Integrative Theology I
Wayne Moore
April 25, 2005
TH-5164
Integrative Theology I
Chapter One
"Introduction to the World"
The moment that I gave my life to Christ I knew that my life had changed and had been impacted. As I knelt at that altar and asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins, I was amazed to realize the peace and joy that was available to me even after a lifetime of sin and running from God. Amazingly one prayer had wiped out all those years and put me on the course to live righteously and prepare to discover and live out the calling that God had for my life. There has been nothing like it since, and it is so easy to look back at that moment and remember how great it felt to have such a heavy weight come off of me. I was so excited to go and tell others about the joy I had found! I was ready to take what I knew, combine it with the boldness I felt at that time and go and tell others about the greatest gift a man or woman can receive. It wasn't long however before I found out that this free gift of forgiveness was not the easiest gift for others to receive. As I told family and friends about Jesus I was immediately tossed into arguments refuting for believing that Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6). In the process I also found out that the doctrine and beliefs that I heard in my church were not always the same in other churches. One church believed in healing, one didn't. One believed in being filled with the Holy Spirit while another had no idea what you were talking about. It was clear that if I was going to become everything Jesus wanted me to be, I would need to be able "to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). Since "a coherent world view and way of life provides a necessary context for our ethical decision making in general" (Lewis 21), I understood that I had to know what I believed as well as why I believed it. I especially needed to be sure my beliefs were solid in my
April 25, 2005
TH-5164
Integrative Theology I
Chapter One
"Introduction to the World"
The moment that I gave my life to Christ I knew that my life had changed and had been impacted. As I knelt at that altar and asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins, I was amazed to realize the peace and joy that was available to me even after a lifetime of sin and running from God. Amazingly one prayer had wiped out all those years and put me on the course to live righteously and prepare to discover and live out the calling that God had for my life. There has been nothing like it since, and it is so easy to look back at that moment and remember how great it felt to have such a heavy weight come off of me. I was so excited to go and tell others about the joy I had found! I was ready to take what I knew, combine it with the boldness I felt at that time and go and tell others about the greatest gift a man or woman can receive. It wasn't long however before I found out that this free gift of forgiveness was not the easiest gift for others to receive. As I told family and friends about Jesus I was immediately tossed into arguments refuting for believing that Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6). In the process I also found out that the doctrine and beliefs that I heard in my church were not always the same in other churches. One church believed in healing, one didn't. One believed in being filled with the Holy Spirit while another had no idea what you were talking about. It was clear that if I was going to become everything Jesus wanted me to be, I would need to be able "to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). Since "a coherent world view and way of life provides a necessary context for our ethical decision making in general" (Lewis 21), I understood that I had to know what I believed as well as why I believed it. I especially needed to be sure my beliefs were solid in my