What a Disability Can Teach
by Dick Peik I became a Christian in 1959 while in college, attended theological seminary, and then pastored for nearly 30 years. In 1980 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (the slowly regressing type). My teaching ended in 1987 as my speech became increasingly slurred. Presently (2002) my whole body has been affected, but not […]
Eternal Security – Crucial in Evangelism and Discipleship
A few weeks ago a reader asked whether it is enough to tell people that if they believe in Jesus they will go to heaven, without talking with them first about eternal security and all of its implications. The questioner indicated that more people might respond positively to trusting Christ for eternal salvation if we […]
What Are They Teaching?
by Scott Paige Marshall, Texas I can remember back to my teen years when I wanted to borrow the family car and stay the night at a friend’s house. I knew I needed to ask my parents for permission. Always concerned that I might not get my request, I would think about how to phrase […]
Waiting patiently for Him
by Jeff Ropp (Norwalk, IA) I don’t like to wait, do you? We live in such a “hurry-up” society. At the airport where I work as a security officer, people don’t like to wait for us to inspect their car trunks before entering the parking garage. They express impatience by honking their horn, shouting obscenities, […]
The Time to Prepare for Tomorrow Is Today
by Keith Krell What if you discovered that how you live your life has significance for all eternity? I am convinced that this is true, and this understanding has radically altered the way I live each day. At a young age, I believed the truth that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins. […]
Repentance and the Rich Man in Luke 16:30
Recently a GIF reader asked whether Luke 16:30 teaches that repentance is a condition of receiving eternal life. In Luke 16:30 there was a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. They both died. The rich man went to the portion of Hades apportioned for those who are eternally condemned. At some point he looked […]
Salvation by Faith Alone: A Look at Mark 5:21-43
By Doros Zachariades In his book The Miracles of our Lord, Dr. Charles Ryrie makes this important observation about the healings and miracles that Jesus performed: The main purpose of the miracles was to teach, to reveal…[but] the miracles also remind us of the consequences of sin—sickness, blindness, death—and of the power of the Lord […]
Interpreting Hebrews: Beginning with the Readers
This article formerly appeared as GraceNote 15 in the Spring 2002 issue of the GraceLife Newsletter. by Charlie Bing Many find Hebrews a difficult book to interpret. Perhaps the greatest difficulty is in interpreting the five warning passages (2:1-4; 3:7–4:13; 6:1-8; 10:26-39; 12:25-29). Many commentators treat these as warnings to those unbelievers among the readers. […]
An Enormous Debt Forgiven Part 2
In the first part of this article (Jan/Feb 2002 Grace in Focus), we considered what forgiveness is. We saw that forgiveness is graciously letting go of an offense. It is a vital fellowship issue. In the concluding portion of this article, we will consider what forgiveness is not. Not the Removal of Consequences The Corinthian […]
Testing the Spirits in Evangelism
The most God-honoring and lasting act of kindness one person can do for another is to attempt to lead that person to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. When we share the gospel, we are engaging in spiritual warfare. Satan tries to “blind the mind” of the unbeliever; he snatches away “misunderstood” truths (Matt 13:19), […]