Faith Position
The core of my faith position is a simple sentence, which is the core of reality. The Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit together are God...the Trinity. It is indeed a simple sentence. If you contend it is "just" my faith. I will say it is "just" your faith that I am wrong. Neither of us was there at the beginning or while Jesus was on earth in the flesh. When one trusts the Lord Jesus Christ for soul salvation as explained in the Bible, as I did at age 12, life events happen along the way that confirm the faith. The Bible, as inspired and interpreted by the Holy Spirit, is the Word of God and is absolutely trustworthy. As noted in the Introduction, "...an absolute basis for reasoning is necessary if reasoning is to be trusted". Jesus Christ is the absolute basis.
The grandest privilege I have in life is to place my knees on the floor and address God as "Abba, Father, God in Jesus' name", Abba being a term of endearment such as Papa or Daddy. Doing that in prayerful worship is the way I begin my days. It is a restful, solid, profound way of linking with God and receiving his enabling for the day. It is a privilege God reserves for those who genuinely receive Jesus into their lives as Savior. It is home base. It is the starting point to
I am describing the ideal here, I often fail and am often forgiven.
I have a covenant prayer (can't take it back) which I pray regularly. "Father, in Jesus name I ask you to do whatever pleases you within the entirety of my being, leaving nothing undone, to form me, fashion me, groom me, dress me into precisely what you want me to be, for you honor and glory, your pleasure and purpose. In Jesus name I pray. Amen". About 45 years ago it began simply, "God, do whatever you need to do, to make me what you want me to be". Spanning those years I have prayed it thousands of times. About 25 years ago, I asked God to put me in my grave rather than allow me to point my children down the wrong path. I pointed them to the reality that Jesus Christ is God. Some time later I asked God to take my life rather than allow me to walk a path of fundamental error. He obviously tolerates errors. But fundamental error I deemed unacceptable. Solid truth must be paramount.
Except during periods after moving, while searching for the church I should join, I was actively involved in Southern Baptist churches. Having devout Christian parents I grew up in a Christian home. I am now, in my 80th year, maintaining "social distance" during the 2019/20 pandemic. I am an active PE, licensed electrical engineer, BSEE 1963. In 1970 I received a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. I have served as Sunday School teacher, deacon and for a brief time, pastor...long enough to learn it was not my calling. In the late 1990s I began developing personal websites presenting Christian apologetics. This site is the current result. The "further discussion" link in the CONTENTS moves to archived discussions. You might wish (or not) to see some personal documents linked here. It is as Jesus said, "apart from me [him] you [I] can do nothing" (JN 15:5 NIV)...no heartbeat, no breath, no thought, no word. I can't even make a mistake without the capacity to function that he gives. "If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust." (Job 34:14-15 NIV)
I include the personal information as background for consideration by Christians who might call me a heretic after reading the discussion on Christian Semantics. The Apostle Paul instructs us to "work out our salvation in fear and trembling". This is such a time for me. It is uncomfortable...anticipation of backlash from fellow Christians for challenging widely held interpretations which I believe are perversions of scripture. But Paul also instructs "study...rightly dividing the word of truth". (2 Tim 2:15 KJV) I am thus compelled to challenge a number of terms and phrases commonly used by Christian professors, pastors, teachers and laymen, including me...previously. How could I not challenge faulty Christian semantics, having challenged faulty/imaginary science. If I am wrong in what I say, I need, desire and welcome biblical correction. I am in fact actively seeking solid, biblical refutation if one can be made, from numerous sources, seminary professors, pastors and Christian laymen. If one can be found/made, I will include it here, with recanting apology. Currently, November 2020, there has not been one offered.