Nicaragua Video

Hey everyone, this is a video I created last year following my first trip to Nicaragua. I had to edit out some parts for protection of others, but it should give you a pretty good idea what we are doing over there, and you will be introduced to someone special.

Enjoy!

Nicaragua 2012 Update

WOW, It's amazing to us how God works. So many of you are being so very generous and we Thank You for supporting us on this missions trip. We have heard from many who have committed to pray and from many who have chosen to support us financially as well. Thank you for your gifts, both prayer and financial. As we continue to get closer, I will continue to update the Blog, so stay tuned and watch to see just how Big our God is!!
God Bless

NICARAGUA 2012

As many of you may already know, We recently sent out a letter (more to come) letting you know what has been happening in our lives over the past year and what exciting new things are coming up for the Kuntz family. I have copied the letter below for those of you who might not have received one yet.

Hello Friends, We hope this letter finds you well and that you are enjoying the New Year so far.

            We wanted to give you a quick update on what has been happening here in the Kuntz home and share with you some exciting news. The boys are growing up fast. Tyler is now in the 6^th grade and is becoming a young man that is respectful and has huge potential. He loves to participate in the show choir and enjoys helping out at church with child check-in and the sound booth when able. Aiden is now in the 3^rd grade. He is proving to be quite the athlete by playing baseball and flag football and showing off some pretty impressive moves. Ethan is growing up so fast and is now in kindergarten. He loves to go to school to be with his friends, and is making big strides in his learning.

            Lisa is working as a Systems Analyst at ProFed, serves as the treasurer for Aiden’s Scout pack and at the church as a teacher for the younger kids. She is forever keeping us all on track, (and in line). J As many of you may already know, Chris joined Emmanuel Community Church in full-time ministry January of 2011. Since then Lisa and Chris have had the opportunity to travel to Israel to visit some of the places Christ walked, and Chris was able to make a trip to Nicaragua this past September to film a mission’s trip and to meet our sponsor child, Jose.           

            Over the past several months we have been praying and discussing the possibility for the whole family to go to Nicaragua on a family mission’s trip with the church in August of 2012. As it turned out Ethan and Chris were going to stay back while Lisa, Tyler and Aiden went on the trip. However, God was working again, and Food For The Hungry opened up more spots, now the WHOLE family gets to go!! Our desire is to teach the boys about God’s amazing love at a young age, and how there are people living in this world that are far less fortunate. All people matter to God, and therefore they matter to us. After prayer and consideration as to how it would impact our family, we signed the paper work and turned it in, expecting God to do great things through this experience. We are all very excited that we will not only be able to serve in another country, but that the boys will be able to meet Jose whom they pray for every night before bed. By making this decision, we are resting on God significantly for the resources to make it possible. The total cost for the family is $6,500, which includes our airfare, travel, food and lodging while in Nicaragua. While there, we will be serving in the community of El-Porvenir by providing VBS, and clean-up detail. However; the most important reason we will be there is to build relationships with the people of this and surrounding communities, and to share with them the Good News of Jesus Christ.

            We are asking you to join us by holding our family up in prayer, as we prepare for this trip, and as we travel to this impoverished country. We consider your prayers to be vital to the preparation and success of this trip. We are also asking you to be in prayer and consider helping to support us financially as well. We believe that this will have a huge impact on the people of El-Porvenir as well as our children. If you would like to join us as either a prayer partner or financial partner, please fill out the form below. We will be updating our progress on our blog as well as the trip when it comes around. For now we are asking that you keep us in prayer as we begin to raise support, and prepare for this exciting and life changing venture. (http://enteligentmoments.blogspot.com)

            We pray that your New Year is blessed.

Love, Chris, Lisa, Tyler, Aiden & Ethan

There is a little more to this letter that we would love to share with you. If you would like for us to send you a letter specifically, please let us know. There might already be one on it's way. :-)

We have already been blessed with prayer partners and financial gifts and we are well on our way to raising the needed resources. Currently we have been blessed with approx. $1,150. That is simply amazing. 

THANK YOU so much for giving in such a generous way!

Keep checking back for updates as they come out, or better yet, subscribe to the blog and stay up to date on our journey. Thanks and God Bless!!

Unclean! Unclean!

Unclean, Unclean, This is what the Lepers would cry out as they worked their way around the city so that people would know they were contagious and unclean with a disease that affected the skin. Just yesterday I learned that I have shingles. It is a painful and highly contagious skin disease that stems from the nerve root. Now I'm not being shunned, (ok maybe a little) and it is not life threatening (even though it hurts), and I don't know what it feels like to have a disease like leprosy with no cure, because I have antiviral medicines that will help it go away, but having shingles makes me stop and think how it must have felt to be ostracized by society, to be shunned and avoided at all costs. The sad thing is, there are still millions of people that suffer from this and other skin diseases around the world that don't have access to medicine or relief from the intense pain that it comes with. They contract these diseases and live with the reality that it is the new way of life for them, no hope, no cure and no relief.

I know that in a few short weeks things for me will go back to normal, and life will go on. But for hundreds of thousands around the world, they will suffer quietly because their voice is not heard and they have no means for the medicine needed to cure them. I pray for them tonight, I pray that God the Father will put in their path the means and the ability to be healed. I pray for the sick and the poor, the fatherless and the widow. I pray for those who are persecuted and for those who are lost. Father God will you heal your people, provide for them peace in the midst of suffering and joy amongst the sorrow.

I serve a great and mighty God who has created all that I see, who sustains life and also calls us to his throne. Father expand my territories and deepen my horizons. Help me to not be selfish or self centered but to pray continually for those who are less fortunate than I.

Thank you for the blessings of my life and the ability to change someone else's.

Amen

Creation Vs. Evolution

Evolution or Creation

            Let me start off by quoting Genesis 1:1-2, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was veering over the waters.” (NIV) If we stop right there we have no basis for time other than it was the beginning of time. If you move onto verse 3 of Genesis, we begin to read the account of how God formed everything by His word and life leapt into existence. The reason I started with Genesis 1:1-2 is to show that some believe something called the GAP theory. We can see that God created the heavens and the earth, but we have no idea how much time passed before he began to bring order to the formless deep.

            Starting at Genesis 1:3-31 we read the account of what I believe to be a literal description of the creation of the earth. They can be separated into six segments, and those six can be combined into three. On Day one God created light and separated it from darkness. On the second day, God created the expanse between the water and the sky. The third day brought the oceans and dry land and vegetation. Day four the sun and moon were created along with the stars, and gave order to the rotation of the planets and the sun in order to govern the day and night. Day five brings the creation of land animals and those of the sea and air. On day six, God created man and woman to rule over and govern the earth and everything in it.

            Day one and four can be coupled in that God created light and gave it purpose on day four. Day two and five, God created water and sky and then filled it with living creatures on day five. Day three God created land and vegetation and then created ground bound animals as well as man and woman on day six, each day for a purpose and specific reason. I included this because it gives leverage to my argument for order in creation.

            So I obviously hinge on creation as to how the earth was formed and how man and woman came to be. But there are many who look at evolution as the answer and the form in which we have to this place in time. Evolutionist, specifically biological evolutionists believe that over millions and millions of years we have evolved from bacteria through processes of natural selection and genetic trait separations into just a small part of a huge tree of other living organisms. Some would assume that through this process Homo sapiens have climbed the ladder to the top and reside over all know living forms of life. They would be quickly corrected and told that in the eye of a biological evolutionist, Homo sapiens are just another leaf on a very large tree, and that we are not any more advanced than our cousins the primates.

            According to Understanding Evolution, (2008). “Humans are not “higher” or “more evolved” than other living lineages. Since our lineages split, human and chimpanzees have each evolved traits unique to their own languages.” I take issue with this primarily because the Bible tells us that God created man and told him to rule over the fish of the sea and the livestock of all the earth. Besides that, how can they make a serious claim that we are not more advanced than the chimpanzees are when we are the ones teaching them how to talk, add and or subtract and function in ways that they were obviously not created to function in, maybe that is a mistake on our part.

            Evolutionists also use Carbon14 dating in order to help underscore their claims of the earth being millions of years old, which gives their theory the time needed for evolution to take place. The only problem with this is that Carbon14 dating is flawed. “Carbon-14 dating is a way of determining the age of certain archeological artifacts of a biological origin up to about 50,000 years old.” (http://howstuffworks.com)

Having done some more research, I found that Carbon14 Dating is only good for approximately 30,000 years, which according to the Bible might be too old for this earth. There is also a large amount of guesswork and extrapolation that is done when reaching the answer of something that has been dated using this method.

            There is a theory that exists that might coincide with this issue and that is The GAP Theory. It would say that in Genesis 1:1-2, it says that God created the heavens and the earth. Then we stop, without any idea of how much time lapses’ between verse two and three. This could be millions of years, but the flaw with this is that God hadn’t created anything other than the earth at this point. No living creature is yet made.

            One other very interesting and ironic item I found in the evolutionists theory is that all of life can come from or be broken down into three areas, Eukaryote, Archaea, and Bacteria. Funny how there is a trinity of life, even in the evolutionist viewpoint. Ultimately I believe that God created the heavens and the earth and is the author of all life. I believe that God created the earth in six literal days as well. “Genesis 1 defines the days of creation to be literal days (a number with the word “day” always means a normal day in the Old Testament, and the phrase “evening and morning” further defines the days as literal days).” (Riddle, 2007.)

             I also would argue that the bible gives us very clear clues as to the age of the earth, that being 7,000-10,000 years old. Will we ever know for sure, I don’t believe so, and I don’t think it really matters if we know. What will that do for us in the long run? It’s been a long time since time began, that is for sure, but I think the most important thing to focus on is what we’re going to do with the time God gave us here on the earth.

References

Angel Fire. (n.d.) The Bible and Radiometric dating, (the problem with Carbon 14 and other             dating methods.). Retrieved September 26, 2011 from             www.angelfire.com/mi/dinosaurs/carbondating.html

Answers in Genesis. (2007). Doesn’t Carbon -14 Dating Disprove the Bible?. Retrieved October             4, 2011 from http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/does-c14-disprove-the-bible

How Stuff Works. (2011) How Carbon-14 Dating Works. Retrieved October 4, 2011 from             http://science.howstuffworks.com/enviornmental/earth/geology/carbon-14.htm

Understanding Evolution. (n.d.). Evolution 101. Retrieved September 26, 2011 from             www.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/evo_07

Suffering

Suffering

Who (Where) is God when his people are suffering…according to Job’s four “comforters” (Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and Elihuj?)

            According to each of Job’s so called comforters, God is judging Job for some sin that he must have committed against God. They spend quite a bit of time accusing Job giving instruction and advice that is neither accurate nor helpful for Job. Eliphaz in 3:49 says; “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed? As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it. At the breath of God they are destroyed, at the blast of His anger they perish…” (NIV) Eliphaz is such a great friend, accusing Job of being evil in some fashion, basically saying that this is the very reason that trouble has come upon Job. Later in 5:8-9 Eliphaz says; “But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.” (NIV) Here I believe Eliphaz is saying that if Job confesses to God his sin and seeks God’s mercy for the sin committed, then God might just as well perform some miracle and right all that has been taken away from Job.

            Bildad is no different in his approach to Job, making the statement that God does not pervert justice and that He delivers to those what they deserve. Zophar also makes claims against Job’s comments about being righteous and pure, and his particular discourse in chapter 11 sounds very much like how God chastises Job in chapter 38. So to wrap all that up, Job’s three friends believe that God is in control, in Heaven if you will, and that Job has sinned against an almighty God and needs to repent of that sin.

Who (where) is God when his people are suffering…according to Job?

            There are two verses that I am using to gather my answer and they are 2:4 and 31:2. In each of these verses Job references that God is on high or in the heavens. I sincerely believe that Job believed that God was in control, He was in charge of the situation, but that Job just simply wanted answers as to why these things happened to him, one who lived right and followed God.

Who (where) is God when his people are suffering…according to God Himself?

            According to God, I find two references that indicate what I suspected. In 38:1 God says; “Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm.” (NIV) To me this only indicates that God is speaking to Job through a cloud much like He did with Moses. God is not on earth per say, but he is among men in that he is physically speaking to Job at this point. Job 41:11 says; “…Everything under Heaven belongs to me (God).” (NIV) (Parenthetical added by me). This verse also indicates to me that God is in Heaven, or in the vast expanse of his creation. God is really giving it to Job in these few chapters. I would think that Job wanted to crawl under a very large rock at this point in the book.

Who (Where) is God when his people are suffering…according to me?

            I believe several things that are important in order to form my answer; first of all I believe that God is omnipotent, all-powerful. Revelation 19:6 states that; “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” (KJV) The Greek for this word omnipotent is translated, pantokrator, which means Almighty or “…he who holds sway over all things” (Blueletterbible.org. 2011.)

            Secondly I believe that God is Omnipresent. Psalm 139:7-10 says; “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (NIV) As scripture states, where indeed can we go where God is not there already. He exists in all places and is not bound by location or time zone. When soldiers are fighting and dying in Iran or the Middle East God is there, and at the same time He is listening to my son as I lay him down for bed. He is beyond our imagination and finite understanding. This leads me to my third point. I believe that God is Omniscient.

            Hebrews 4:13 says; “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (NIV) and 1 Corinthians 2:10 says; “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?  “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” (NIV) Each of these verses only confirms to me that God is in control of each and everything that happens on this earth. That is not to say that He is responsible for each and everything that happens here. We do have free will and as humans we choose to do some incredibly stupid stuff, but I am saying that God has intimate knowledge of all things, sees all things and knows all things.

            When God’s people suffer, I believe that He suffers too. The Bible says in Matthew 18:14; “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” (NIV) God does not desire that any of His children perish. Now I believe this is talking about eternal punishment, and so that indicates that God has compassion on his children. However; scripture also tells us in James 1:2-3 that we should, “… Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (NIV)

            Scripture also tells us; “  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NIV) I think that the Bible is clear that God is in control, He is aware when his children are suffering and that in all things there is purpose. I may never understand why my brother had to live such a hard life only to die at age 15, but God does, and I trust that His plan is still at work in my life and in the life of those who knew him. Faith in the power, knowledge and presence of God is critical in getting through times when God’s people suffer. It doesn’t surprise God when things like this happen; it only surprises us because we don’t know the bigger plan.

References

Biblegateway, (n.d.). www.biblegateway.com. Retrieved October 3, 2011 from             www.biblegateway.org

Blue Letter Bible. (n.d.). www.blueletterbible.org. Retrieved September 24, 2011 from             www.blueletterbible.org

Entire Sanctification

The following is my response paper to a course I took concerning Christian Theology and Salvation. The paper scored decent so I though it might be safe to post here. :-) Enjoy!

Reflection Paper

Indiana Wesleyan University

Chris J. Kuntz

9-18-2011

  

            When I started this class I didn’t have any expectations simply because I wasn’t sure what exactly the course would cover. Now having come to the end of the course I can say that, although I had a very difficult time learning the information pertaining to sanctification, I am glad that I have gone through it. I honestly cannot say that I agreed with everything that we covered, but I can say that I believe it has given me a chance to discover why I believe what I believe and has also given me a better understanding of other religion viewpoints on the topic of sanctification and Christian perfection.

            John Wesley, as I understand it, believed in two definitive works of grace within the life of a believer. The first being the act of one coming to Christ in which the person was justified by faith; and the second being an additional or second work that brought entire sanctification. Wesley believed that sanctification as well as Christian perfection was both possible within this life. This was the single most difficult thing for me to grasp and try to understand and I can say confidently that I still don’t quite understand all the specifics of what J.W. was trying to get across, but I can agree to disagree on some of his points.            

            Just to clarify, according to Dieter (1987), Wesley’s stance on sanctification was that, “…God had promised salvation from all willful sin…” J.W. cited multiple scripture passages for this belief, including but not limited to: Ezekiel 36:25, 29; 2 Corinthians 7:1; and Deuteronomy 30:6. There are many other passages that support this idea and many more that Wesley draws on for his clarification of the topic. John Wesley also believed that once a believer started this path, it was important, I would go as far as to say, imperative that the believer not stop for; “Wesley allowed no stopping point in the Christian’s quest for holiness- “no holiness of degree, no point of conclusion.”… “To stop short of the crisis of faith by which we are restored through the Spirit to the love that we lost in the Fall was to ignore not only the privileges bit the expectations of the finished work of Christ and the end point of the plan of salvation.” (Dieter, 1987, p.19).

            Wesley goes on to discuss how the original sin of Adam and Eve has such a large and rippling effect on the rest of humanity, ruining our natural image, our political image and our moral image. Our relationships with God and with our fellow man, and especially our spouses have been tainted by this sin. It is described as the, “…total corruption of the whole of human nature.” (Dieter, 1987, p.23). In the end, in spite of what free will we have been given, and regardless of what strength we think we may have within ourselves, we are only capable of choosing sin.

            However: by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ we have freedom from that sin. Dieter (1987) describes it like this; “The real freedom of the Christian is not the freedom from guilt or release from the pangs of hell but the freedom to love with the love of God Himself shed abroad in the heart by the indwelling Holy Spirit.” I love how this points us back to God and not toward ourselves. It says so much in that life isn’t guaranteed to be perfect, and always trouble free, but that our love for God and for others will increase as our self desires decrease.

            So how do the Wesleyans get here? “It is critical to remember that Wesleyans do not come to their Biblical understanding of sanctification by a system of logical deduction from certain proof texts or propositions. Their convictions on the possibilities of perfection in love in this life and a faith experience of heart cleansing subsequent to justification grow out of their attempt to see Scripture holistically.” (Dieter, 1987, p.30).  Some of the supporting texts that John Wesley used in his teachings were all centered on the Bible calling us to live as Christ lived, perfect and holy. Leviticus 11:44 says that we are to, “…consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” (NIV) John Wesley held tight to these passages and others like them and built his entire message upon their foundation.

            Wesley wasn’t the only one who had a viewpoint on sanctification and Christian perfection, there were others and they too laid out their belief. The Reformed perspective held that our nature, our being had been corrupted by sin, and that through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and for those who believe, we were cleansed and set apart for righteousness and service to God. The Reformed believed that sanctification was the process I just mentioned. That we are cleansed from the pollution of sin, and that we grow in our likeness of Christ until we get to heaven, which at that point we will be entirely sanctified and restored to the creation and relationship that God intended in the beginning.

            Ephesians 4:14-16 says; “ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does it’s work.” (NIV) I think this scripture underscores or acts as the foundation for the Reformed viewpoint of our growing into sanctification, which is different from Wesley’s view point of entire sanctification which was, as far as I understood it, an instant and permanent state.

            Through the Spirit and through the word and power of Christ, we should be able to live in such a way that we are able to put to death, or put behind us the sins or misdeeds of the body. If I could pause here for a moment, to clarify my though, I would tend to understand sin and unrighteousness as two different things yet related. Sin is our deviation from God, our walking away from His desires for our life, our choosing us instead of him. Our unrighteousness would be the actual sin that we commit in the flesh.

            Responsibility lies not only on God for sanctification, but on our own shoulders as well. The Reformed Perspective would state that we are instructed through scripture to purify ourselves and remove the things in our lives that cause us to stumble, or fall. They didn’t hold that God was fully responsible for our sanctification rather that Christ was the agent through which sanctification came and that we had a responsibility toward that end as well.           

            Getting their beginning in the early 1900’s, the Pentecostal movement began in Topeka, Kansas in Bethel Bible College. Their viewpoint on sanctification consists of three steps in which someone is sanctified completely. First they are justified through faith in Christ, second they are sanctified through a second definitive work in their life. Third, and this is the bread and butter, one is totally sanctified when and only when they are baptized in the Holy Spirit, which also included speaking in tongues as a sign of the Holy Spirit.

            Durham preacher of the early 1900’s, brought much controversy to the Pentecostal movement by teaching something quite different, following his death, which one preacher prayed would come so that the controversy would end, the controversy actually increased and from this teaching the Assemblies of God churches were formed. It wasn’t long after this denomination was formed that it again experienced turmoil in its beliefs as the Trinity of God came into question. They placed all power and authority in Jesus Christ worshiping him only and not giving credit or acknowledgement to the Father or the Holy Spirit.

            In 1961, after several meetings, the word “entire” was dropped from the terminology of the Assemblies of God denomination. Ernest Swing Williams, the general superintendent of the Assemblies of God felt that the teaching of sanctification was to generalized and had particular issue with the term “entire” where it pertained to sanctification. Their understanding of sanctification now reflected this belief; “Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God…Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Ghost.” (Horton, 1987, p. 112).

            Williams also states concerning sanctification; “Each believer in Christ is sanctified positionally when he accepts Christ. This is a truth that needs to be seen if a person desires to live a sanctified life.” (Horton, 1987, p.114).  I would agree with this statement in that we need to understand that as we are justified through the blood of Christ, we are sanctified, set apart for God. If this is how He views us through the blood of His son, then we need to be of the same mindset. This is where the transformation of our minds comes into play. We should no longer think the way the world does, rather, we should be transformed and renewed through the Word, and view ourselves as set apart for God, a living sacrifice for His glory. This is not to say that we are perfect in our living, nor should we view ourselves as such, rather we strive to live as close to Christ’s example as we can.

            McQuilkin shares that Keswick teachers have been accused of teaching perfectionism. Although it isn’t always clear, some Keswick teachers have held this position while others have denied this accusation. . Keswick teaches; “…that Christians, by the power of the indwelling Spirit, have the ability to choose consistently not to violate deliberately the known will of God. I have to ask myself if this is possible, I would say to an extent yes. I do believe that for a time one can resist the temptation to sin, and to qualify that statement, I would say that being tempted is not a sin, but giving into that temptation is a sin. Therefore if we can resist the urge to give into temptation and consistently choose to do what is right and Biblical, then yes we can live a perfect life, for a short period of time.

            Juxtapose that thought with the teaching of some Keswick teachers that presume the life of a believer is a spiritual battleground. The thought of an “old nature” and a “new nature” or “old man” and “new man” is discussed and used to help us understand that as we once were lost in sin and convicted of our sin (Old Nature) we are now reborn, made new and we now have access to a new life. But as McQuilkin states; “The conflict is not between old and new natures… but between the old nature and the indwelling Holy Spirit.” (McQuilkin, 1987, p.157). The Holy Spirit now lives within us and being part of the Trinity cannot be associated with sin or evil. This can be felt physically I believe as we struggle with our sinful nature, our carnal nature. Our selfish desires and wants cry out yes, while our mind, spirit is yelling NO. Keswick goes onto to teach that for those who accept a relationship with Christ yet go on sinning, have an issue with unbelief.

            “This new relationship with God initiates a process and results in a new potential. Simply stated, the new potential is for victory and growth. As we have seen, the new person in Christ has the ability to choose the right and to do so consistently. Such a person need never-and should never-deliberately violate the known will of God.” (McQuilkin, 1987, p.178). This is the ultimate change of nature if one were to consider how this kind of relationship could change lives.

            Augustine however; questions the term “nature”. What does it mean? Does it pertain to our disposition of sin, such as a sin nature or flesh? Is it who we are deep down inside or is the terminology wrong? “…the concept of a sin nature can probably be best summarized as a complex of human attributes that demonstrate a desire and predisposition to sin…Christian salvation, there is a new nature, which may be defined as a complex of attributes having a predisposition and inclination to righteousness.” (Walvoord, 1987, p.206).

            Through out the reading of this book, my perspective has been challenged. I know I didn’t touch on all the information that the book covered, but frankly I don’t think it’s possible. I have been challenged to think outside what I believe and have been raised to understand in terms of salvation, sanctification and the Christian life, which I think is a good thing. I have been stretched to understand other viewpoints and perspectives on scripture and I think ultimately I have been forced to solidify what I believe to be true, and what I believe scripture says about the topics we covered in this class. The reality and unified truth that I think we can all agree on is that Christ calls us to live a Holy life, a life that glorifies and honors Him, and that this is only done through the grace that is freely given us when we seek it. My prayer is that we can all do so with a pure heart. Psalm 86:11-12 which is my life verse says; “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.” (NIV)

References

Gundry, S. N. (1987). Five Views on Sanctification. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Corporation.