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Being Saved, But Not from Hell 

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Bible students who are open to its teachings soon discover that often, the word saved does not mean being saved from the lake of fire. Most readers of this blog are already aware of that. Recently, a friend pointed out another NT verse in which the word saved does not refer to eternal salvation. I had always assumed that the verse refers to salvation from the lake of fire.  That verse is Acts 2:47.
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What Will Believers Do in Eternity? 

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Most people in Christianity, whether born again or not, have not given much thought, if any, about what they will do in eternity. Of course, most people in Christianity don’t have assurance of their eternal destiny. So, it makes sense that they aren’t too concerned about they might do if they happen to make it to Christ’s kingdom.  Many professing
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Ask, Seek, Knock (Luke 11:9) 

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The Lord told His disciples to ask, seek, and knock. The one who does so will receive, find, and have the door opened (Luke 11:9-10). These verses are quoted frequently. However, the broader context is usually overlooked, with the result that the Lord’s words are often interpreted in a very general way. However, careful consideration of the context suggests that He has something more specific in mind.  These verses are part of a parable in
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Does the Great White Throne Judgment Show that Works Determine Destiny? (Rev 20:11-15) 

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I was one of four authors of a book titled, Four Views on the Role of Works in the Final Judgment, published by Zondervan. In response to my claim that John 5:24 proves believers will not be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment, Dr. Tom Schreiner wrote, “Revelation 20:11-15 [refers to] the judgment of all people” (p. 53, emphasis his). In his own article, Schreiner wrote, “A quick survey of
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The Non-Eternal Life Gospel (A Challenge) 

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I have spoken on behalf of GES for many years. Both verbally and in print, I and others like me have been labeled as “non-(fill in the blank) gospel” believers. We believe the unbeliever must believe in Jesus for eternal life in order to live with Him forever. Since it is eternal life, it cannot be lost. Most reject that. They say you don’t have to believe in Him for eternal life, but that you
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“Have I Shown You My Iron Cross?” 

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I recently heard a story that I’m pretty confident is true. Most of us have seen pictures of the warehouses at Auschwitz. The Nazis collected all the personal effects—shoes, clothes, jewelry, toys, etc.—of those who died in the gas chambers. There were warehouses full of these items.  I heard that the Auschwitz collection included a large box of German Iron Crosses. These crosses were one of the highest military honors a German
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What Is Eschatological Salvation, and Do You Have It? 

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I don’t remember hearing the expression eschatological salvation when I was studying at Dallas Theological Seminary. But over the past thirty years or so I’ve noticed that expression occurring increasingly in the commentary literature. Some pastors are using it as well.   So, what is eschatological salvation?  Most commentators and theologians would define the term as “a future salvation that will grant one access into Christ’s kingdom.” In this view, at the final judgment Christ will send some into
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Disunity: Not a Minor Problem 

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Israel was at war. The Midianites and their allies had severely afflicted the nation for seven years (Judg 6:1). However, God raised up Gideon to defeat those enemies and bring relief.  When Israel went to war during the time of the judges, the battles were only regional. They never involved the whole nation. In each case, some tribes went to war while
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What Is Open Theism and Why Is It Bad? 

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Ricky asks, “Can you write an answer to Open Theology? I’m looking to answer a friend who hold to this heresy.”   I prefer the term Open Theism. We are all to be like the Bereans of Acts 17:11 who searched the Scriptures daily to see if the teaching they were hearing from Paul was correct. If Open Theism meant being open to God’s
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Seek the Lord: He Will Find You 

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Most readers of this blog are familiar with Heb 11:6. It says that God rewards those who diligently seek Him. I was reading an OT passage recently that demonstrates the Lord’s grace in determining who it is that diligently seeks Him.  It’s likely that most of our readers are also familiar with the story of Gideon. During his day, the people of Israel were oppressed by the Midianites, a nomadic group
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