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
Tag: Sin
Does Justification Matter? | Part Two
Every Christian has, at some point, questioned whether or not he is truly saved. We all deal with doubt. How do we navigate the swamps of doubt and fear back to the sure footing of God’s grace? Read More
The Arminian/Calvinism Conflict and Why It Matters | Part Thirteen
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. Perhaps the main takeaway from this series is our need to keep Scripture central in all things. Christian thought throughout history is fraught with division between men, often caused by too … Continue reading The Arminian/Calvinism Conflict and Why It Matters | Part Thirteen
The Arminian/Calvinism Conflict and Why It Matters | Part Twelve
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. As we move toward the conclusion of this summary, it is the hope of the writers that the readers have gained added understanding of the Arminian/Calvinist controversy. Things are not always … Continue reading The Arminian/Calvinism Conflict and Why It Matters | Part Twelve
Does Justification Matter? | Part One
Theology in its rightful place is imminently practical. What is more fundamental to our daily lives than what we know about the God who made and rules the world? If we get God wrong, it cannot be but that our entire lives are disoriented. Read More
The Arminian/Calvinism Conflict and Why It Matters | Part Eleven
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. Having generally traced the Calvinist movement into the 20th century, we want to examine the development of Arminianism from the early 17th century in the Reformed Dutch Netherlands to the modern … Continue reading The Arminian/Calvinism Conflict and Why It Matters | Part Eleven
Podcast: Does Justification Matter? [Foundations]
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