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About Me
- Robert N. Landrum
- Orlando, FL, United States
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Northampton Press
Links
- Mongerism.com
- Christian Classics Ethereal Library
- Sermon Audio
- Worldview Ministries
- Don Kistler
- The Spurgeon Archive
- John M. Frame
- Nicene Council
- Chapel Library
- A Puritan's Mind
- St. Paul's PCA
- Reformed Theological Seminary
- Presbyterian Church in America
- Orthodox Presbyterian Church
- Dictionary.com
- Bible Gateway
- The Westminster Confession of Faith
- Wordmp3.com
- Kristina's Hope
- Exodus International (The Christian and Homosexuality)
- Gary DeMar/American Vision
- G. Bahnsen Covenant Media Foundation
- Institute for Creation Research
- Key Life Ministries
- Third Mil
- Al Mohler
- John Piper
- Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
- Ligonier Ministries
- Grace to You
- Pro Life Training
- New Life Ministries
- White Horse Inn
- RUI Faith Based Addictions Program
- Cumberland Valley Books
- Evangelical Philosophical Society
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Philosopedia
- Theopedia
- Chicago Council on Biblical Inerrancy
Books I am Reading
- * As I complete the reading of books I will give an informal review as to what I think of them.
- The City of God - Augustine
- Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices - Thomas Brooks
- The Institutes of the Christian Religion - John Calvin (another attempt)
- The Salt Cellars Vol. I - Charles Spurgeon
10 comments:
Who among us wakes up in the morning and says, "I want to be a bad person"?
Are there really bad people out there?
Sure, there are people with unbalances and people who's "logic" doesn't make much sense, but can anyone honestly say that they have bad intentions with their life?
It's easy to look at people who are different than us, point a finger at something they do and say "bad." People are imperfect, meaning they make mistakes. To say that someone is inherently bad is oversimplifying all of humanity.
Thanks for your comment. I understand where you are comming from. It is an unsettling notion that there are either good or bad people. But this is not my opinion. According to God's word this is the state of all of mankind, i.e. we are either good or bad. Of course there are many people that are "good" but not in a spiritual sense. This "righteousness", as scripture calls it, is not acceptable to God because it is not rooted in God. To be outside of Christ is to be declared by God under sin and as such under the condemnation of God. In this condition the best of man's works are sinful. His good works are only less sinful than his bad works. To be in Christ is to be declared righteous by God based, not on our own inherent goodness, but on that of Christ's. Sure people do materially good things but in the eyes of God, apart from Christ, this state of being and doing is unacceptable to him. Here lies the pride of man and the ultimate proof of and extent of his depravity--that he is good.
Thank you for responding. What you are saying makes sense, but it is different than what your quote said.
The quote is saying that some people are "bad" and they "choose their [lord]," which one would assume is Satan. What you are saying is that people who don't follow Christ cannot escape from sin. Being "bad" is a very active state, while being trapped in sin is more of passive statement on imperfection. They are two separate ideas.
I think what Sedgwick is saying is that people outside of Christ are more content with their state of being than honoring God for who he is. Jesus puts it this way:"They love the darkness and will not come to the light" Paul says that "all know God" but many refuse to "glorify him as God." As such they remain lost in their sins. And as such remain in a constand state of rebellion against God. Christ commands that one loose his life to gain life. In this sense they choose their lord. What is implied in the quote is that one understands that to be outside of Christ is to be servants to their "father the devil" and subjects to the "lord of this world." This is the state of all of mankind either they are lovers of the light or not. To be passive in sin is still to be a slave to sin. Only Christ can usurp this "strong man" and make those who believe in him safe and secure from God's wrath which abides on all who will not come to a saving knowledge of Him.
"one understands that to be outside of Christ is to be servants to their 'father the devil'."
There is a huge looming issue with this statement. It ignores the fact that there are both good people in other religions and good people outside of religion all together. These people are not servants to the devil.
This is precisely the point of scripture, ie. that there are no "good" people outside of Christ or in other religions. This is orthodox Christian teaching. Christianity is an exclusive religion which says the only way to savingly know God is through Christ.
I understand what Christianity is. What I don't understand is how a level-headed human being who lives in this world and sees and interacts with people who are outside of the faith can actually believe your last statement.
If you understand Christianity then you should understand that I form my belief system/values out of what God says in Scripture. Yes, I know this is narrow-minded but it is God being "narrow-minded" and not me. We all have a worldview from which we cash our checks of knowledge if you will. My worldview, based on scripture, sees mankind as fallen in Adam fundamentaly bad and that the only way of salvation from this state of sinfulness is through Jesus Christ, and that on his terms, whereas your worldview does not.
God is a prefect being. Narrow-mindedness is not an attribute of a perfect being.
If you notice I have narrow -minded in quotes. I do not imply that this in any way takes away from his perfection. This is how Jesus puts what I was trying to say: Matthew 7:13,14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
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