Why does justification by faith alone matter? Because if we discard or downplay it, we are of necessity also discarding and downplaying grace. If our works are necessary to complete our salvation, then God’s grace isn’t sufficient to save. If our gospel is to be God-glorifying, it must be God-centered. And if it is to be God-centered, it must be grace-based. That is, it must be about what God has done to save sinners, not about what sinners have done to make themselves worthy of God. Listen Now
Podcast: If You Love Me… [Foundations]
Jesus does not require anything of us poor wretched sinners except that we come to Him in faith. His love is offered freely to all who are willing to receive it. This grace compels us to obey. As Isaac Watts expressed, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.” This kind of love demands that we give everything—my soul, my life, my all. If we come to Christ with hearts brimming with love for Him, then we are ready and eager to hear these words in John 14:15, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Listen Now
Podcast: Living Faith [Foundations]
What is the relationship between faith and works? The apostle Paul taught that we are saved by grace through faith apart from works. If we are justified by faith alone, why does James say that Abraham was “justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?” Did James disagree with Paul's gospel? Listen Now
The Arminian/Calvinism Conflict and Why It Matters | Part Ten
This series is from the From the Editor's Desk column of the Sword and Trumpet. The articles were co-authored by Paul Emerson and myself. During the years following the Synod of Dordt, Calvinism settled into many of the European State Churches. Notorious among these was the Dutch Reformed Church which institutionalized a form of Calvinism … Continue reading The Arminian/Calvinism Conflict and Why It Matters | Part Ten
Podcast: Justified by Faith [Foundations]
Scripture speaks consistently of salvation coming to those who believe, those who have faith. That much is clear, but the bigger question is, “What is faith?” This episode answers that very question. Listen Now
Podcast: What Is Justification? – Part Two [Foundations]
The work of Christ by which He accomplished our justification is the linchpin of the gospel. Until our sin problem is dealt with—that sinful nature which we exercise in rebellion against God—the rest of the blessing of the gospel remain aloof. It is Christ’s atoning work on our behalf which provides not only justification but all of redemption. Listen Now
The Arminian/Calvinism Conflict and Why It Matters | Part Nine
This series is from the From the Editor's Desk column of the Sword and Trumpet. The articles were co-authored by Paul Emerson and myself. While the name Charles Finney is most often associated with the Second Great Awakening, there is another dimension of that historic movement that is much less known. In the previous essay … Continue reading The Arminian/Calvinism Conflict and Why It Matters | Part Nine
Podcast: What Is Justification? – Part One [Foundations]
To appreciate justification we must first realize who we are and where we are headed apart from Christ. Without God’s grace, we are: justly condemned to eternal judgment, under divine wrath, alienated from God, in bondage to sin and Satan, and captive to our hearts which prefer the darkness of sin to the light of Christ. Listen Now
The Arminian/Calvinism Conflict and Why It Matters | Part Eight
This series is from the From the Editor's Desk column of the Sword and Trumpet. The articles were co-authored by Paul Emerson and myself. The previous article referenced the Finney Revivals which were a part of the Second Great Awakening in America. Charles Finney represented a very radical form of Arminianism that bordered on Liberal … Continue reading The Arminian/Calvinism Conflict and Why It Matters | Part Eight
The Manger and the Cross
The unregenerate are all too happy to sing of a Jesus away in a manger. But they willfully forget that the Jesus who came in the manger suffered death for their sins. They are not offended by the baby in the manger; they are offended by the man on the cross. Read More