Recently

As my last year of high school draws to a close, there have been many things on my mind.

In TA, we've read and are now discussing selections from Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion, which has turned out to be an interesting book. Frankly, I wasn't sure how to approach Calvin before I began to read the book (his name is tossed around a lot with predestination) so I opened it up with a clear mind. I really like his method of argument (very similar to Aquinas, whom I also enjoy) and some of his beliefs and thoughts on how knowledge of man and knowledge of God are tied (basically the beginning Book I). I'm not sure that I agree with his position on free will, but I found his Institutes to be a very interesting and beneficial read. And the Westminster Confession... wow! That was a load of bricks, though fascinating. The word "elect" arose quite frequently, and each time I saw it I felt a bit disheartened and full of questions. How do we know who is among the elect and who isn't? Or, what if you're not among the elect, but you've still spent your life in service to God? Or what about those babies who aren't among the elect who die at birth or before, and how does one know if their child is elect? In other words, I'm very unclear as to the definition of "elect" is in the context of that time. Last year, after I read John Wesley's piece on predestination, I tended to agree with him (or at least the belief that I discerned from his essay), that God, being outside of time, knows all who are His, but doesn't go around picking people to save; my impression is that Christ shed His blood for all men, and all men have the choice (you can see where I disagree with Calvin!) to repent, be covered by the blood, have faith and live for Him. Please, if you read this and know the definition of "elect" in the context fore-mentioned, leave a comment.

Another topic that's been on my mind is that of college options. I applied to THI and Biola for the Fall 2007 semester, but the door to the former was closed by divine providence (the Institue was the only reason I would attend the university). I'm really thankful that God has so obviously directed me in the way He intends for me to go; I had my life all planned out, and I think God's teaching me to have more faith in Him through this (plus, I was struggling with uncertainty and, for now, the path is much clearer to me). So, I've decided to do a "gap year" in which I will read many, many books and study the subjects I love freely. And I'm actually excited! I will be applying to PHC for the Fall 2008 semester; I know now that I'm supposed to be there.


Well, it's getting late, and my brain is shutting down, so until my next post---



♥ Rom