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. Throughout church history the two truths of the free will of man and the sovereignty of God have often been presented as oppositional to one another. Whole systems of dogmatic theology … Continue reading The Arminian/Calvinism Conflict and Why It Matters | Part One
Tag: Gospel
Podcast: Hold Fast to Christ – Hebrews 4:14-16 [Expositions]
Persevering faith is not oriented inward, where we dig in, work harder, and do better. Rather, it is oriented outward. Our faith—our confidence—is in Christ. We are to hold fast our confession that Christ has accomplished salvation for us and we will be saved if we put our faith in Him. Listen Now
Podcast: Naked Before God – Hebrews 4:11-13 [Expositions]
Scripture reveals who we really are. It cuts through our facades, exposing our true selves. When it works on us, we are laid bare before God. Though we may be able to maintain a veneer of righteousness in our own efforts, Scripture peels it back and uncovers our sinful hearts. And in the final judgment, it will reveal our sin before the thrice-holy God. Not one thing can be hidden from Scripture’s razor scalpel. It “is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Listen Now
Podcast: Rest in Christ – Hebrews 4:1-10 [Expositions]
In Christ we find rest from the toil of self-righteousness—our striving to be good enough, our attempts to atone for our own sins. True rest, gospel rest, is experienced when we come to Christ, believing in Him, trusting in Him, and receiving the good things God offers us in Him. Listen Now
God Loves to Save Sinners
Grace saves us from sin. It is God’s benevolence, His goodwill, which reaches down and pulls us out of the muck of our sin. But the gospel is more than salvation from sin. It is salvation to God. Read More
Podcast: FEATURE – The Six Gospels [Touchpoints]
What we believe about the gospel is important. Actually, important is an understatement. The gospel is the very core of the Christian faith. What we believe about the gospel is one of the single defining realities of Christianity. In fact, what we believe about the gospel makes the difference of heaven or hell. This feature episode is an in-depth look at different views of the gospel, focusing especially on the concepts of justification and sanctification. Listen Now
Podcast: God Loves to Save Sinners [Touchpoints]
God does not save because He has to; He saves because He wants to. And it is His joy. He does not save begrudgingly; God loves to save sinners. Hebrews says Christ went willingly to the cross. In fact, He rejoiced despite the shame. He wanted to save sinners, and He freely gave His life to redeem us. Listen Now
Liberal Conservatives
As Anabaptists, we typically think of the conservative/liberal paradigm in terms of outward appearance. We need a paradigm adjustment. Read More
Podcast: Liberal Conservatives [Touchpoints]
Liberals look just like the rest of us. Listen Now