Do We Need to Preach Repentance When We Share Christ with Someone?
Bob (not me) asks this important question: “Must the gospel message include a call for people to repent of their sins?” If by “the gospel message” we mean the message of justification by faith alone that Paul defends in Galatians, the answer is no. The words repent and repentance are not found even once in […]
When in Doubt, Go Big
It is not surprising that we live in a world that has a defective view of God. Even those who believe a Creator exists do not understand the extent of His promises, as well as His ability to accomplish them, as found in the Bible. For example, for many people, the concept of heaven is […]
The Race to the Bottom (Jeremiah 30:6)
Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale? Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s […]
What Part Do Works Play in Assurance of Salvation?
B. P. asks, “Is evidence of a changed life an important indication of whether a person is truly born again?” Most Evangelicals say that their assurance of salvation requires an ongoing self-examination of our works. They reason in this way: Major premise: Only those who persevere in faith and good works will gain final salvation. […]
Trying Something New (Acts 10:14)
Except for people with serious mental problems, nobody likes to exercise. However, I was in the military for the majority of my life, so I didn’t have a choice. Exercise usually involved running. To make it as painless as possible, I incorporated certain things into the routine. Sometimes I would run with fellow soldiers and […]
Who Is Free Grace, According to GES?
Another good question that resulted from a recent post at the GES Facebook page was this: “Who, according to GES, can be termed Free Grace?” The GES view of what Free Grace Theology (FGT) is and who holds to it is different from the views of many who use that same terminology. I will compare […]
Let’s Hear It for the Little Guy (Mark 15:43-47)
Americans love heroes. We love to root for people who succeed in the face of adversity. Our love for sports superstars is an example. But the Bible points out that the unknown little guy is often more deserving of our admiration. Three little guys are found at the end of Mark 15. If we were […]
Can We Believe in a Promise If We Do Not Know What Is Promised?
A theologian who does short-term missionary teaching made an interesting suggestion in a 2018 article. He wrote: If eternal security must be the object of one’s belief, why is it spoken of as a result in passages designed to assure those who believe? In John 5:24 the object of belief is “Him who sent Me” and the […]
Don’t Leave Out a Word (Jeremiah 26:2)
One of the areas all Christians struggle with is how to determine what issues we should fight for and which ones we can let go. Specifically, how should we deal with other believers when we disagree on points of theology? All of us agree that Christians can, and often do, fight over trivial issues. These […]
Another Follow-up Question on Matthew 16:16-19 Binding and Loosing
Brad asks a great question about a recent blog on binding and loosing (see here and the follow up, here): Good blog! One question, though. The church was nowhere in sight (it was still a secret) when Jesus spoke those words to Peter. The word translated church could be translated gathering or assembly. It was […]