I was born and raised in northern Illinois, and am living there now. But having lived in Texas, I’m definitely a Texan at heart. My favorite city is San Antonio, where we used to live. My favorite place is the Riverwalk, where my wife and I have very fond memories. We have 4 kids and 4 grandkids. I’ve been a lifelong fan of fitness and sports, especially college sports. However, I’m discovering that the older I get and the closer I get to meeting my Savior, the less important sports are to me. I’m living more and more with eternity in view. You may read what I believe under “What I Believe.” To round it out, here’s some additional information about myself and the positions I hold:
—Not a theologian, BUT I’m wired that way.
—Proponent of the Doctrines of Grace. Particular election and particular atonement make the most sense to me. However, I’ve been on both sides of the election/atonement debate, and have taught both sides for many years. Thus, I understand why each side teach what they do. But regardless of where we stand on these doctrines, we should be willing to extend grace to each other, because both sides have valid reasons for their perspective. But most importantly, it’s the way we reflect the love of Christ to our spiritual siblings.
—The older I get and the more I understand the Bible, the more I realize how completely one-sided the grace of God is in my (our) salvation; we have nothing we can offer. The atonement of Christ provides everything needed for salvation, including faith—as a gift of His grace.
—The reason I teach so much on the doctrine of election is because it’s all about giving God the glory that is due Him. There’s nothing we can add to what Jesus did for us. God chose us, draws us, calls us, and gifts us the required faith. Election unto salvation is all God, from start to finish. There is no “I” in our salvation.
—Calvinist, but NOT a strict determinist. While God is sovereign and moving everything along according to a grand plan, He is NOT the originator or cause of sin and evil in the world. That comes from within the sinful heart of people themselves.
—Essentially in agreement with the 1689 BCOF, and embrace the five solas of the Reformation: Saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, via Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone.
—Covenantal, as a proponent of Baptist Covenant Theology. BUT I’m not in a Baptist church. However, I’m certainly Baptistic.
—I’m very passionate about teaching the Trinity, while exposing heresies about God.
—I believe God’s plan for Israel is fulfilled in Christ and His Church. Therefore, I’m NOT a dispensationalist.
—In regard to eschatology, I’m amillennial. That means I believe in the Kingdom of Christ, but NOT in a premillennial, thousand year kingdom of this world. The Kingdom of Christ is spiritual (Col 1:13), and continues into the Eternal Kingdom of the new heaven and new earth of Revelation 21 and 22 upon His return.
—I believe in the return of Christ, but NOT to reign over this sinful world, but to escort us into the Eternal Kingdom of the new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells (2 Pe 3:13).
—Complementarian, but NOT strictly so. I believe the Bible teaches a sensible balance. I also REJECT the authoritarian pattern that so many practice. Further, I extend love and grace to my egalitarian brothers and sisters in Christ. I fully understand why they interpret the Scriptures the way they do; they make a good case.
—In regard to relationships/marriage, the Bible is clear: Male with female. Same sex relationships are not God’s design for humanity, and is a sin in His eyes.
—Patriotic (Navy vet), but I do NOT support Christian Nationalism! CN is NOT Christian. It’s antithetical to the primary mission given to us by our Lord in Matthew 28:19-20. We’ve become way too political. This is another group that gives Christianity a bad name.
—I seek to live a balanced life. I’m always thinking, “in all things, balance.” I avoid the extremes, because I don’t believe God’s will is normally found in the extremes.
If you care to read an expanded version of what I believe, you’ll find that under “Systems of Theology—My Position.”
A little more background about myself: I came to faith in Christ when I was 15 years old via the classic gospel tract titled “God’s Simple Plan of Salvation.” Since that time I’ve always understood the value of using gospel tracts to share the message about Christ, and have used them throughout my life. You’ll find a few on this website.
When I was 18 or 19 my love for God’s Word began to develop, and so I’ve been a lifelong student of the Bible. I’ve written verse by verse commentaries on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Revelation. However, they are not published.
While I don’t have the credentials of a theologian, I study hard to try and make up for it. However, I want to finish my life with more of a focus on spreading the gospel, and not quite so much on theology. I’m seeking a better balance between the two. I want to make a difference in people’s lives for all eternity. Theological studies and discussions between Christians are interesting and necessary, but they don’t get anyone into Heaven.