Theologies of Tim Mackie is his Treatment of Salvation and Divine Election

In his new book, titled The Greatest Gift, Tim Mackie does a wonderful job of engaging with what has become a main stream sermon. In many ways, Tim Mackeye makes the case that we have been given an incomplete picture of God. He insists that we need to get back to basics and really study the Old Testament to get more of the picture of who our creator is and how He relates to us today. He uses many examples from the Old Testament to do this including stories about Moses and the Exodus. I agree with much of what Tim Macks is saying in this book, and it is an interesting look at the Old Testament.

However, I do not necessarily agree with his conclusion. In his last chapter, “God's Wisdom,” Tim Mackeye makes an interesting case that we have been given a limited view of God. He contends that we have an understanding of God that has come down through the centuries. While I am all for making a case for looking at the Old Testament in new ways, I don't think that what Tim Mackeye is saying in this book qualifies as a new understanding of God. I think he is simply restating old truths in new clothing. I also believe that there are some errors in what he writes about the Old Testament and if you read between the lines you can spot them.

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For instance, in his discussion of Moses and the Exodus he writes, “Moses' role was not to act as a man, but as God's son-in-law, to carry out God's work.” I completely disagree. If you believe that Moses was only a servant because of this passage, then you would have to also believe that Jesus was a servant.

I also don't believe that Tim Mackie believes that the Holy Spirit gave the Holy Spirit a human body and that we are now under the flesh because of the work of the Holy Ghost. I don't think he really believes this either. I read his Theology and discovered that he believed in the immediate presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I didn't find this in any other book.

I also don't believe that Tim Mackie believes that salvation is a gift. Rather he teaches that salvation is free. I could certainly agree with that. I believe that salvation is a gift from God and I don't believe it should be something that is earned or worked for by man. I also don't believe that grace comes from being more than one person.

I also don't believe in predestination. I don't believe that God determines who will live and those who won't. I also don't believe in free will or the inability of man to control his own free will. These are beliefs that are commonly expressed by other religions but which aren't found in the teachings of Christian churches.

One of the most interesting things that I found in Theologies of Tim Mackie is his treatment of salvation and divine election. Mackie divided salvation and election into two distinct categories. Those who are saved are believed to be chosen by God and are therefore saved by Christ. Those who are not saved by Christ are said to be predestined or hardened and are therefore not saved. This division gives us a deeper understanding of the doctrine of salvation.

While I found a number of works that were interesting and held my interest, overall Theologies of Tim Mackie was not my favorite of his works. However, I am glad that I had the chance to read what some considered to be his lesser works. I can wholeheartedly agree with Tim's comments regarding those works that do not hold his belief and faith in them. I recommend them however only for those who have an open mind willing to look further into this subject and learn from those who have made their mark in the world of religious studies. Otherwise, I remain to be one of the few who believe that those who hold a particular belief are right, and those who don't are wrong.