A Short Apologetic Here we are again, talking about justification by faith. If you keep up with this column, you know that I have written about this doctrine frequently over the last few years. Why another article on the same issue? Isn’t this merely a theological nicety? It may be important for accurate theology, but … Continue reading Did the Early Anabaptists Believe in Justification by Faith Alone?
Tag: Gospel
Common Objections to Justification by Faith Alone
Justification by faith alone is on hard times among the Anabaptists. Some set it aside because they think it is evangelical or Reformed. Others hesitate to accept it because they think that emphasizing the sinner’s righteousness in Christ encourages people to remain comfortable in their sin. After all, if we are accepted by God because … Continue reading Common Objections to Justification by Faith Alone
Three Marks of Moralistic Preaching
What Is Moralism? Moralism is thinking that God loves good people most. Or we could say, it’s thinking that God’s love for you is primarily determined by how well you obey Him. This mindset is pervasive. Every religion other than Christianity assumes that God’s favor (or that of the gods) is given or withdrawn based … Continue reading Three Marks of Moralistic Preaching
Fighting Anxiety – Philippians 4:6-7
Becoming Like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Spiritual growth happens as the Spirit shows us the glory of Jesus and by that sight changes us into His image.
How to Know if You Are a Christian (2 Corinthians 13:5)
How can you know if your faith is genuine? In this sermon from 2 Corinthians 13:5 we examine how the Apostle Paul instructs his readers to test themselves to see if they are united to Christ. The goals for this sermon are (1) that those who have not found salvation in Christ would run to Him and (2) that those who have would find greater confidence in Him.
What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Ten
In this final article I want to draw your attention to one more aspect of our mission statement. We are committed to the “gospel as revealed in the Holy Scriptures.” We take the Bible as our ultimate authority, over all philosophy and every tradition and system. The Bible defines the gospel we proclaim. It is … Continue reading What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Ten
What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Nine
Our mission statement describes our commitment to defend, promote, and proclaim the gospel. So far, we’ve mostly talked about our approach: How do we defend the gospel? How do we promote the gospel? How do we proclaim the gospel? Now I want us to notice that this approach is focused on a specific set of … Continue reading What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Nine
What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Eight
In the previous editorial in this series, I said that the best antidote to false teaching is a steady diet of the real thing. I would like to explore that thought a bit more. We at The Sword and Trumpet aim to promote the health of the church by defending the gospel (as explored in … Continue reading What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Eight
What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Seven
Though we have often needed to oppose doctrinal error, our primary motive is not to eradicate falsehood but rather to make much of the truth. Error is concerning because it threatens the truth. It obscures the gospel and distorts our perception of Christ. Though it can seem like we’re being crotchety and critical, we oppose … Continue reading What is The Sword and Trumpet? – Part Seven