geocreationism.com

Monday, I said the following scripture needed no commentary.  Well, this morning I changed my mind…
 6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9As it is written:
   ”He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
      his righteousness endures forever.” 10Now he who …

Sowing Generously
 6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9As it is written:
   ”He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
      his righteousness endures forever.” 10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase …

2 Corinthians 6
 1As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2For he says,
   ”In the time of my favor I heard you,
      and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Paul’s opening for 2 Cor. 6 is interesting.  He has just finished writing 2 Cor. 5, explaining to the Corinthians that the only distance they have from God is Christ.  Whatever distance they have, Christ spans it. He is now their “distance” from God… literally their “sin”.  Truly such a connection to God is by grace, because one could never accomplish it on our …

My post 2 Corinthians 5 - Being Reconciled to God makes a point about Catholism that many protestants make through less direct means, and that is the intercessory nature of saints and priests in one’s walk with God.  Now, I was never Catholic, and mean no insult, especially to whatever degree I might unwittingly misrepresent what Catholics believe.

That said, it is my understanding that Catholics pray TO Mary to intercede for them with God.  They pray TO the saints as well.  Finally, they confess their sins and receive absolution from their priests.  If I have this right, then I would consider these to be unbiblical practices, because it places a …

 16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. …

“If Young Earth Creationists are out of their mind, it is for the sake of God; if Old Earth Creationists are in their right mind, it is for you.” — 2 Corinthians 5:13

Okay, I’m kidding.  People who believe in a young earth are not insane, but they are out of their mind… in the way 2 Corinthians 5:13 says.  Oh wait.  That isn’t really 2 Corinthians 5:13, is it?  Sorry about that.  Couldn’t resist.  As much as I emphasize that YECs have admirable faith and should not be converted to being Evolutionists at the cost of their faith and fellowship, the very tension of the Creation debate sometimes finds its release in potentially offensive jokes.  So for that, I apologize.  …

Chapter 5 is interesting.  In verses 1 to 5 about how our body clothes us in this world, yet we fear being unclothed.  That fear began with Adam and Eve, and we still have it!  Well, Paul says, our home in Heaven will keep us clothed forever, so look forward to it!  Yet, our desire for remaining clothed is so great, that we tend to cling to what we have on earth.  It’s the human condition, clinging to this fleeting life, to fulfill the need Heaven was made to fulfill.

And so, as Paul says in verse 6 to 10, given how “at home” we feel here, if that is going to be our perspective, then we must make up our …

9If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!
The ministry that condemns refers to the Law of Moses, which outlines consequences for disobedience.
Where there is Law there is disobedience.
Where there is faith in Christ, there is obedience.  
Though both come with their own set of rules, there is a higher set of rules within which both sets operate.
Believe God and He will account it to you as righteousness
With righteousness, you can obey God
The difference is perspective.  The Law requires believing God and makes one fearful to disobey; faith in Christ requires believing God, and makes one capable of obedience.

In both cases, we are obedient on some counts, and disobedient on other counts.
In …

30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
We already know that the righteousness we have is really God’s choice to see us as such.  We know that our redemption is through justification, which is another word for Christian righteousness.  Finally, holiness is from God’s choice to fellowship with us.  Notice therefore, that Christ has become our righteousness, holiness, and wisdom… and that, just as is taught in the Old Testament, it is by choice.  He is our wisdom by choice.

Notice also that our justification, our salvation, …

1 Corinthians 1:21
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
I do not consider YECs fools personally, but (as a group) they are wonderfully faithful.  Now, I know Paul is not referring in this verse specifically to Creationism, but he is referring to philosophy and man’s infantile understanding of the universe in comparison to God’s; and I also believe that the foolishness he speaks of was intended to refer to actual truths that man cannot believe apart from faith in God.  So, from that perspective, Young Earth Creationism does not fall into the meaning that Paul probably meant …