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Paul's Defense at Jerusalem -Video

We highly suggest that you READ the TEXT at the link below, as you listen to the audio above. https://gracegems.org/Articles/experimental_study_of_the_word.htm Feel free to FORWARD this gem to others!

For much of the 20th century, many academic theologians operated on the assumption that Calvin's successors (Beza, the Westminster Divines, the scholastic tradition) had in some ways betrayed him and traded a warm, Christ-centered theology for cold, rationalistic system-building. Then Richard Muller spent decades in the primary sources and found the picture was substantially wrong. In this final episode of What Did Calvin Actually Say?, Jared sits down with Dr. Cornelis Venema to untangle one of Reformed theology's most consequential scholarly debates and to ask what it means to stand at the end of a tradition rather than cherry-picking a moment from it.

The sermon argues against Calvinist theology by emphasizing God's sovereignty balanced with His love, justice, and human free will. It distinguishes between physical Israel and spiritual Israel, asserting that true believers are part of the seed through faith in Christ. The speaker refutes the idea that God forces destruction, interpreting Romans 9 to mean individuals fit themselves for judgment through their own choices. Furthermore, it clarifies that divine foreknowledge involves God seeing future human decisions rather than preordaining them, thereby preserving both God's justice and the availability of salvation to all who believe.

This is Calvin Inman's first sermon. The sermon examines the radical demands of following Christ as outlined in Luke 14, emphasizing that true discipleship requires a supreme priority for Jesus over family, possessions, and self. The preacher clarifies that the command to 'hate' relatives is a hyperbolic contrast illustrating total devotion, urging believers to remove any hindrances that compete with their relationship with God. By utilizing illustrations such as Abraham's call, the message stresses the necessity of counting the cost before committing to the Christian walk. The cross represents the ultimate surrender of self-life, while the metaphor of salt highlights the believer's role in preserving and influencing the world through Christ-like character. Ultimately, the teaching encourages joy and glory in Christ rather than despair, framing the loss of all things as a gain for the sake of knowing Him.

Samson lost his strength, his sight, and his freedom because of his own failure, but God was not finished with him. Even while he was blinded and pushing in the darkness, his hair began to grow again, reminding us that God can restore what the enemy thought was permanently destroyed. When Samson finally placed his hands upon the pillars, he was willing to give everything to see the enemy defeated one more time. This message challenges us to hold fast to truth, seek the anointing of God, and refuse to turn loose of what matters most.

What a comfort to every believer that the Lord Jesus Christ prays for us on an individual level. He sees your need, and He prays for you!