2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
There are several methods that Biblical scholars have come up with to categorize doctrine and understand the Bible as a whole. Review the four main types and research them further. Article: tinyurl.com/TheologicalTypes
Theological Types
Systematic Theology categorizes doctrinal points.
Biblical Theology shows the revealed redemptive history.
Historical Theology focuses on historical views on doctrine.
Practical Theology looks to all three to apply doctrine to life.
How does understanding these theological types change how you approach the Bible?
“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
Spiritual disciplines are those things we are to do as Christians that will strengthen our walk with Jesus. They are not compulsory, but rather something we desire to do because the Holy Spirit is within us. Our Father in heaven has asked us to do these things, and we have a deep desire to understand them and do them. Sin and the temptations of this world are what pulls us away from them.
The Five Solas are principles that emerged from the Protestant Reformation, representing key theological beliefs held by many Christians.
Sola Scriptura: This Latin phrase means “Scripture alone.” It emphasizes the belief that the Bible is the ultimate and authoritative source of Christian faith and practice.
Sola Fide: “Faith alone.” This principle underscores that salvation is attained through faith in Jesus Christ alone, rather than relying on good works or personal merit.
Sola Gratia: “Grace alone.” It highlights the belief that salvation is a result of God’s grace alone, rather than being earned or deserved by human efforts.
Solus Christus: “Christ alone.” This principle emphasizes that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and humanity, and that salvation comes exclusively through Him.
Soli Deo Gloria: “Glory to God alone.” This principle recognizes that all glory, honor, and praise belong to God alone, and that our lives should be lived for His glory.
These Five Solas have been significant in shaping Christian theology and emphasizing key aspects of faith.
Martin Luther was a German theologian and monk who played a pivotal role in initiating the Protestant Reformation during the 16th century. There were several key actions and events associated with Luther’s role in starting the Reformation:
Ninety-Five Theses: In 1517, Luther famously wrote and nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, the Ninety-Five Theses. This was a list of grievances and theological propositions challenging the practices of the Catholic Church, particularly regarding the sale of indulgences (a way for someone to pay money as a penalty which, supposedly, absolved them of past sins and/or released one from purgatory after death).
Opposition to Indulgences: Luther’s strong objection to the sale of indulgences sparked significant debate and criticism within the Catholic Church. His writings and teachings on this topic gained widespread attention and debate.
Translation of the Bible: Luther was instrumental in translating the Bible from Latin into German, making it accessible to everyone, including the ordinary person. This helped to promote biblical literacy and allowed for individuals to read and interpret scripture for themselves, without the need of a priest.
Excommunication and Diet of Worms: In 1521, Luther was called to stand at the Diet of Worms, a major assembly of political and religious leaders. He was asked to recant his beliefs, yet he refused. Luther stood boldly and stated, “Here I stand, I can do no other.” Due to this, he was excommunicated by and from the Catholic Church.
Formation of Lutheran Church: Luther’s teachings and reforms gained a significant following. This resulted in the establishment of the Lutheran Church as its own distinct Christian denomination. His theological ideas, reforms, and writings built the foundation for Protestantism.
Martin Luther’s actions and teachings ignited a major movement that aggressively challenged the religious and political authority of the time. This lead to significant changes in Christianity and the establishment of various Protestant traditions around the globe.
“Oh my God” should be banned from everyone’s speech… PERIOD! But what about OMG? I very strongly think OMG should be banned from everyone’s speech as well. Ok, I get it. When you use that acronym you mean “Oh my gosh!” or “oh my goodness”. Or maybe you mean “off my game” or “over my grave”. You could mean anything.
I get it. But guess what? How do you feel about causing a sister in Christ to stumble? Yep, that’s me! The girl you are causing to stumble. Every time I see OMG all I can think of is Oh my God, and it literally is heartbreaking every time.
On my page I can choose words to ban, so if you use OMG in a phrase it gets blocked or deleted. Here’s why: as much as you may think it’s harmless, let’s take a look at where it was derived from.
We all know oh my gosh and goodness is a shifted form of oh my God so we think we aren’t using God’s name in vain. That’s the reality of it. And what are you really saying when you say oh my gosh or oh my goodness? What is your gosh? What is your goodness?
Did you know gosh is considered an oath and only God is good?
The Bible has some important things to say on these words.
Regarding Gosh: We must let our yes be yes and no be no. We should not make oaths. Matthew 5:33-37 You may also think it to be derived from golly. But here is the thing: at some point in time, someone who was rightly offended by the use of using the Lord’s name in vain decided to shift it to a more PG version, so they added golly, then gosh. Or how about gee wiz, or even holy cow? Aren’t they harmless. These are all direct derivatives from taking God’s name and trashing it as nothing. It is a big lie from Satan. Gee wiz is the “good form” or Je-sus or Jeeze. Holy cow is derived from when Moses was on the mountain and the people made a cow out of gold to worship. ALL of it is Satan’s attempt at replacement theology and we need to pray really hard about how to proceed.
Regarding Goodness: If you are saying oh MY goodness then this is a slight turn of the truth that Satan has etched right into your heart. “Oh My Goodness.” Every time you say that, you are going right back to the Fall. Adam and Eve’s original sin of wanting to BE God. Yikes! Only God is good, so by saying Oh MY Goodness, it is about YOUR goodness rather than God’s. Is that right?
Most importantly, God’s name is holy. To use his name without thought or as an empty phrase is a huge sin. Exodus 20:7
There are so many forms of God replacements, such as a simple OH MY or OH MY WORD. For me, words matter. Saying OH MY or OH MY WORD is also not good because it is putting trust in YOU rather than God. It goes back to Satan’s lies and deception, even if it is small. The smallest of fractures cause the largest of cracks. The biggest idol there is, is the idol of self… us wanting to be God. I choose to do a better job of stepping off the throne of my heart and allowing God to have it all. I am not perfect but to exclaim OH MY or OH MY WORD is putting it all back on me. It is not about me or my word, it is about God and God’s Word!
Ever since I got saved I can’t handle hearing anyone say the Lord’s name in vain. It’s worse than any curse word anyone could ever use. When I hear it, it’s like nails on a chalkboard. My soul hurts and my heart breaks.
No matter how the letters OMG are used in your own mind, please consider others and try to love them well by not using it. Consider loving God well by not using it. Consider spreading the truth about OMG and help others not use it. This is a bigger deal than you might think.
Our Father, in Heaven. HOLLOWED BE YOUR NAME. (Hollowed means holy) Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9-10 ESV
Did you catch that? God’s name is holy. It must be holy.
God’s name is not holy here on earth. Jesus told us to pray that God’s kingdom would come and His will be done. But where? On earth like it is already in heaven. That cannot happen if His name is not holy. Yes it will happen. We know every knee will bow and tongue will confess.
My question to you though is, “Do you want to see God on judgement day and have have Him say to you that your words were careless when it came to His name?
I encourage you to simply say WOW. It means what it means and is three short letters like the bad one. Even simpler to type I might add.
Share with other believers the root of gosh and goodness.
Let’s get rid of that awful acronym that flies in the face of our holy holy holy God!!
When I got saved it was then that I understood how God’s law was written on my heart. It was an odd and obvious sensation for me.
I was an excellent liar. I could not lie anymore. It was an intense tug on my heart when I tried. I’m jealous for Him and cringe when I hear someone take God’s name in vain. My family knows that saying “Oh my G – -“ is worse than any curse word they could ever use, so it’s banned in this home, even for others who enter.
Here’s the thing… we are human. We make mistakes. We aren’t always eager to read the Word. But God smiles at us even when we do it all the while dragging our feet.
When my son does the right thing and cleans his room, or does the dishes, it makes me happy, even though I know his heart may not be in it. I know it’s building his character. God knows we are being sanctified when we do as He commands.
Do you find it hard to do the right thing sometimes? Do you consider your needs and comfort above others? I know I’m guilty all the time. How can we strive to take all the commands of God seriously and genuinely fall in love with His law?
“What if I don’t get the same conviction of sin when I’m supposed to do something but don’t?” RC Sproul defines these sins like this: “When we do what God forbids, we are guilty of a sin of commission; when we fail to do what God commands, we are guilty of a sin of omission. In both cases the law of God is violated.”
So when you sin by omission and get concerned about how you would even know if you sinned, that’s where sanctification comes in.
Here’s an example. I used to treat my parents with harsh disdain. I would correct my mom all the time and get into silly arguments with my dad. I felt I was right. Until a pastor taught me in a sermon that the verses on honoring your parents was written to ADULTS.
As an adult I am to honor my parents. So I just started. I spoke more kindly to my mom and dad. I asked them their opinion. I honored them and respected them because God asked and commanded me to not because they deserved it or I wanted to. Now my relationship with both is so pleasant. God has blessed me because of my obedience.
If God piled on us all our sins of omission I believe it would be far more than we could bear. It would stop us from moving forward at all. He gives us what we can handle. Slowly over time we grow. This is the blessing of sanctification. Can you share an example of a sin of omission that God revealed to you recently or during your life?
The “You Do You” movement is really just steeped in lies about selfishness. In 1 John, he talks about a sin that leads to death. What could that sin possibly be? We get a glimpse of what he is talking about in the final verse of the entire book of 1 John in the last chapter and last verse.
“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”
As you read the full text (see below), this verse seems a bit out of place. In reality, that last verse is the sum of all the parts of the book of 1 John.
Take a look at what A. W. Tozer says in Knowledge of the Holy.
“That God exists for Himself and man for the glory of God is the emphatic teaching of the Bible. The high honor of God is first in heaven as it must yet be in earth. From all this we may begin to understand why the Holy Scriptures have so much to say about the vital place of faith and why they brand unbelief as a deadly sin. Among all created beings, not one dare trust in itself. God alone trusts in Himself; all other beings must trust in Him. Unbelief is actually perverted faith, for it puts its trust not in the living God but in dying men. The unbeliever denies the self-sufficiency of God and usurps attributes that are not his. This dual sin dishonors God and ultimately destroys the soul of the man.”
You might be removed to say, “This isn’t talking about me because I’m a believer. I believe in Jesus!” So why did the father in Mark 9 say “I believe; help my unbelief!”?
Unbelief is rooted in idolatry. Not just any idolatry of external things and trappings, but idolatry of the worst kind: the leaning on and counting on yourself.
The usurping of God’s place and giving it unrightfully to yourself is paramount to grand theft and punishable to the full extent of the Law. Yikes!!
How do I usurp God exactly? Well, it’s simple really, and Satan made sure it would be simple. I lean on my own understanding. I try to control everything. I try to please people rather than God. As my friend Susan says “I play Holy Ghost Junior”.
Can I do it all, have it all, be it all? We women are great at that. Fitting it all in, becoming so busy and great at all we do, because after all, God calls us to be excellent in whatever we do. In the end am I just relying on my own strength? So I must remember John’s reprimand: Little children, keep yourselves from yourselves!
1 John 5:16-21 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. ~ 1 John 5:16-21 (ESV)
Holy. Just. Love. 