Doctrinal Matters

Rather than write an in-depth review of each chapter in Asimov's book, I will attempt to give examples of his views.  I hope that these examples will explain the following:  his blind faith in evolutionism, his literal interpretation of Scripture, and how his views compare/contrast with those of progressive creationists. Asimov begins chapter one by proclaiming that Moses didn't write Genesis or any of the other books of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible).  Instead, he believes that the first five books are "a carefully edited compilation of material from a number of sources."[1]  On what authority does he make such a bold assertion?  He freely admits that his authorities are "modern scholars" whose theories (the J.E.P.D. document theory) were non-existent before the nineteenth century.[2]  Up until then Moses was considered the uncontested author of the Pentateuch.  In the 1800's some men theorized that the Pentateuch, instead of bei...

With this post I am starting a series of articles about the book In the Beginning  by Isaac Asimov. Asimov was a well known science fiction writer.  In addition to science fiction, he also wrote over 200 books of both fiction and non-fiction and edited hundreds more.  He was president of the American Humanist Association, a college professor, and a self-proclaimed atheist.  The book has eleven chapters, an introduction, and an appendix.  It is my intention at this point to discuss each part of the book, making for a 13-part series. photo courtesy of www.freeimages.com I hope to accomplish several things by reviewing Asimov's book.  First, I expect that we will discover that Asimov, though an atheist, was in reality a person of blind faith.  His religion was secular humanism. Therefore he viewed the world through the belief system that presupposed that there is no God.  Secondly, I think we will find that Asimov had a wrong view of science, c...

Job asked, " ...how can a person be justified before God? " Job 9:2 (HCSB) .  Could there be any question of greater importance?  I'm a champion at justifying myself by comparing myself to others.  How many times have I said, "I'm not perfect but at least I don't act like so-and-so!"  But God doesn't compare my righteousness with that of others, He compares it to His own.  The Bible says that it is God to whom I must one day give an account.   Hebrews 4:13   So the question is not "Am I more righteous than my neighbor?" but rather "How can I be righteous enough for God?" The Bible clearly says that I am a sinner and in need of righteousness.   Rom. 3:23   Rom. 3:10   Furthermore, God is holy and has no fellowship with sinners.  The Bible describes this holiness as being like light and sin being like darkness. Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light,   and there is absolutely no d...

photo courtesy of www.freeimages.com "All doctrine is practical, and all practice must be based on sound doctrine. Doctrine that is not practical is not healthy doctrine, and practice that is not doctrinal is not rightly based." -- Charles Ryrie  (in Balancing the Christian Life ) It seems that in a lot of churches today doctrine is a dirty word.  I have often heard the misguided statement that doctrine isn't practical.  People label doctrine as boring or irrelevant to their daily lives. The fact is that doctrine is vital to the Christian life.  The above quote by Ryrie reinforces my view that doctrine is practical.   Dr. Albert Mohler has written a great article along these same lines.  You can find it here:   http://www.albertmohler.com/2004/07/02/why-doctrine-matters-2/  .

Today I have posted a list of some of my favorite books.  I hope you find them as profitable as I have. Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners by John Bunyan This is John Bunyan's autobiography.  It's the story of Bunyan's salvation and his struggle with assurance.  It takes some effort to read through it because of the antiquated English but the book's message makes it well worth the effort. The Lie: Evolution  by Ken Ham For a solid example of correct biblical thinking regarding origins it is hard to beat this book.   Ham has really gained my respect over the last few years that I have been exposed to his ministry (see the link I provided to Answers in Genesis on the side of this page).  I highly recommend this book. Full Assurance  by H. A. Ironside Ironside is one of my favorite authors.  In this little book he builds the case for the eternal security of the believer.  The book is written in an easy-to-read manner and i...

This is my first post as a blogger.  It is my plan to use this blog to discuss God, the gospel, the Bible, doctrine, books, etc.  I am a believer in Jesus Christ.  My hope for forgiveness of my sin and a right relationship with God is in Jesus and His substitutionary death for me.  I am firmly convinced that the Bible is completely inspired by God... it is His word to man without error in the original manuscripts and completely true in every area.  As such the Bible is God's authoritative rule and guide for my life.  More to come as I get a better grip on how to do this blogging thing.