To the edtor:

When I hear what is being taught and preached in Christian churches I have to believe that they are man centered and not God centered in their doctrine.

They picture man as being in control because of his free will and present God as not being able to cause man to do what he doesn’t want to do. They do not preach against sin and teach that man is basically good and they don’t have to fear God because He loves them.

When I look to God’s word I find a completely different picture of man. In Genesis I find that man’s thoughts are evil continually (Gen.6:5, 8:21). That man is born a sinner (Ps.51:5) and that he is “estranged from the womb and go astray as soon as they are born.” (Ps.58:3). That they are enmity against GOD (Rom.8:7), cannot please God (Rom.8:8), that all have sinned (Rom.3:23), that none are righteous (Rom3:10), and none seek after God (Rom.3:ll). Mans standing before God is not good for the “wages of sin is death” (Ezek. 18:20; Rom.6:23).

But God has chosen unto Himself a people in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph.l:4; 2Thes. 2:13). Those chosen are the ones that Christ bare their sins and died for on the cross and imputed unto them His righteousness. They are the ones that the Father draws unto His Son (Jn.6:44), that the Holy Spirit through regeneration (Jn3:5-8) gives a new heart (Ezek.36:26), that are given faith by grace (Eph.2:8) through the hearing of the word of God (Rom.l0:17), and by this faith are willing to repent and acknowledge Christ as both Lord and Savior (Rom. 10:9-10).

As the Lord said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Rom.9:15; Ex.33:19). So “therefore hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy and whom He will He hardeneth.” (Rom.9:18). And as the prophets of old proclaimed “salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah2:9; Isa.45:17; Jer.3:23).

Jim Batt

Mexico