How Do You Know You’ve Done God’s Will Re. Salvation? (Matthew 7:21-23)
A reader from Europe asks, I have two questions about Free Grace Theology and Matt 7:21-23. First, you say in your book Secure and Sure that the problem in Matt 7:21-23 is that they did not believe in Jesus for eternal life. But how is this compatible with John 8:24, “I told you that you […]
Do You Know Jesus’ True Value? (John 12:1-8)
“Do you know what you’re worth?” the ad asked. Our self-esteem culture strongly emphasizes knowing your self-worth—at least in terms of dollars and cents. You can find websites that tell you how much you should be making per year. I think most are too optimistic. For example, I was surprised to learn that, according to […]
When Did Faith in Jesus Become Necessary?
At our recent national conference, Colby wrote this excellent question, but there simply was not time to get to it, so I will now: Did people prior to the introduction of Jesus in Matthew 3:17, who previously believed in the coming Messiah for everlasting life, have to now believe in Jesus who has been revealed […]
You Have Much to Unlearn
I recently watched a skit of a young woman asking her father about becoming an actress. The dialog went like this: “Dad, do you think I should move to L.A. and get into acting?” “No.” “So…maybe?” “No, it’s a bad idea.” “I hear you say, ‘Yes.’” “No, absolutely not!” “Oh, Dad, I’m so glad you […]
Missed Opportunity (Joseph of Arimathea, John 19:38)
There is nobody who has ever lived past the age of 12 who can look at his life and say that he didn’t miss a golden opportunity. We can all recognize that we made poor decisions that would prove costly later. When I joined the military, new recruits were given the chance to join the […]
When Culture Seeks Revenge, the Church Seeks the Good (1 Thessalonians 5:15)
Someone asked me how to cultivate a “culture of grace” in his church. That is precisely the right kind of question to ask. Grace should not only define the saving message (Eph 2:8-9), but the entire Christian life, including church life. Paul said we are no longer under law but under grace (Rom 6:14), and […]
Can Believers Get Away with Murder?
Very few people in Evangelicalism believe in the doctrine of eternal rewards. Most think that the Judgment Seat of Christ is another name for the Great White Throne judgment. In their view, everyone will appear before Christ and have his works evaluated. Those whose works are good enough to prove that they were faithful followers […]
Why You Can’t Help Everyone and Shouldn’t Try
You can’t help everyone. You may want to. You may think you need to. And your consistent inability to meet every single genuine need around you may disappoint you. After all, the people around you are hurting, with problems, challenges, and questions to address. But do they all need to be addressed by you? You […]
Not Impressed?
For most of us, there is a tendency to be impressed when we meet people of accomplishment. The world certainly has its ways of measuring the greatness of individuals. The same thing is true in the Christian world. When we speak of pastors, for example, we often measure greatness by the size of that pastor’s […]
Don’t Complain About One Another (James 5:9)
C. S. Lewis once said, “Hell begins with a grumbling mood, always complaining, always blaming others.” You don’t have to agree with Lewis’s eschatology to know that grumbling is ungodly. Sad to say, James had to warn his readers against it—providing us with another “one another” command: Therefore be patient, brothers and sisters, until the […]