Tag: Sin

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 Every religion other than Christianity assumes that God’s favor (or that of the gods) is given or withdrawn based … Continue reading Three Marks of Moralistic Preaching →

A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part Five

We have one more section to deal with, which will conclude this series. In an addendum, entitled “Substitutionary Atonement and Imputed Righteousness,” Troyer critiques imputed righteousness (i.e., justification by faith). Unfortunately, this section contains the same kinds of misunderstandings present in the rest of the booklet. He does raise genuine concerns, but on the main … Continue reading A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part Five →

A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part Four

Second Roadblock  The second roadblock is a much shorter section of the booklet and doesn’t require much interaction. Troyer says, “A second roadblock to accepting the substitutionary atonement theory is the law of the leavening process of sin.” He explains that “direct contact with sin equals contamination by sin” and therefore “if sin is ascribed … Continue reading A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part Four →

A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part Three

First Roadblock, Continued Troyer argues that Christ did not appease the wrath of God by experiencing it in our place. He says, “The concept of wrath upon the Son is utterly foreign to the Scriptures.” But his view disagrees with those very Scriptures, as a quick overview will show. We need first to realize that … Continue reading A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part Three →

A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part Two

We are continuing our examination of the booklet The Gift of Redemption by Lester Troyer. Last month I wrote an introductory article wherein I laid out my approach and summarized my concerns. Readers who have not read that article are strongly encouraged to start there. Misunderstandings One of my concerns about this booklet is that … Continue reading A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part Two →

A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part One

The editors of The Sword and Trumpet recently received two copies of a new booklet on the doctrine of Christ’s atonement, entitled “The Gift of Redemption: Price or Penalty?” by Lester Troyer. Since the atonement is an issue of perennial significance, and one which has received a fair amount of attention recently, I was interested … Continue reading A Response to The Gift of Redemption – Part One →