No Trinity, No Salvation?

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Question: Are “Christians” who don’t understand or believe the traditional doctrine of the Trinity really Christians?  Answer: That’s a good question. I take it you’re asking whether they have eternal life. The traditional answer would be “No.” I believe the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and historic Protestant Churches would say you have to believe the Trinity to get final salvation. For example, the
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Giving and Growing

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We hit two milestones recently.  First, my webmaster informed me that the Grace in Focus podcast has been downloaded over 151,000 times. That’s a pretty good number for a show doing serious theology (as opposed to, say, funny cat videos)! And, of course, that doesn’t include our radio audience. I’m encouraged!  Second, this month, faithalone.org hit a new record for unique monthly users: 64.9k, up from 19k a year ago.  Praise God! I expect those numbers to grow, especially as
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How Can Faith Not Produce Good Works?

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I was recently asked, “I am a little confused as to the relationship between faith and works in the Free Grace understanding. My own understanding is that faith naturally has a corresponding action. It’s not that the action proves or adds anything to salvation, but that grace-born trust in Jesus could not fail to be accompanied
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Foundation Crumbling

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Over the summer, I’ve been re-reading Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series. Haven’t read it since high school.  The series is set 20,000 years into the future. A Galactic Empire is spread across the stars. But it’s crumbling. Hari Seldon, a “psychohistorian,” foresees the empire will fall, leading to a long period of barbarism. So Seldon puts together a plan to save humanity. At the far end of the galaxy, on a minor and neglected planet named Terminus,
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Four Free Bible Study Resources

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I am amazed at the number of free Bible study resources that are available online. Of course, the pre-eminent Bible study software is Logos, but it is expensive. If you’re a pastor or Bible teacher, it may be worth the expense. However, for everyone else, these websites can help you with your studies. At least, these are the tools I use
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Satan’s Sifting

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In Job 1, hasatan—the Adversary , Opponent, or Accuser—traditionally identified as Satan—asked God to afflict Job. Satan wanted to test Job’s faithfulness to prove he feared God for the wrong reasons:  So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side?  You have blessed the work
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If People Are Born Unable to Believe: Six Options

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Are people born unable to believe? If so, how does anyone come to faith?   As I work through these issues for an upcoming book examining “total depravity,” it might help to conceptualize the different answers given to explain how people who are born unable to believe can ever come to faith. Here are six options.  “People are born unable to believe, therefore…”  Patristic: you need
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