MP3 Messages: Dr. Arturo Azurdia III
T - Total Depravity.mp3
U - Unconditional Election.mp3
L - Limited Atonement.mp3
I - Irresistible Grace.mp3
P - Perseverance and Preservation of the Saints.mp3
Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace (Part 1).mp3
Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace (Part 2.mp3
Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace (Part 3).mp3
First, let me explain a danger I see when some people study theology. God created man in His image; we must not create God in our image! Calvinism is controversial. Even though I might be uncomfortable with unconditional election, I must be careful not to interpret God's Word as I see fit. My feelings have nothing to do with "God's perspective of reality", defined as TRUTH! Like most modern-day Americans, I was brought up in Arminanist theology. Second, let me state, that I am a follower of Jesus Christ and Him alone and not John Calvin. Personally, I have never read any personal works of John Calvin. Besides the Bible, I have lately been reading the works Andrew Murray: Abide in Christ, The Power of the Blood, and Absolute Surrender.Through Andrew Murray’s books, I have been getting a deeper perspective of God’s sanctifying work in the life of the believer. Learning how to abide moment by moment and surrendering everything in my life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ has brought about an inward renewal and intimacy with God that I have not seen in my life for nearly 20 years. In just the past few months, I have been confronted with the Doctrines of Grace (Calvinism) through my brother and teachers like Arturo Azurdia. Historically, the ranks of well-known Calvinists include Augustine, the Reformers of the 16th century, the Puritans of the 17th century, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards and Charles Spurgeon. More recent Calvinists include Charles Hodge, A.A. Hodge, Gresham Machen, John Piper, Martin Lloyd Jones, J.I. Packer, Francis Shaeffer, R.C. Sproul and John MacArthur.
When studying Ephesians 1, 2, Romans 5, 8, 9, 10, John 6:25-70, and most importantly John 10 and John 17. I now have come to realize more intently that we are saved solely of God’s efficacious grace. Many opponents of Calvinism argue that man has free-will, and I would agree. However, I can only exercise my “free-will” decision to believe in Christ after He liberates "my will" through giving me an irresistible grace. Grace of God is not given on the merits of my faith; rather, my faith is a result of God giving me His grace. Mankind is totally depraved; not one area of a person's body, mind, or spirit has been untouched by the effects of sin. We are spiritually dead!!! Therefore, no one seeks after God nor can anyone know Him unless God Himself gives us His saving grace. To illustrate, think of Jesus’ raising of Lazarus in John 11. The physically dead Lazarus could do nothing for himself. He was unresponsive to all stimuli, oblivious to all life around him, beyond all help or hope—except for the help of Christ who is “the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25). At Christ’s call, Lazarus was filled with life, and he responded accordingly. In the same way, we were spiritually dead, unable to save ourselves, powerless to perceive the life of God—until Jesus called us to Himself. He “quickened” us; “not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:5). Calvinist believe that the will of all humans is bound by their sinful nature and will remain bound until God performs His regenerative work.
John 10 and John 17 speak so clearly of God's predestination. Furthermore, Romans 8:28-30 states, "28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." The Word of God does not show that God looked into the future to see what choice we would make, as what Arminians believe. Arminianism only has a handful of scriptures to lean on, and most of them can be seen as supporting Calvinism if interpreted correctly and within the context of the chapter. So when I speak of Calvinism, I want you to know up front that I am not defending a system devised by a man in the 16th century. I am merely accepting the common nickname for that body of truth about the sovereignty of God’s grace that was taught by Isaiah in the Old Testament, the Apostle Paul, and by Jesus himself. The truths that we call Calvinism were the very truths that were an anchor for Job through his trials. My general overall disputes with Arminianism is that it greatly diminishes God’s sovereignty and over-emphasizes man’s ability to save himself. Dr. Arturo Azurdia III does a fantastic job in teaching the truths of the TULIP acrostic. Once I understood the TULIP as described in Scripture rather than the teachings of Arminianism from my upbringing, I now find it so simple to believe. My faith in God and my walk in the Spirit have never been so strong. I encourage you to listen to these wonderful teachings and search the Scriptures concerning these essential theologies.
Christians often speak about being saved by grace. But what does this mean? Does God save us apart from our willing cooperation? Does God’s grace invalidate the demand for our obedience? Why do some people embrace the Gospel while others adamantly refuse it? Is our experience of salvation, from God’s perspective, a predetermined purpose or heartfelt hope?
Dr. Arturo Azurdia III is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Director of Pastoral Mentoring at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, having attended the California State University at Hayward where he received a B. A. in Music Performance. His M. Div. was earned from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley, California, and his D. Min. from Westminster Seminary in Escondido, California. He was the founding minister of Christ Community Church in Fairfield, California, where he subsequently pastored for 19 years.
MP3 Messages: Dr. Arturo Azurdia III
T - Total Depravity.mp3
U - Unconditional Election.mp3
L - Limited Atonement.mp3
I - Irresistible Grace.mp3
P - Perseverance and Preservation of the Saints.mp3
Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace (Part 1).mp3
Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace (Part 2.mp3
Q&A on the Doctrines of Grace (Part 3).mp3
No comments:
Post a Comment