This website is in honor of our Sovereign Lord who graciously orchestrates the release of those who, without His gracious intervention,
are prisoners of their own fallen wills. Investigating matters of
Biblical Origins and
Biblical
Faith, by way of Scriptures, using the disciplines of
Philosophy and
Theology,
I explore how God's sovereign work of
free grace and
regeneration effects the way that we think, make decisions,
and ultimately the way that we live our lives as a result of who we are and what we believe.
We find ourselves in this modern age of secular humanistic reasoning where the theory of evolution, via pseudoscience, is taught and
presented as fact in our educational systems and media. Our culture has been saturated with the idea that there is no God to be accountable
to, that sovereignly created and rules the universe. The result of these deceptive teachings elevates mankind to the highest degree
of being and authority, while at the same time, reducing mankind to nothing more than a cosmic accident with no real value in the cosmos
what-so-ever. The theory of evolution with its inherent exclusion of God leaves us cold, helpless, and hopeless, wondering why we even
exist at all. I hope to demonstrate, philosophically at least, not only that God exists, but that He must exist
—necessarily!
I also hope to demonstrate that God has a profound interest in the affairs of mankind as well as a divine sovereign plan for His created
creatures that makes it possible for us to have great hope and joy in the final outcome of our mysterious existence.
Unfortunately, I see secular humanistic reasoning permeating and effecting even Christian churches in their theology and subsequent
teachings and preaching. There are Christians who believe that
theistic evolution is a valid theology that attempts to combine
evolution with creation, not understanding that the two are mutually exclusive opposing philosophies that cannot coexist. There are
also many well-meaning Christian churches that I believe have erroneously dismissed or minimized the sovereign free grace of God in
their doctrinal teachings and preaching by emphasizing more on man's desires and efforts rather than in God's mercy and grace alone
regarding the salvation process. (
Romans 9:16)
I believe that secular humanistic reasoning is partly to blame for some of the worldly, self-centered views being taught in the Christian
Church. Even though being
willing by
faith to make a personal decision to receive Christ as Savior is a critical
and necessary component of the salvation process, it seems obvious to me that something else very necessary is occurring from a spiritual
dimension as a prerequisite for anyone to be
willing to do so, beyond what is inherently natural or even possible for the
unregenerate natural man. The problem is that an
unregenerate natural man does not seek God, (
Rom
3:11) and considers such matters as foolishness! (
1
Corinthians 2:14) True love for God and the
willingness and capacity to practice true spiritual righteousness
is not a natural attribute of the default fallen human condition and nature. We are all inherently governed by the
sinful nature
at birth! (
Eph 2:1-3) (
Psalm
51:5) Therefore, God's purpose, power, and actions, transcendent to man's desires and abilities, are necessary for replacing
our
sinful nature with a
new holy nature that is capable of the proper faith required for salvation. (
Ezekiel
36:26-27) It is only in this regenerated
new spiritual nature that God sovereignly enables us to relate to
Him spiritually and personally which has been the case since the fall of man.
My investigations are centered around these critical question's;
Does man's faith enable God's grace?—Or, does God's
grace enable man's faith?—Or can both be true, or both be false? I think that this is important for a few reasons...
If only one of these views is truth, then they are dramatically opposed to one another! If both views are true, then circular logic
is involved, leading to an interesting, but rather perplexing and unresolvable paradox of reason. Even though this would not be a violation
of any philosophical laws of reason, it would minimize God's grace and man's faith to something meaningless, since each would depend
on the other to be viable. If neither is true, then we would be at the mercy of yet another paradox that would make one wonder if a
path to salvation is possible at all.
I think that most Christian scholars and thinkers would agree that God would not purposefully obscure or oppress such an important
truth in such unresolvable paradoxes. If the
truth sets us free, then there must be some truth here that can be clearly understood.
So for most Christians, only one of these views will be embraced at the very core of their doctrinal belief. Depending on which view
is held, the subsequent behavior of a person, style of evangelism, and opinions on the doctrines of biblical grace will most certainly
be very different! In this modern church age of Arminian apologetics, the most popular view held is the first; that man's faith is
ultimately what influences and enables God's graciousness toward mankind. I would like to apply some rational and objective scrutiny
to this doctrine. To the contrary, I believe the scriptures clearly demonstrates that it is God's sovereign and gracious free gift
of supernaturally installed faith through regeneration of man's spirit, that is the reason that mankind is enabled to exercise true
saving faith at all. When God graciously regenerates a person to spiritual life, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, spiritual
faith becomes the natural attribute of this conversion!
There is strong Biblical support suggesting that being
willing to receive Christ by faith, is the result of God's supernatural
work of
regeneration in us, rather than the human vehicle of independent
will-power. (
Phil
2:13) God is responsible for the measure of faith given to us, (
Rom
12:3) therefore it is evident that we could not have developed the faith required for salvation all by ourselves without
His divine intervention by way of His sovereign guidance and amazing grace. According to scripture, we are evidently incapable of coming
to Christ by faith unless God has enabled us to do so. (
John
6:44,
John 6:65)
Because of this, my convictions have compelled me to research some basic groundwork in the doctrine of
Biblical grace and
how it relates to
Biblical faith. God's amazing grace is our hope, our confidence, and our comfort and is available ONLY
through His Son Jesus Christ. (
Acts 4:12)
(
1 Tim 2:5)
I hope to demonstrate that without the graciousness of God's work of regeneration, which enlightens and frees our enslaved minds and
hearts, we can do nothing righteous on our own, including exercising saving faith in His Son, Christ Jesus. For it is God who chooses
and appoints us so that we are able to bear lasting fruit. (
John
15:16) May God receive all of the honor and glory for His unprecedented graciousness through His redemptive work of
sovereign election, and may we be humbled to a state of utter dependence and loving worship toward our Lord a result; Free to truly
love and exercise graciousness toward one another, that could have never been possible without the power and regenerative ministerial
work of God's Holy Spirit.
It is my sincere hope and desire that your visit here will be an encouragement and inspiration along your personal journey.
—John Anning
