Rejecting God

What I Believe–stated simply

Ian Johnson July 24, 2022 7 Comments

In this post, I give a short, one web page, summary of what I believe, in language as simple as I can manage. It gives only a quick, “big picture” of my understanding of God, my relationship to him, and my role on Earth. Comments are invited.

Church purpose versus church growth, Complex unity, Conversation with God, Divisions in the Church, Eternity, Free will, God Acts by Speaking, God is Love, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God was never our enemy, God's Existence and Nature, God's purpose for us, God's rationality, God's sovereignty, His Children, His Friends, Immanence, Islam as a Consequence, Language and Speech, Male and female, Merit, Omnipresence, Reconciliation, Refusing to hear, Regeneration, Rejecting God, Repentance, Restoration of God's Image, Salvation, Show us the Way of Truth, Sin, Sins versus sin, The Invisible God's Self-Existence, The Kingdom of the Heavens, The Problem of Evil, To be his ambassadors, To be in his image, To live in unity, Transcendence, Trinity, Ultimate reality, Unity, Wars as consequences, What is God's Word, What is sin?

Christian theology, Church, God, God speaks, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life purpose, Son of God, Son of Man

Distinction Between “Sin” (Singular) and “Sins” (Plural)–Part 3–Hebrews

Ian Johnson May 22, 2022 2 Comments

The Scriptures generally draw a qualitative distinction between “sin,” in the singular, and “sins,” in the plural. “Sin” is our inward attitude of rebellion against God. “Sins” are bad actions. This post gives a series of examples from Hebrews.

A God who Speaks, God Speaks to Us, God's purpose for us, God's Voice, His Friends, Is forgiveness of sins the focus of salvation?, Merit, Promises, Reconciliation, Refusing to hear, Rejecting God, Repentance, Restoration of God's Image, Salvation, Sins versus sin, What is sin?

atone, atonement, bad acts, disobedience, enter my rest, faith, God's rest, Hearing God, Hebrews, rejecting God, reproach, sin, sins, suffering, unbelief

The Distinction Between “Sin” (Singular) and “Sins” (Plural)–Part 1

Ian Johnson May 5, 2022 3 Comments

The Scriptures generally draw a qualitative distinction between “sin,” in the singular, and “sins,” in the plural. “Sin” is our inward attitude of rebellion against God. “Sins” are bad actions. This post gives a series of examples from Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians.

God was never our enemy, God's purpose for us, God's rationality, Is forgiveness of sins the focus of salvation?, Reconciliation, Regeneration, Rejecting God, Restoration of God's Image, Salvation, self-serving worship, Sin, Sins versus sin, The Problem of Evil, To be his ambassadors, What is sin?

disbelief, faith, God, heart, heart attitude, human heart, Jesus, not of faith, rebellion, sin, sins, unbelief, way of life, wrong acts

Self-righteousness, idolatry of self, repentance and an unrepentant heart in Romans 2

Ian Johnson March 20, 2022 2 Comments

Romans 2:4-5 is a warning aimed not at the wicked world, but at the self-righteous–even believers–who harshly judge others while forgetting that it was the kindness of God that led them to repentance.

A God who Speaks, Consequences, Forgetting God, forgiveness and mercy, God is Love, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's Existence and Nature, God's Other Attributes, idolatry, judgment, patience, refusal to repent, Refusing to hear, Rejecting God, Repentance, reprobation, Sin, through his creation, Truth and Falsehood, What is sin?

denying God, God, hypocrisy, hypocrite, indignation, kindness, knowing God, patience, refusing to know God, repent, repentance, self-righteous, self-righteousness, unrepentant, wrath

Burning Cultural Bridges? Repentance and Paul in Athens, Acts 17:22-31

Ian Johnson February 20, 2022 1 Comment

Paul’s speech to the rulers of Athens in the Areopagus was a long exercise in deliberate irony, first building and then promptly burning cultural bridges. Paul did this to show them the folly of their deliberate ignorance of the true God.

A God who Speaks, Desire to have our own way, Eternity, Forgetting God, God Acts by Speaking, God is Love, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's Existence and Nature, idolatry, Immanence, Refusing to hear, Rejecting God, Repentance, Sin, The Invisible God's Self-Existence, Truth and Falsehood, What is sin?

Areopagus, Athens, Christianity, cross-cultural evangelism, cultural bridges, Epicurean, evangelism, Greek philosophies, Greek religion, Idolatry, idols, Paul, repentance, sermon, Stoic, trial, unknown god, willful ignorance

Repentance and Earthly Consequences: the Consequences of David’s Sins–including Jesus

Ian Johnson December 22, 2021 2 Comments

Though God forgave David his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah, this sin had a traceable chain of earthly consequences which extends to the present and which includes the death of Christ on the cross.

Consequences, Discipline or Correction, forgiveness and mercy, God Never Stopped Speaking, God's sovereignty, Prophecy, Refusing to hear, Rejecting God, Repentance, Repentance versus Remorse, Sin, The Problem of Evil, Through his enemies, Trusting sight over God's words

Absalom, Adonijah, Amnon, Asa, Bathsheba, consequences, consequences of sins, cross, forgiveness, Israel, Jeconiah, Jehoiachin, Jeroboam, Jesus, Josiah, Judah, King David, Nathan, Rehoboam, sin, Solomon, Uriah

God Rejected King Saul, But Declared King David a Man After His Own Heart. Didn’t God Get this Backwards?

Ian Johnson November 14, 2021 7 Comments

God rejected King Saul, a bungler who made a few mistakes trying to do God’s will, his own way. But he accepted King David, a rapist and murderer, forgave him two unforgivable sins, promised him an eternal kingdom, called him a man after his own heart–and put him in Jesus’ lineage! Didn’t God get this backwards? NO!!

Confession and Repentance, Desire to have our own way, forgiveness and mercy, God is Love, God's Existence and Nature, God's rationality, Leaving Our First Love, Peril of Seeking Power, Refusing to hear, Rejecting God, Repentance, Repentance versus Remorse, Sin, Sins versus sin, Social control and statecraft, The Problem of Evil, Trusting sight over God's words, What is sin?

after my own heart, forgive, forgiveness, King David, King Saul, man after God's own heart, rejection, remorse, repent, repentance, sin, sin vs sins, sins, unforgiveable

King Saul, The People’s Sin

Ian Johnson November 7, 2021 5 Comments

King Saul is an example of a leader appointed by God–at the rebellious insistence of the people–who followed his people’s idolatrous rebellion against God. Generally, in spiritual matters, worldly leaders follow their constituents rather than lead them. After God warned the people about the way their king would take, and sent a sign of his displeasure, they showed remorse–false, incomplete repentance–but did not change their ways. Ultimately, King Saul also followed their lead.

Confession and Repentance, Desire to have our own way, God's rationality, idolatry, Peril of Seeking Power, Rejecting God, Repentance, Repentance versus Remorse, Sin, Social control and statecraft, The Problem of Evil, Truth and Falsehood, What is sin?

false repentance, human leaders, idol, Idolatry, in place of God, king, King Saul, leaders follow the people, rebel, rebellion, repent, repentance, Samuel, sin

Repent, turn again, turn away from your wickedness, in Acts 3:19

Ian Johnson October 31, 2021 1 Comment

When Peter preached that the people should “repent,” he explained that meant that they were to “turn away from their wickedness” and so, in their behavior, “listen” to Jesus. Jesus did not come to entertain us or to offer advice, but to turn us away from our own way to obedience to him.

A God who Speaks, God Acts by Speaking, Prophecy, Refusing to hear, Rejecting God, Repentance, Through Jesus

God's Word, Jesus, obedience, obey, Prophecy, Prophet, repent, repentance, turn

The “Curses” on Adam, Eve and the Serpent: Are Vexed Gender Relations, Meaningless Hard Work and Economic Oppression God’s Will?

Ian Johnson July 16, 2021 2 Comments

God did not curse Adam and Eve when they sinned. He told them what the mostly natural evil consequences of their decision to live apart from him would be. In doing this, he did NOT decree any of these evil consequences as things as a part of his perfect will. Sexual and class inequalities are evil consequences of sin, not God’s will.

A God who Speaks, Complex unity, Desire to have our own way, Emotions, Free will, God Speaks to Us, God's purpose for us, Human Rationality, Knowing good and evil, Male and female, Marriage and Reproduction, Rejecting God, Sin, To be in his image, Uncategorized, What is sin?

Adam, childbirth, consequences, curse, dominance, Eve, fear, hard labor, hard work, Man, man and woman, one flesh, oppression, pain, Poor, poverty, reproduction, sex, social order, sorrow, Unity, wealth, Woman

What I Believe–stated simply

Like this:

Distinction Between “Sin” (Singular) and “Sins” (Plural)–Part 3–Hebrews

Like this:

The Distinction Between “Sin” (Singular) and “Sins” (Plural)–Part 1

Like this:

Self-righteousness, idolatry of self, repentance and an unrepentant heart in Romans 2

Like this:

Burning Cultural Bridges? Repentance and Paul in Athens, Acts 17:22-31

Like this:

Repentance and Earthly Consequences: the Consequences of David’s Sins–including Jesus

Like this:

God Rejected King Saul, But Declared King David a Man After His Own Heart. Didn’t God Get this Backwards?

Like this:

King Saul, The People’s Sin

Like this:

Repent, turn again, turn away from your wickedness, in Acts 3:19

Like this:

Post navigation

Rejecting God

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: