Robert H. Gundry’s Confusing Definition of Faith in John 3:16
Every Sunday, millions of Christians hear a confusing gospel message. I’m not talking about a false gospel message. A false gospel is where everlasting life is made to depend on faith plus. Faith plus love. Faith plus fasting. Faith plus baptism. Faith plus repentance. Faith plus belonging to this or that denomination. Faith plus […]
Refreshing Grace: God’s Will, Our Will, in Focus
Refreshing Grace: God’s Will, Our Will, in Focus. By John Correia. Phoenix, AZ: Biblical Framework Press, 2012. 192 pp. Paper, $14.99. One of the solutions to reconciling God’s sovereignty and human responsibility in salvation is the doctrine of middle knowledge, sometimes known as “Molinism” after Luis de Molina, who first articulated the idea. John Correia’s […]
Jewish Genius And The Existence Of God
“I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing nations. If I were an atheist of the other sect, […]
If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person
If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person. By Philip Gulley and James Mulholland. San Francisco, CA: Harper, 2010. 256 pages. Paper, $14.99. The authors are liberal Quaker ministers. Though the book is co-authored, they write in the first-person singular. As the subtitle indicates, they argue for universalism. “I believe God will save […]
Don’t Base Your Assurance on Feelings
I was recently teaching a class on Genesis 1 when I read this question in the leader’s guide: “Ask: How does knowing that God created everything make you feel?” I remember when teachers used to ask, “What do you think about that?” Or “what do you believe about that?” Now it’s all about feelings. You’d […]
Have You Heard a Confusing Gospel?
Did you understand the gospel the first time you heard it? I sure didn’t. I was in church sporadically for at least five years before it ever clicked for me. I don’t know why I didn’t understand it right away. Was it because I wasn’t spiritually ready to hear it? Was it because no one […]
Stay on the Path! The Final Warning (Hebrews 12:12-29)
The last time Abby and I went hiking, we nearly died. We went for a weekend getaway to Beavers Bend State Park in Oklahoma and decided to hike a trail called the “Skyline,” which, at seven miles, was the longest one on the map. “Easy,” we thought. Abby ran marathons. I often walked six to […]
“Jesus For You”- Gerhard Forde on Proclaiming the Promises of God
Shawn C. Lazar Associate Editor Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society Corinth, TX I. INTRODUCTION It is no secret that Western society has become increasingly secular.1 The world has become disenchanted.2 The ancient cathedrals are empty. Many churches, especially mainstream ones, are slowly dying. And there are even calls to banish theology—once considered the queen […]
Are You Saved? The Orthodox Christian Process of Salvation
Are You Saved? The Orthodox Christian Process of Salvation. Fifth Edition. By Barbara Pappas. Westchester, IL: Amnos Publications, 2006. 63 pp. Paper, NP. Evangelicals often ask questions like, “Are you saved?” “What is meant by salvation?” and “What must I do to be saved?” But these questions are not normally asked by Eastern Orthodox parishioners. […]
The Swedish Pietists: A Reader
The Swedish Pietists: A Reader. Edited and trans. by Mark Safstrom. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2015. 237 pp. Paper, $28.00 From the early 1880s to the beginnings of the 20th century, the Lutheran state churches in Scandinavia experienced a spiritual awakening comparable to those in America. Two of the most important leaders in that movement […]