elsewhere in the Bible. It also instructs how we can live a life of sanctification, gaining victory over sins. It also shows how Christian can enjoy the salvation of God.

I recommend this book without any reservation for everyone.

Solomon Rwangmei, (The Master’s Academy India, Goa) June 13, 2014

BETTERMENT: BELIEVE IT OR NOT

We talked, desired, wanted and sought for betterment but never brought to reality as we imagined. Various people from multiple fields have given different theories but to no success. What in Heaven’s name are the Christians doing? We greatly desire the ways and developments of Americans, but we must remember their foundation.  Their heritage is of Christian and their constitution is highly influenced by Christian ethics.

Clarion's Call

CLARION’S CALL:  WITNESSES FOR HIM

We often wonder what the will of God could be and seek after it. But it is clearly exposed in Mark 12: 29-31. It is to love the LORD, our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength; and to love our neighbour as ourselves. What could this mean to us now, when the modern Christianity is dancing around the golden calves of fashion, culture, and modernity?

Call for Role Model

A Call for Role Model and the Curse that goes on to the fourth generation

Christianity is very clear in the judgment of God, “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” – Gal. 6:7. This expression has a constant flow from the very beginning, even when before the law was given. The Torah declared, "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.” – Deut.24:16. When our Lord Jesus walked on the earth He said, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give an account of it in the Day of Judgment.” – Matt.12:36. Each man shall be responsible for what he does.

Diluting Gospel?

Are We Going to Let the GOSPEL be DILUTED, COMPROMISED and MODIFIED to be ACCEPTED, FRIENDLY and WELCOME???

 (An Excerpt from Ravi Zacharias “Three severe tests for authentic Ministry – Track 06. We do not distort the word of God”)

 “ . . . We cannot preach a forged message: A country preacher went looking for a job and the interviewing committee interview him and finally, they said, “Do you know much about the Bible?” He said, “Oh! Yea, I know the Bible through and through.” “What is your favourite book?” He says, “The book of Mark.” They ask, “What’s the favourite part?” He says, “It’s the parable.” They said, “What’s your favourite parable?” He says, “Parable of good Samaritan.” “So, can you tell it to the committee?” He says, “Yap!

The God Debate

If you have been a regular reader ‘The Sangai Express, you would be familiar with columnist Dr. Irengbam Mohendro Singh. I came to know him while I was in my Senior Secondary School. One morning he made my mood off after reading his article equating Christ and Krishna, the Hindu god. He wrote a long article, which was really a bad theology. I wondered where he learned that. I remember myself shouting in my hostel, “What a blasphemy!” I wished I had the courage, wits and opportunity to write him back and was disturbed wanting for any Christian rejoinder. After a week, a guy from Churachandpur wrote in the ‘letters to editor’ column that the Doctor was misusing and diluting Christianity, which I agreed heartily. The next day, another person wrote against him. Wow! The debate was on!

Wisdom Through Suffering

It’s a fact that ‘we stop learning only when we die’. It means ‘if I stop learning, I’m dead.’ We experienced this fact in our lives as the saying goes, “Experience is the father of Wisdom.” It seems to me, most of the times learning and wisdom grow best in the environment of struggles and problems. It’s Malcolm Muggeridge who said most of his learning and understanding comes from suffering (70 %?). I see more in the Calvary cross where the Son of God suffered, bled and died for the solutions of the problems of mankind and universe.

"WAITING For The Lord"

In the story of Abraham, we find God calling out Abraham from his father’s house with promises. He got the calling, he followed but when the famine struck the land he had no means to live. Perhaps he was not to go to Egypt but to look up to God for deliverance because it is He who promised him. He was not supposed to tell lie for he had said of his wife as his sister which is a half-truth. And we remember what happened then.

Gen.15-16 recorded another incident where Abraham tried (over-smartly) to help God fulfill His promise. Abraham had been living there for 10 years without any son or descendant. On the counsel of his wife Sarah, Abraham went into Hagar. Perhaps Abraham should have waited more for discernment, though 10 years had been really long time. He lost hope though not in the LORD. He felt there was a better life than what he was living. He waited and trusted God. His contentment, satisfaction is in the Lord, but he also desperately wanted to have a son born of him. He felt God’s gift to be irrelevant if he but have no son for his heir.

God called and promised Abraham but let him wait and waited for years that made him felt of no much use. At the call, he was filled with hope and expectation then, followed by troubles (famine, Pharaoh, Lot’s captivity) then, probably a shattered dream because of no son. What kind of promise is that? Is that good and interesting?

Jacob got the blessing but just after that, he found himself fleeing from his home and serve Laban for over 20 years. Joseph got a propitious dream than realizing himself sold as a slave by his own brothers. He endured false accusation, prison terms and others for over 13 years. 

Moses, a promising child from birth, raised up in the palace was perhaps convinced that God will use him. He started to work out and found himself rejected even by his own people and fled to Midian dwelling there for 40 years. A broken-man, hope was lost and no more plans. Out of utter brokenness, he made excuses with God 6 times when God commissioned him. 40 years in the palace, 40 years in Midian, now 80 years old aged man! How can 80 years old man be useful?

Paul, the almost perfect in human eyes of whom, Christ appeared and commissioned in a dramatic way, had to stay in Jerusalem for 3 years and another 10 years before he took up the leadership. 13 years? Peter and the Apostles accepted the calling of Jesus to be the disciples of the Lord with the hope of the Messianic kingdom where they can be part of the ruling government. They found their Hope being humiliated in the most severe way they have ever known which even an inch or ounce He never deserves. Their hope distinguished, they cannot understand, though they never condemn, even Judas Iscariot made his final confession before his self-made gallows. The disciples found themselves going back to their old profession, what best they knew and can do for a living with lots of disappointment.

Even our Lord Himself, the God in human flesh waited and lived a carpentry life for around 29 years before He started His ministry. What’re all these? God calls out that they and we suffer? The Israelite questioned and wrestled that at the expense of their souls many times (Exodus 14 onwards of the book). God calls out to live a hope-loss life, to live a cheated, mistreated, slavery and desperate life?

Elizah, the servant of God inspired, confident and tough confronted King Ahab then found himself commanded to get away and hide by the Brook Cherith and fed by ravens for his daily needs. Ravens? Are you kidding me, the unclean birds, Ravens? Then went to Zarephath where the son of the woman died in his stay with them. A  presence of the servant of God made the absence of the child’s soul? Not blessings, curses?

Daniel, a man of dreams and visions, had set his heart to understand, and to humble himself before God (Dan.10:12) but he got no revelation and had to wait for 21 days. 

They said, “Walk to God, and He will run to you.” What have we seen in all these? Is it consistent? These people are the biblical heroes, each man the man of God. They had problems to struggle throughout their life. They had to wait with adversities and almost no hope in spite of promises for them. They faced difficulties, were humiliated beyond our imagination and still, we believe they are our heroes and men of God. Can we picture any enjoyment and happiness in their lives?

Now perhaps is the time to thinking. Let’s Think!!!

21^st September 2013 Saturday, 10:30 AM