Two Reasons to Hate Sola Fide
I have been preaching through Galatians. We just finished chapter 2. I was struck by v 16 and how emphatically Paul insisted that a man is not justified by works of the Law, but through faith in Christ: knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in […]
Ghost Writers Often Confuse the Issue in Saving Faith, Even Billy Graham’s Ghost Writers
A reader sent me an article dated August 28, 2018 from The Commercial Appeal. I think this is from the Memphis paper. The article is entitled, “It is not enough for us to just ‘believe in Jesus Christ.’” A question is given: “My friend asked me to become a Christian and said all I had […]
One Mediator, Two Directions
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim 2:5). Jesus is the Mediator, and His mediation works in two directions. First, Jesus mediates God to you. You do not “see” the Father’s glory directly, but through Christ: And the Word became flesh, and dwelt […]
The Master’s University and Seminary Put on Academic Probation
At church yesterday a friend told me that The Master’s University and Seminary (= TMUS) has been put on academic probation by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (=WASC), TMUS’ regional accrediting agency. Then when I opened my email this morning, a friend sent me a link to a ninety minute video blog by […]
Free Grace Theology Is Really Important (Mark 4:13)
At the end of the Parable of the Four Soils in Mark 4, the disciples asked the Lord to explain the parable to them. He does so, but before explaining the parable, He asks them a couple of questions. “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?” (Mark 4:13). […]
I’m Interested in Everything
I’m interested in just about everything. There are several languages I want to learn really well—Modern Greek, Koine, Hebrew, Afrikaans, German, Swedish, and Spanish for starters. There are many instruments I’d love to learn to play well—the marimba, piano, ukulele, trumpet, and the Hammond B3 organ. I want to become a better painter and illustrator. […]
When Errors in the Bible Are Not Really Errors
Today I read the June 2018 issue of JETS, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. ETS was started in 1949 to promote the truth that the Bible has no errors in it. I graduated from seminary in 1982. At that time there were two views regarding errors in the Bible: 1) there are no errors […]
Murdering…the Poor? (James 4:2)
Did you know that James accused his readers of murder? Yes—murder! “You lust and do not have; so you commit murder” (James 4:2, emphasis added). Was he being literal or metaphorical? You might think he must be using “murder” metaphorically because believers cannot possibly commit murder. Actually, they can! King David is the prime example […]
Faith is the Sole Condition…Or Not: Thomas Oden on John Wesley
Thomas C. Oden was a leading Wesley scholar and Methodist theologian. If all you read are Calvinist authors, I think you would appreciate Oden. Many of us in the Free Grace movement are far closer to Wesleyan theology than we are to Calvinist theology. For example, we both believe that God loves everyone, Jesus died […]
What Is Ultra Dispensationalism?
I was taught Dispensationalism at Dallas Theological Seminary (1978-85). That is the view that there is a distinction between Israel and the Church, that the Church began in Acts 2, and that God has had different laws and expectations for people during the six dispensations until now (innocence, conscience, human government, promise, Law of Moses, […]