Blog – Page 2 – Grace Evangelical Society

Three Biblical Proofs that the Holy Spirit Is a Person Not a Thing

June 3, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Holy Spirit, person, personhood, Pneumatology, Trinity

What is the Holy Spirit? Is the Spirit an impersonal force like electricity or gravity, or is He a person? Traditionally, the early Christians concluded the Holy Spirit was a person. But is there any Biblical evidence to support that conclusion? I think there is. Of course, it depends on how you define the word

Are Good Works Needed to Prove You Are a True Believer?

June 2, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Faith and works, James 2:14-17, James 2:18

A reader named CM sent in this interesting email. There is an implicit question at the end regarding faith and works. Repenting is turning away from sin by turning to Christ.  Jesus said, “either you are with Me, or you or against Me”.   Faith is a decision to respond to the gospel; acknowledging that our

Covid Proved More Difficult Than I Had Expected

June 1, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Getting over Covid-19

On May 17 I tested positive for Covid-19. I had come down with chills and a headache a few days before that. The five days or so were not too bad. But then I began to experience strong fatigue, and I lost my interest in eating. Sharon tested positive last week. She has been nearly

Stir Up Love and Good Works in One Another (Hebrews 10:24)

May 31, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - church life, Discipleship, ecclesiology, one another commands, spirituality

Normal church life is active. Christians should not be passively inhabiting the pews. We live for Christ 24/7, serving Him in all that we do. And that means the churches ought to be actively loving and serving and doing good, often in the face of enormous challenges. But with any activity, people often need encouragement

Can You Choose Not to Believe?

May 28, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - belief, Believe, choice, Faith, the will, willing

Question I’ve gotten a little confused regarding faith not being a choice. Say, for example, someone believes Jesus is the Christ, believes that He gives eternal life to everyone who believes in Him for it, but refuses to believe in Him for it. Wouldn’t that be a choice?  Because that person understands and believes that

Do Infants Go with Their Believing Parents in the Rapture?

May 27, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Children and the Rapture

Philip asks: My wife and I have a toddler, and my wife is pregnant with number two. Such a blessing! Currently neither of our children is capable of understanding the gospel, and therefore have not believed. What would happen to their souls if the Rapture were to happen tomorrow? I have read some people on

Does God Answer Your Prayer About Suffering with Silence?

May 26, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Prayer, silence, Suffering, trials, wisdom

Q. To follow up your blog on Proverbs and the days of evil, why do you think God answers our prayers with silence? Why would He do that, especially when we’re suffering and so desperate for answers? A. Thanks for letting me clarify. I disagree with the premise that God answers those prayers with silence.

How to Witness to Lordship Salvation Loved Ones

May 25, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - John 3:16, Witnessing to Lordship Salvation proponents

COP is an easy way to remember the Lordship Salvation understanding of what one must do to have everlasting life. COP = Commitment to obey Christ, followed by initial Obedience to Christ, followed by Perseverance in that obedience until death. In other words, an initial commitment to obey Christ, even if sincere and wholehearted is

Even a Kid Can Praise God

May 24, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - church life, Family Worship, praise, Worship

This Sunday, I talked to my children about young David, and we wondered why God chose him instead of his brothers to be king. What made him different? We discussed David’s youth, and I read them the following quote imagining what David would have done in his spare time while tending sheep: On those pastoral

Confess Your Sins to One Another (James 5:16)

May 21, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - church life, Confession, Discipleship, ecclesiology, James, one another commands, spiritual theology

“Honestly, I didn’t want to join a Bible study,” the young mother admitted to the group. “I didn’t want to be around perfect people with perfect lives…Then I found you weirdos!” I think it is comforting to know you’re in a “hospital for the sick, not a social club for saints.” A “thick” Christian community