Carnality, Spirituality, and Fellowship with God – 1 Corinthians 3:1–3
In recent years the question, “What exactly is a ‘carnal Christian?’” has come under sharp debate. While some say that while Christians do sin, their lives are never dominated by sin. For instance, in a recent book one author devotes a fair amount of attention to debunk what he calls “the myth of the carnal […]
Glad You Asked!
What happens when a person is having difficulty finding a church home because of what they believe? How do I uphold my beliefs regarding the gospel of our Lord Jesus and avoid forsaking assembling with others when I find that the message is different from what I believe to be true? Should I give to […]
Head Faith, Heart Faith, and Mind Games
Editor’s note: The following article is adapted from Chapter One of the book Confident in Christ: Living by Faith Really Works (Irving, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 1999). When many people evangelize, they attempt to persuade their listener that saving faith is unlike any other kind of faith. It is unique in that it includes things […]
The Final Judgment
In John’s well-known description of the Final Judgment in Revelation 20:11-14, we do not even find a reference to sins, much less a reference to unforgiven sins. Instead, we are told, “the dead were judged acording to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (Rev 20:12; italics added). To be sure, […]
Why Good Works Are Important – Part 2
In the last issue we addressed the assertions by some that Grace theology downplays the importance of good works in the believer’s life. We saw seven reasons why this charge is inaccurate. We believe that good works are important: to help others, to avoid God’s discipline, to have abundant life, to gain and maintain God’s […]
Loosening the Tie that Binds: The Issue of Living Doctrinal Statements
In a message delivered at Hillsdale College, Charles Kesler writes concerning the Constitution, “The principle that binds our political parties together—as it binds American citizens together—is allegiance to the Constitution.”1 For years the U.S. Supreme Court has made decisions regarding what is constitutional. While some justices have concentrated on the original intent of the framers, […]
Why Good Works Are Important
In a world filled with conflicting interpretations of what one must do to be saved, it is my conviction, and that of GES, that good works are not necessary for a person to be justified before God. Because justification is by faith alone in Christ alone, good works play absolutely no role in our salvation. […]
Simon Magus: Believer or Unbeliever? – Acts 8:12-24
This article, which has been slightly modified, was printed originally in The Reign of the Servant Kings: A Study of Eternal Security and the Final Significance of Man (Hayesville, NC: Schoettle Publishing Co., 1992), pp. 327-28, and is used by permission. by Jody Dillow Under the preaching of Philip, a magician named Simon Magus believed […]
My Testimony Wasn’t Good Enough!
How a Membership Interview Changed My Life By Kevin Gafford I’ve spent a lifetime trying to stay focused on, and close to, God. I’ve been at church every time the doors were open, taught classes, worked with youth, led worship, served on the committees, etc. I’ve been living in fear for that same lifetime, that […]
Revelation 3:20– A Call to Fellowship
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). Revelation 3:20 has been used by many as an evangelistic verse. Indeed for years I used it as such in my personal […]