Blog | Grace Evangelical Society

Can Legalistic Thinking Explain All Suffering? (Job 3-14)

June 21, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Bildad, Eliphaz, Grace, Job, law, Zophar

Kūmāré is a 2011 documentary about a New Jersey man who pretends to be a guru from India—complete with accent—to see if he can get a following. The documentary is painful to watch because he does gather a following, and the people are totally convinced that Kūmāré is a spiritual man, with spiritual powers, who can help them. And since the audience knows this is all

We’re All Barabbas

June 20, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - atonement, Barabbas, substitution

One of my favorite novels is Barabbas by Par Lagerkvist, winner of the Nobel prize for literature. The novel imagines what happened to Barabbas after he was released: “He was about thirty, powerfully built, with a sallow complexion, a reddish beard and black hair. His eyebrows also were black, his eyes too deep-set, as though they wanted to hide. Under

The Husband-Wife Relationship

June 19, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Ephesians 5:21-33, Mutual submission, Submission, Wives submitting to husbands

A friend, who is a Free Grace pastor and Bible scholar, sent me an interesting note about a blog I wrote on Eph 6:1-4. Here is a portion of his note: Too many weddings have the preacher preaching on the “Wives submit to your husbands” theme. Based upon Eph 5:21, “submit to one another in the fear

A Is for “Able to Believe”

June 18, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Arminianism, Calvinism, Total depravity, total inability

Bob and I wrote an article called “TULIP or ASSURE?” in which we briefly outlined what we thought was the Biblical alternative to the Five Points of Calvinism (and Arminianism). Our thinking has grown since then. Previously, we defined “A” as “All have sinned.” That was too general a statement. I now prefer “Able to believe.” It gets at the heart of the issue. The key issue in total

Believing Strong Deception and Taking Pleasure in Unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:12)

June 17, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - 2 Thessalonians 2:12, Taking pleasure in unrighteousness, The strong delusion

Some questions are harder than others: I’m struggling to reconcile the free grace position with 2 Thess 2:12. Would you please help me understand what Paul is saying? The verse reads: “that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” It seems to me that according to this verse,

Three Ways to Comfort Your Suffering Friend (Job 2:11-13)

June 14, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - comfort, Job, ministry of presence, Suffering

I was reading an article by a woman who lost her brother, sister, and her sister’s children in a car crash. Horrific. She was stunned. She walked around as if in a fog, unable to think clearly. Of course, friends offered to help. Several said, “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” She found that well-meaning, but unhelpful. The bereaved don’t want to impose

Flying Can Be Trying 

June 13, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Dealing with frustrating situations, Flying woes, Travel delays

Due to Sharon’s cancer and chemo treatments, June 8-9 was a rare out of state trip for me. I went to Bayside Community Church in Tampa. I always enjoy speaking there and visiting with the people.    In the first service I spoke on the transformed life (Rom 12:1-21). In the second service I spoke on the

How Wrong Interpretation Can Destroy Assurance

June 12, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Assurance, James 2:14-26, legalism, Lordship Salvation

I thought this was a good question about James 2: Have you seen any articles/books expand on the fact that the traditional interpretation of James 2:14-26 (saving faith has works, and non-saving faith doesn’t have works) leads to legalism and lack of assurance of salvation? Recently I read a Free Grace book (can’t remember which one)

God or Genie? A Lesson from Job

June 11, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - genie, God, Job, Worship

Job. He was the ideal man— righteous, upright, fearing God, shunning evil, and so concerned with holiness that he made sacrifices for sins that might have been committed by other people (i.e., his children, cf., Job 1:1-2, 5). No wonder God was especially pleased with Job, twice saying that no one else on earth was like him (1:8; 2:3). Consequently, God supremely blessed what Job did. But not everyone was convinced of Job’s piety. One

Jesus in the Old Testament

June 10, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Christology, Christophanies

The following question just came to my inbox: Does Jesus Christ show up in the Old Testament? I say NO. He is a New Testament character only. Yes, predictions about a Messiah, but no Jesus. Abraham was justified due to his faith in God. There was no resurrection yet. Others insist Jesus was there. Help, please, and links if possible.