Blog – Page 2 – Grace Evangelical Society

William Lane Craig on Works Salvation

October 8, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - apologetics, William Lane Craig

William Lane Craig is a Christian philosopher and apologist who has done excellent work in defending the existence of God from atheism. During university, I found his books on natural theology to be enormously helpful and I regularly recommend them to others. For a time, I was even a (small) monthly donor to his ministry.

What Does “My Sheep…Follow Me” (John 10:27) Mean?

October 7, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - following Christ, John 10:27, Perseverance

Michael asks a great question: John 10:27 is used by certain groups to say that a true believer will always want to hear every word of Christ and will follow anything He commands (these people reject salvation being an event and instead believe that salvation is a lifelong process, that the person has to breathe

Paul Rejected Salvation by Non-Meritorious Works

October 6, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Grace, non-meritorious works, Works

Some works-salvation teachers will try to soften—or obscure!—their message by saying that doing good works is necessary for salvation, but those works are not meritorious. In their view, requiring works for salvation becomes a problem only if you think you can earn your way into heaven. Is that a possible Biblical position? Consider what Paul

Michael Eaton on the Legalism of the New Perspective on Paul

October 5, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - legalism, Michael Eaton, new perspective on Paul, works salvation

Seminary students and pastors will have heard of the “New Perspective on Paul” (or “covenantal nomism”) championed by scholars such as N. T. Wright, James D. G. Dunn, and E. P. Sanders, and reflected (I think) in popular movements such as the “Federal Vision.” The critical issue with the New Perspective is that it promotes

What Is Gehenna and Why Does That Matter?

October 4, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Gehenna, Mark 9:43-50, Matthew 5:21-26

Recently I wrote a blog on Gehenna (see here) in which I suggested that it might be another name for the lake of fire where the unsaved dead will be forever. I received some rather animated objections from quite a few readers. While none of them said why they were so disturbed by my blog,

Are the Seven Letters of Revelation 2-3 Directed to Believers After the Church Age?

October 1, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - “I know your works”, Revelation 2 & 3, The Seven Letters to the Seven Churches

SF writes, Surely ALL of the Revelation must be future.  The “letters to the churches” are just chock full of works doctrine.  Can you at least entertain the idea that those letters are to believers and proselytes after the age of grace has come to an end, after the Rapture?  GES is all about grace,

Free Air or Hot Air?

September 30, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - evangelism, Works

Look at this sign. It reads, “Free Air. $0.25” See the problem? Not everyone does. The person who made the sign didn’t. To him it made perfect sense. I’ll admit that a quarter is a good price for air—I don’t see it going for less than $1.25 in my neighborhood. A quarter is certainly cheap.

Do We Need to Confess Our Sins in Order to Be Forgiven?

September 29, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - 1 John 1:9, Confession and forgiveness

I received an actual letter—handwritten—from Robert asking about confession and forgiveness: Some preachers teach that we as Christians must confess our sins in order to be forgiven of sins after we are born again, according to 1 John 1:9. As I understand it, all our sins were forgiven at the cross. We appropriated our salvation

Wayne Grudem Makes Works a Part of Saving Faith

September 28, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Grudem, Repentance, saving faith, Works

I have a little test for you, designed to challenge your critical thinking skills. Are you ready? It’s a puzzler! Here it is— If I put a $20 bill into an empty wallet and then put that wallet into my empty pocket, how much money is in my pocket? $20, right? Whatever is in my

Is the Promise of Everlasting Life Optional in Evangelism?

September 27, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Eternal security and evangelism, John 11:25-27

About a decade ago, I was talking with a pastor who identified as a Free Grace proponent. He told me that a person need not believe in Jesus for everlasting life or anything at all. All one had to believe is that Jesus was sent from God. Three years ago, I read an article in