Did John’s Readers Lack Assurance? Re-Examining 1 John 5:13
Someone recently challenged the idea that assurance is of the essence of saving faith by quoting 1 John 5:13. That question has been answered before (see here and here). But I’d like to put an answer in my own words. The verse in question reads: These things I have written to you who believe in […]
¿Puedes confiar en la sencillez de la salvación?
“Las comidas gratuitas no existen.” “Si parece demasiado bueno para ser verdad, probablemente no lo es.” “Nada es tan simple como parece.” Todos esos son los proverbios comunes en los Estados Unidos que reflejan nuestra sabiduría colectiva en cuanto a las ofertas dudosas. Irónicamente, esas mismas ideas han causado que muchas personas duden de la […]
La Enormidad y la Naturaleza Esquiva del Arrepentimiento
Siempre que oigo decir que el arrepentimiento es una condición para la salvación eterna, pienso en San Sisoes el Grande (m. 429). Sisoes fue uno de los primeros grandes monásticos, sucesor de San Antonio, que vivió en lo profundo del desierto de Scetis, en una zona conocida hoy como Uadi Natrun. Pienso en Sisoes debido […]
A Prayer for 2021 (Ephesians 1:18-19a)
At the beginning of last year, you probably heard a sermon series that punned on 2020. There were titles such as “20/20 Vision,” or “God’s Vision for 2020,” “2020: Clear Vision for your Life,” or “Give us 20/20 in 2020.” And whatever vision or plan was presented in that sermon series was probably completely wrong! […]
Dos aspectos de la cruz
He comenzado a trabajar en serio en mi próximo libro. Como continuación de mi libro anterior, Chosen to Serve [Elegido para servir]—que trataba con la doctrina de elección—mi próximo libro mostrará que tanto la Expiación Limitada como la Expiación Ilimitada deben estar rechazadas debido al hecho de que ambas doctrinas asumen (erróneamente) que los beneficios […]
Do Not Trust in Politicians
Did you ever notice that the New Testament barely mentions the names or actions of the ruling authorities of the day? For example, during the time of Jesus, Caesar Augustus was leading the Roman Republic into its epoch-making transformation into the Roman Empire. Humanly speaking, that was one of the most important events in history, […]
De Harán a Moriah: el crecimiento espiritual lleva tiempo
Me frustra mi falta de crecimiento espiritual. Pero luego pienso en Abraham. En Santiago 2, leemos: ¿No fue justificado por las obras Abraham nuestro padre, cuando ofreció a su hijo Isaac sobre el altar? ¿No ves que la fe actuó juntamente con sus obras, y que la fe se perfeccionó por las obras? Y se […]
Can You Trust in Simple Salvation?
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” “Nothing is as simple as it seems.” Those are all common American proverbs that reflect our collective wisdom about dubious offers. However, those are also the ideas that lead many people to doubt the promise of eternal […]
Segurança eterna–a prova indireta de Moisés
“Meio trabalho não vale nada.” Você já se sentiu um fracasso em seu serviço a Deus? Você já contou o tempo que perdeu, pensando nas coisas que deixou de fazer e se perguntando como isso poderia afetar sua posição eterna aos olhos de Deus? Certamente Moisés se sentiu assim. Embora ele fosse um homem de […]
George Fox on Grace Before Godliness
George Fox was the organizer, if not the founder, of Quakerism, officially known as The Society of Friends. He traveled throughout Britain and the Caribbean, taking his message to whomever would listen and organizing the bands of followers who left the day’s official churches to worship more simply. Fox’s Journal is very interesting, if for […]