In recent years the Lutheran denomination which has a reputation for being the most Biblically conservative, named for one of the Southern states in the US, has had quite a big flap in regard to the Mosaic account of creation in the first chapters of Genesis1.
The English Standard Version (ESV) Bible is becoming a de facto standard in American Reformed churches. Many pastors and others know that the ESV is a revision of the Revised Standard Version, which years ago was rejected by Bible believing Christians because of its treatment of Isaiah 7:14.
The following teaching on election and predestination was delivered by professor Matthias Loy, and is well worth taking the time to read. You can download a PDF version Who are the Elect?
Christ’s merit is considered in election not merely as obtained for us, but also as apprehended by us – God has elected in view of faith. Have you ever heard of The Blue Island Theses?
If one does not read the Bible in such a way that thereby he desires to do the will of God, and to seek and to find God… or if a man even reads the Bible in such a way as to allow human reason to sit in judgment over this book… such a one will not find God in the Bible, nor will he gain the conviction that the Bible is God’s Word; on the contrary, he will be offended at the Bible, it will be a stumbling-block to him, and he will become more and more estranged from God.
Question No. 3. What does it take to constitute a good Christian?
Answer: That is a very good question. I hardly know how to answer that in a few words, but I would say, to make my answer short, Study the ten commandments until you find out your sins; then flee to Christ and ask His forgiveness.
Some of you may think, if the Lord God only had not made that mistake in making wine at the marriage in Cana of Galilee! Did you ever find that Jesus Christ had made a mistake anywhere?
‘“I call your attention to the fact that hell is always prayerful. The rich man in hell was a prayerful man, not praying to the true and living God, but calling upon Abraham.
These wise men from the East came to seek the newly born King. How did they know that a king should be born? Where did they find it out? Where did they come from?