Hello and welcome to my home page. My name is Danny Hartling and I have placed links to several sites here on this page.

To those who say, "life sucks and then you die," Jesus says, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abudantly." (John 10:10) And to those who say, "He who dies with the most toys wins," Jesus says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21) Jesus said in John, chapter 11, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." If you would like to see for yourself, check out the World Wide Study Bible.

I believe that the most biblical expression of the Christian faith is found in Reformed Theology, often called Calvinism (for the 16th Century French Theologian John Calvin.) I also consider such falsehoods as Dispensationalism and (the Dispensational variation of) Premillenialism to be detrimental to the advancement of the Kingdom of God. I pray that these errors will be repudiated in my lifetime. [For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)]

Some major themes of Reformed Theology are expressed in the so-called five points of Calvinism or TULIP:
Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited (or definite) Atonement
Irresistable Grace
Perseverance of the Saints.

It is an oversimplification to suggest that these points cover the entirety of Reformed thought. These points, however, represent five articles of reformed theology which were denied by a group of theologians called the Remonstrants. "The Synod of Dort condemned the Remonstrants and reaffirmed these five points as integral to orthodox Reformed theology." (Sproul, 1997)

Total depravity refers to humankind's sinful nature. We are sinful even if we do no sinful thing (if that were possible). This sinful nature is a result, not of creation for "God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27), but of the fall as recorded in Genesis 3. "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate." (Genesis 3:6) It is important, I think, to note that we are made in God's image. Males are made 100% in the image of God and females are made 100% in the image of God. God's act of creation was egalitarian and it cannot be said that men are somehow made more in God's image then women. Furthermore, the fall cannot be attributed solely or even mostly to the womon. Adam and Eve were equally responsible for scripture says, "...she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate."

Romans 3:23 states that "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned ---- (Romans 5:12)

BUT the good news in response to our sinful condition is this: Therefore just as one man's (Adam's) trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's (Christ's) act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5: 18-19)

Unconditional Election means simply that God chooses (elects) those who will be saved. Furthermore, there is no condition (forseen or unforseen by God) which those marked for salvation have to meet in order to be chosen. Many outside the reformed faith argue that this goes against our free will (A very American sentiment. This grates against our self-reliant, individualistic, "pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps" form of Christianity), this is predestination. Well yes it is. The scriptures are saturatued with predestination and it is a bedrock of orthodox Christianity. Christians may argue that they chose to accept Christ yet forget that God chose them first. Michael Horton describes an evangelistic campaign which used the slogan, "I found it!" With this slogan "we give the impression that God was lost. In fact, some clever non-Christians made a killing during the evangelistic campaign that used the slogan by printing counter-stickers which seem to have been more Christian in content, if not in motivation: 'I didn't know He was lost.'" (Horton, 1991) The point is, it is we who are lost, not God and it is we who are found.

Now I won't argue that we have no free will. But I will argue that God is sovereign and our free will ALWAYS takes a back seat to God's sovereignty. And ultimately, if left to our own devices, we would always freely choose to go against God's will. So there it is, but for the grace of God go I.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person -- though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5: 6-8)

All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (Matthew 11:27)

Then the disciples came and asked him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He answered, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven but to them it has not been given." (Matthew 13:10-11)

"No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day." (John 6:44)

"...I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." (John 6:65)

Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil." (John 6:70)

"You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." (John 15:16)

"I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world." (John 17:6a)

"While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled." (John 17:12)

...all who were appointed for eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48)

And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:30) The Golden Chain

Even before they [Jacob and Esau] had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God's purpose of election might continue, not by works but by his call) she [Rebecca] was told, "The elder shall serve the younger." As it is written, "I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau." (Romans 9:11-13 quoting from Genesis 25:23 "...the elder shall serve the younger." and Malachi 1:2-3a "I have loved you, says the Lord. But you say, "How have you loved us?" Is not Esau Jacob's brother? says the Lord. Yet I have loved Jacob but I have hated Esau;")

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:2-12)

And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 5:10)

I have heard some very strange and heretical teaching which define the elect as a subcatagory of believers; that the elect are somehow an elite among Christians. This is similar to the Jehovah's Witness' understanding of the 144,000. THIS IS FALSE TEACHING! The Elect are the chosen ones of God are the Saints are the Christians are the Church are Israel are the Israel of God and constitute the Kingdom of God! There is no hierarchy of saints.

Limited Atonement The question is asked, "For whom did Christ die?" Did Christ die to save every person or only some? Did Christ's death make redemption certain or only possible?

John the Baptist said of Jesus, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) This statement is both positive and present tense. Jesus accomplishes, not he will accomplish or he might accomplish. In John 3:17, Jesus says, "Indeed, God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." Here both John and Jesus point out the universality of Jesus' redemption. However, this universality needs to be understood representatively, remembering that God sets aside a remnant of people to represent the whole. God saved the world during the flood through Noah and his family. "Though the number of the children of Israel were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved;..." (Romans 9:27 quoting Isaiah) and "I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal." So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. (Romans 11:4 quoting 1 Kings 19:18)

Jesus said to the Pharisees, "I lay down my life for the sheep, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep." (John 10:15, 26)

"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth." (Revelation 5:9-10)

"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our God and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever." (Revelation 11:15)

We find in scripture the understanding that the whole world, through God's elect, is saved. The saving of the elect reconciles the world to God. Jesus' death on the cross saved once and for all time all who would be saved, all who were appointed for salvation from the foundation of the world. Redemption has been accomplished, not potentially but actually for if Christ's death was meant to cover the sins of all men, then certainly He failed for certainly some men have perished. No, Christ's objective was accomplished in full in that he died for those he came to save; all of them.

See For Whom Did Christ Die? by the Puritan John Owen.

As Christians we must never suggest to non-believers that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their life. Rather scripture makes clear that there is no provision for anyone apart from Christ and the call is always general: Christ died to save sinners. God has been offended and sinners must be reconciled to Him. "Furthermore, the gospel doesn't center on whether God has some exciting plans for our lives, but on whether we will be alienated from him for eternity." (Horton) Do we preach also what Jesus taught: that we must take up our cross daily and follow him. A far cry from the common altar calls (an awful practice in the modern evangelical church.) where people are called to come forward and surrender all to Jesus. Salvation by surrender, now there's a concept! Absolutely not! Our's is a salvation by grace through faith, and not by works.

Irresistable Grace

Grace is sometimes described as God's Riches At Christ's Expense. Paul states that It is by grace that you have been saved

Perseverance of the Saints

If Christ positively accomplished his mission on the cross, then it is with certainty that his elect can know of their salvation. And if asked when I was saved I can say with confidence that I was saved 2000 years ago on a Roman cross on Golgotha Hill outside Jerusalem.

"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day." (John 6:39-40)

"My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand." (John 10:27-29)

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)

Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5: 9-11)