51% Faith?
The Bible knows nothing of degrees of faith.1 Either a person believes something, or he does not. For example, when she was asked by Jesus, “Do you believe this?” Martha didn’t speak of her percentage of certainty. She confidently asserted her conviction that she indeed believed what Jesus had just said (John 11:27). That, however, […]
Eternal Security and the Stanley Cup
This story can be found at www.carolinahurricanes.com . Recently, the Carolina Hurricanes, formerly known as the Hartford Whalers, won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history by beating the Edmonton Oilers. While the fans in Raleigh, NC were as excited as ever, Glen Wesley was also exuberant, but he has his priorities in order. Wesley, […]
Work Out Your Salvation: Vindication at the Bema (Phil 2:12)
Paul’s Letter to the Philippians Is Heavily Concerned with the Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema) Understanding why an author is writing is vital to understanding what he means. Only in the last few years have I realized that in Philippians, Paul’s overriding concern is that his readers will be vindicated at the Judgment Seat of […]
Readers Ask about Eternal Security and Evangelism
I’ve received many calls and emails about my Mar-April article on the necessity of belief in eternal security. Three questions in particular need clarification. I wasn’t saying that if you’ve never believed that assurance is of the essence of saving faith, you’ve not yet been born again. One reader wondered that since I admitted to […]
Take My Yoke Upon You And Find Rest—Matt 11:28-30
Earlier this year, my wife and I heard Chuck Swindoll speak on this passage. His explanation led to some fruitful discussion between Sharon and me. Swindoll took a view I’d not heard before. He suggested that all three of these verses concern discipleship. Lordship Salvation advocates normally understand these three verses to all refer to […]
Calvinism’s Resurgence Leaves Many Vulnerable to Bad Doctrine
by Brian Fisher* The spiritual hunger of college-aged men and women has manifested itself in recent years through a ministry called Passion led by Louie Giglio. In January of 1997 two thousand students attended the first Passion Conference in Austin, Texas. In January of 1998 five thousand students attended the second conference. In January […]
Practical Objections to the Necessity of Belief in Eternal Security
The issue of when eternal life starts came to the forefront in our annual conference this year (Feb 27-Mar 2, 2006). Both Zane Hodges and Bob Bryant said that if a person has never been sure that he is eternally secure by faith in Jesus, then he has not yet been born again. Yet an […]
The One Who Believes: Is Continuous Faith Required to be Born Again?
One argument I hear a lot is that since the Scriptures often refer to believing in Jesus using the present tense, this means that only those who endure in faith in Christ until death “truly believe.” Often the present articular participle is cited. That is the expression ho pisteuōn in Greek. It means the one […]
Does God Allow Returns of Eternal Life?
My wife is a recovering bulimic shopper. One weekend she would buy five outfits. The next weekend she would return four of them and get her money back. Our MasterCard bill always had lots of credits on it. Sharon rarely bought anything in a store with a no-return policy. She wanted the ability to return […]
Change: It’s Not Mission Impossible
by René A. Lopez For some, a radical life change is “Mission: Impossible,” especially if their track record reads like a grocery list. Mine certainly did. In only five years, from 1986 to 1991, I was arrested almost forty times for criminal activity ranging from burglary, grand theft and armed robbery to cocaine possession and […]