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Recovering from Seminary

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Dallas Theological Seminary

It has been three years since I graduated from seminary, and six years since I entered.

I still remember that my number one fear about going to seminary was a fear of freezing to death. Not physically, but spiritually. Many seminarians become cold and rigid. They have all the right answers, but none of the right life. I did not want that to happen to me.

A funny thing happened to me though.

I was so intent on warding off the cold, I think I might have burned up. …Or burned out. …Or something else I haven’t figured out yet. I’m not sure what happened. I didn’t freeze to death, but I did die. Who I was when I went in to seminary  is not the same person who came out.

Many days, I am still not sure that this is a good thing.

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Welcome David Spell to GraceGround

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David SpellDavid Spell is the newest contributor at Grace Ground. He is on the leadership team of C3 Church near Atlanta, is a published author, and works as a Lieutenant with the Metro-Atlanta Police Department.

He wrote a fantastic first post today about Esau and Jacob. Here is an excerpt:

I have to admit that I relate to Esau better than I do Jacob. Esau was a man’s man. He was an outdoorsman, a hunter, and an adventurer. Jacob sat around with his mother watching cooking shows and sewing. He actually seems a bit effeminate. We later find out that this could not be further from the truth!

David goes on to ask what your relationship is like with your siblings, and did it ever appear that your parents were playing favorites. Great questions!

Head on over there to weigh in and welcome him to the site!

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What is Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit?

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blasphemy against the Holy Spirit I receive a lot of emails and Google search hits about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and the unpardonable sin.

One of the more popular search strings has been “Is adultery the unpardonable sin?”

Let me answer that question quickly:

NO. Adultery is not the Unpardonable Sin

And while I’m at it, neither is suicide.

But please, don’t do either of these things. If you are thinking about doing either, and fear of hell is the only thing keeping you from doing it, please contact me through the contact form on my About page.

Here is a link to a short paper I wrote on the subject:  The Unpardonable Sin and Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Below is an excerpt from this paper:

If you, or your friend or relative is not a Christian [and are worrying about having committed the sin], then be encouraged. Almost nobody who commits the blasphemy against the Spirit wonders if they have. They don’t care about such things anymore. The unbeliever who commits this sin has become so morally and spiritually blind that their heart is hardened to the point that they no longer care about spiritual things and will never believe in Jesus.

But nevertheless, some people are afraid they have. To them, I would simply say, “Worrying about it pretty much proves that you haven’t. So in order to make sure you never will be able to, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. Whatever sin you may have committed, you are still being convicted by it, which is good. God’s grace will cover over that sin, and all other sins if you will just believe in Jesus for eternal life.”

Are you afraid of committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit or the unpardonable sin? Don’t be.

God isn’t out to get you, or set traps in your way so He can shout in triumphant glee, “Aha! Another one who will never experience my grace! Off to hell you go!”

No.

That is not the God of the Bible. That is not what Jesus was teaching in Matthew 12:31-32. That is not the message of Hebrews 6:1-8. God’s grace and what Jesus accomplished on the cross is greater than anything you can say or do. It is only when you come to understand the perfect love of God that all fear vanishes and you can start living for God out of love for Him, rather than fear about Him.

So what is the Unpardonable Sin or the Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit? I have a series of about 20 emails that shares more:

Do you fear that you have committed the Unforgivable Sin?

Fear not! You are forgiven. You are loved.

Fill out the form below to receive several emails from me which explains how you can know that you are loved and forgiven by God.

(Note: If you are a member of RedeemingGod.com, login and then revisit this page to update your membership.)

 

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The Resurrection of Jesus is the Answer to Everything

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This post follows up on my previous post where I stated that the resurrection of Jesus is the answer to everything. Here are some ways this is true:

  • Resurrection shows that the death of Jesus was not a shameful defeat, but was a glorious victory over all the forces of evil, over sin, death, and the devil.
  • The death and resurrection of Jesus is God taking responsibility for what happened to His creation.
  • Though there are many skirmishes yet to be won, the resurrection of Jesus is the inauguration of the rule and reign of God on earth and in our lives.
  • The call of the resurrection is for me individually, and for the people of God as a whole, to continue the work which Jesus began, and to implement the victory of God in the world through suffering love. “The cross [and the resurrection] is not just an example to be followed; it is an achievement to be worked out, put into practice” (Evil and the Justice of God, 98). The result of such living is resurrection.
  • The resurrection of Jesus creates a vision for the future of people dying to self, and being raised to new life for others. It allows us to envision a community of healing and hope, beauty and creation, love and peace, and then take self-sacrificial and Spirit-empowered steps toward accomplishing that vision.
  • The resurrection is a summons by God, not just to believe in Jesus, but to live in a new way in God’s new world, which we can not yet fully see.
  • The resurrection of Jesus is call to do justice, and love mercy, and protect the weak and vulnerable. It calls for education, medical care, and economic generosity, not because it is mandated from above by a government, but because it springs out from within us, from hearts filled with faith, hope, and love.
  • The resurrection stops us from asking what is best for me and for my town and for my country, and starts me asking what is best for you, for your town, and for your country.
  • Resurrection allows us to freely forgive others and forgive ourselves, because God has already forgiven everything. It means that we forgive, whether or not people accept it, and whether or not they ask.
  • The resurrection of Jesus removes all fear and guilt, leaving only love. It releases debt, it releases burdens.

In the end, we see that the resurrection of Jesus is not only the answer, it is also the catalyst, or the springboard, by which God intends to make you and I the answer. While God’s solution to evil is the resurrection, this is only true because God’s solution to evil is you and I living out the resurrection.

We, by living out the resurrection, are to reverse the curse.

We, by living out the resurrection, are to be a blessing to the world.

This is why the resurrection of Jesus is found on nearly every page of the New Testament. When you allow the resurrection to get a hold of you, it changes everything. It is an all-consuming call to live the in the Kingdom of God here and now.

So, how are you living the resurrected life today?

For more on this, see NT Wright, Evil and the Justice of God, chapter 3 and The Challenge of Jesus, chapter 6.

The cross of Jesus is CENTRAL to everything!

Transform your life and theology by focusing on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus:

Fill out the form below to receive several emails from me about the death and resurrection of Jesus.

(Note: If you are a member of RedeemingGod.com, login and then revisit this page to update your membership.)

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Bored with the Resurrection of Jesus

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the resurrection of JesusI used to be bored with the resurrection of Jesus. You know … it was one of those “Familiarity breeds contempt” doctrines.

Sure, I believed in the resurrection of Jesus.

Yes, I was glad it happened.

But every time I turned to those passages in Scripture which talked about the resurrection of Jesus (which are everywhere!), I shuttered an inward groan. “I get it, God!” I often thought. “Jesus was raised from the dead so I can have eternal life. That’s awesome, and I thank you for it, but can’t we get on to something that will help me with my life here and now?”

Instead, I just keep reading and hearing about the resurrection of Jesus.

Then, one day, it hit me: While the resurrection of Jesus is about God making eternal life available to those who believe in Him for it, this is only a tiny scratch in the surface of what the resurrection is really about.

The resurrection is primarily about exactly what I was looking for: help with living my life here and now.

The Resurrection of Jesus is the Answer to Everything

The resurrection of Jesus is the answer to all of life’s questions: how to live my life, how to make decisions about work and finances, how to get along with my spouse, how to raise my kids, what is the meaning of life, how to treat other people.

It also is the answer to life’s tough questions, like why there is evil, and what, if anything, God is doing about it, and who is responsible for it, and what happens when we die, and is there life after death.

The resurrection of Jesus is what gives meaning, significance, and purpose to life. The resurrection is how peace can come to the world, how economies can be fixed, and how leaders can lead with wisdom and justice.

I know it may seem that I am overstating the case, but I do not think I am. Lots of people have bumper stickers which say, “Jesus is the answer” and while that is true, I would like to modify it and say, “The resurrection of Jesus is the answer.” The resurrection speaks to questions about any number of topics, including questions about life, morality, economics, government, religion, family, and many more.

I cannot even begin to answer these questions in a short blog post, so in a Resurrection post later today, I will summarize some of the truths of the resurrection that can be applied to all of these situations.

The cross of Jesus is CENTRAL to everything!

Transform your life and theology by focusing on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus:

Fill out the form below to receive several emails from me about the death and resurrection of Jesus.

(Note: If you are a member of RedeemingGod.com, login and then revisit this page to update your membership.)

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting my work in this way!

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