Understanding Saving Faith Is Not Like Breaking the Enigma Code
Yesterday I was reading an author who identifies himself as a Free Grace proponent. He was talking about what saving faith is. He said that some Free Grace people say that faith is simply being persuaded. His view is that saving faith must include believing facts. The words must include bothered me. After saying that […]
“Life” in the Book of Romans
The word “life” (zoē) occurs 14 times in the Book of Romans (2:7; 5:10, 17, 18, 21; 6:4, 22, 23; 7:10; 8:2, 6, 10, 38; 11:15). The way Paul uses it in the book is a great study. Sometimes we have to be careful in order to understand exactly what he means by the word. […]
Is Your Church Shaming the Poor? (1 Corinthians 11:33)
Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God […]
Are We Being Clear If We Tell People to Receive Jesus as Their Savior?
Dr. Mark Bailey, President of Dallas Theological Seminary until last June and now Chancellor, is teaching a class on the Gospel of John that is free for online viewing. A friend sent me his discussion of John’s Prologue. In this discussion Dr. Bailey argues strongly that telling people to receive Jesus is a perfectly clear […]
How Is Jesus the Propitiation of the World? (1 John 1:5-10, 2:2, and 1 Corinthians 6:8-12)
Question How do you explain 1 John 1:5-10 and 1 Cor 6:8-12? I believe that John is speaking of salvation here. It does not seem to fit with the two-benefit view (if that is what this view is called). How is He the propitiation for the sins of the whole world but the blood of Christ […]
Why Being Pretty Sure Is Not Good Enough
Last night Sharon and I were watching a Dallas Mavericks game and a commercial caught my attention. It was a Rocket Mortgage commercial with comedian Tracy Morgan and tough guy actor Dave Bautista. A family—dad, mom, and two daughters—is looking for a house. The husband says, “I’m pretty sure we can afford this house.” Morgan […]
Think Twice Before You Start Arguing
Time is precious. You only have so much time to serve the Lord Jesus. As you follow Him, your hardest choices will not be between obedience or disobedience but between worthwhile and worthless service. Not every attempted act of service has the same value and some have no value at all! (cf. 1 Cor 3:11-15). […]
Why Isn’t Everyone in Christianity Born Again?
I came to faith in Christ for my eternal salvation nearly fifty years ago in September of 1972. Back then all of us Jesus people (as we were called) were concerned for everyone within Christendom who did not have “a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” The Jesus movement as a whole was quite diverse. Not […]
Don’t Confuse Coming to Jesus with Coming After Jesus
Knowing the difference between salvation and discipleship can make all the difference to your Christian walk. And confusing the two can be devastating to it. Lucas Kitchen wrote a neat little book on this difference (see here). You see, God wants you to be eternally saved. And He also wants you to be a disciple. […]
How on Earth Did John the Baptist Not Know Jesus?
C. M. makes this insightful comment with questions: In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, the apostle tells us that John the Baptist declares twice “I did not know Him,” referring to Jesus. In verse 26, he also states that John the Baptist told the priests and Levites that there stood one among […]