Rejecting the Language of Monergism and Synergism
As Free Grace people, most of us want to be strict Biblicists. We are not tied to, or at least try not to be tied to, the language of prior theologians or theological traditions. We want to be Biblical through and through. And that often means rejecting commonly used terms. I was reminded of this […]
Free Will and Eternal Security
A friend sent me this second-hand question: “Question from a friend online: ‘If God desires for us to always have free will, why would He not allow us to give back the free gift of eternal life if we so choose?’” How would you answer that? My answer involves two counter questions. Does God really […]
Look Only at the Lord (Matthew 14:30)
I have a devotional by Watchman Nee called The Lord Is My Portion. In the reading for January 22nd, Nee meditates on Matt 14:30, which reads: But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” Nee makes this comment: In walking […]
Confusing Comments Concerning Certain Salvation
A friend sent me a Jan 8, 2011, blog by Dr. Michael Heiser. You can see it here. It is entitled, “Election, Salvation, Unbelief, and Eternal Security.” I’ve read several articles by Heiser and found most of them to be outstanding. I am part way into his book Angels and have found it helpful. I’ve […]
An Elder’s Library Starter Kit
In his booklet Shepherd the Flock, Donald Norbie summarizes the qualifications of an elder, one of which is being “able to teach” (1 Tim 3:2). The elder should be able to teach God’s Word, but to do that, he must become a man of the Book, which takes time and discipline: This means he will […]
You Can Keep Them (Daniel 5:17)
We all know the stories about Daniel. He was a faithful servant of the Lord during a trying time in Israel’s history. He had been taken captive when he was a teenager and lived the rest of his life in Babylon. When we get to chap. 5, Daniel is a man in his 80s. The […]
Becoming a Man of the Book
Are you an elder? Do you hope to become one? Are you trying to raise them up in your church? If so, Donald Norbie has some practical advice. In his booklet, Shepherd the Flock, Norbie summarizes the qualifications and functions of the elder. One qualification is being “able to teach” (1 Tim 3:2). Teach what? […]
Circumcision Is a Seal of Righteousness by Faith (Romans 4:11)
“And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also…” Today was a rainy and cold day in Dallas. And I […]
Nine Reliable Evidences of Justification by Faith apart from Works (Romans 3:28)
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” While working on a book on one hundred verses which prove that salvation is by faith alone, apart from works, I came across an interesting explanation of what Paul meant in Rom 3:28 when he concluded “that a […]
Doctrinal Emotive Behavior Therapy in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
On Sunday morning, I had “house church” with the kids. They liked it. We gathered together, sang a Psalm; Daphne read the Scripture (Luke 12:32-34), and we started discussing it. The kids had been fighting over toys recently, so we discussed the reason why. Why do they find it so hard to share their toys? […]