The Rich Man, Lazarus, and Samuel
One of the central texts in the debate over hell is Luke 16—the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Actually, whether or not this is a parable is part of the debate. People who deny eternal conscious torment deny that Jesus’ story depicts a real situation. For example, many annihilationists want to deny it […]
The Challenge of Having a Biblical Worldview
Tonight I’m speaking at a high school Bible study for our church. Several of those attending are seniors who plan to start college in September. The underclassmen all plan to go to college after high school. Steve Elkins, a Free Grace pastor in the area, has in previous studies walked this group through many problem […]
Where Did Abraham Go When He Died (Gen 25:8-9; Luke 16:22-23)?
I am about a third of the way into writing my book about hell, tentatively entitled, Final Punishment: A Biblical Case for Conscious Eternal Torment. I’m hoping to finish by the 2019 National Conference. There is so much interesting Biblical information about death and the afterlife in the Bible. The picture is far more complicated […]
My First Year in Seminary*
Sharon and I drove by ourselves the long drive from Raleigh to Dallas. I drove the U Haul truck with our stuff. She drove her car. This was before the days of cell phones. So, we had to watch each other. Carefully. We were to meet a DTS couple who had volunteered to host us […]
Naming Grace
“So why did you start coming to this church?” the man asked. “When I moved to Denton, I started looking for a church, and I saw this one was ‘country-friendly,’” I explained. “I figured if I was going to be in North Texas, I should get that country experience. Of course, I asked the pastor […]
Is Jesus Our Father (Isaiah 9:6)?
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). My sister asked me whether I thought songs which call Jesus our Father are incorrect. If God […]
Is the Church Prophesied in the Old Testament?
“…by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy […]
Owning Our Theology
In 1 John 3:15, John writes, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” Those of us in the Free Grace movement maintain that this verse deals with fellowship with the Lord. A believer can indeed hate his brother. If he does, he is out […]
The Snow Beneath Your Feet
This winter break I kept my promise to Zane and Daphne and took them to Canada. I was only supposed to take Daphne, but I managed to save up enough for Zane, too. The trip went great. We stayed with my sister in her apartment. My family planned everything for me. I told them some […]
Sex and Salvation
As the saying goes, “Now that I’ve got your attention…” I came up with an illustration about the role of good works in the Christian life. Maybe it will help you explain it to your congregation, friend, or family member who is struggling with the grace message. It’s a little risqué, but I think it […]