Fellowship with God and One Another
Fellowship with God depends, in part, on fellowship with other believers. Let me offer two short proofs for the claim, one positive and one negative. First, the positive proof is that John says that fellowship with the apostolic circle implies fellowship with God: “that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that […]
Pastors Who Give Several Different Salvation Messages
The good questions keep on coming. One reader asks, “Have you ever come across pastors who are well known that give differing salvation messages? It seems that sometimes they’ll give the correct, Biblical salvation, but at other times they will give salvation by works. I don’t understand. If they give the Biblical, faith-alone salvation, why […]
Assurance and Belief in Predestination
I received a letter asking a great question: “Does the doctrine of predestination destroy one’s assurance of salvation? How can he ever have assurance if he is not sure he is predestined to be saved?” The short answer is that he can’t be sure he has everlasting life. Predestination to salvation is a doctrine held […]
Supporting Ministries Is Rewardable (2 John 8-11)
Be careful what ministries you support. I am sure you know the Bible teaches God will reward you based on the works you’ve done: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or […]
The Role of Dreams and Visions in Muslims Coming to Faith in Christ
Pastor Bob Vacendak and I were talking on the phone the other day. The subject of Muslims reportedly seeing Jesus in dreams and visions came up. We had a nice discussion. The next day Bob sent me an article by Sam Martyn (a pseudonym) entitled, “The Role of Pre-Conversion Dreams and Visions in Islamic Contexts: […]
Grace vs Permissiveness
I was recently chatting with an Episcopal priest about grace. He was very nice, and it was a pleasure talking to him. I asked how the message of grace was received in the Episcopal church. He suggested that while the Episcopal church is not very theological—in that people are not talking about and debating theology—he […]
From Devout Roman Catholic to Agnostic
My sister sent me a blog about a Washington Post article by Jared Bilski entitled, “I’m not passing my parents’ religion on to my kids, but I am teaching their values.” You can read the article here. The blog, by Dr. Jim Denison, covered four main points. You can read his blog here. Bilski grew […]
The Grandeur of Salvation
Have you ever visited the Grand Canyon? Weren’t you in awe of it? John Wesley Powell said, “The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself. The resources of the graphic art are taxed beyond their powers in attempting to portray its features. Language and illustration […]
Fire Insurance Evangelism
Many object to the practice of some evangelists who say that if you believe in Jesus, then you will be saved from eternal condemnation. They say that is just fire insurance. John Piper has a November 8, 2017, post entitled, “Jesus Isn’t Your Insurance Policy” (see here). He writes, What is this [saving] faith?…It is […]
God Exists (Believer’s Systematic Theology)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). In the beginning—before the beginning of you, me, or anything else—God existed. But where? And how? And what does it mean for God to exist? Is God just another thing in the universe? Some people think so. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the […]