Blog – Page 44 – Grace Evangelical Society

A Different Twist on James 2:19

May 16, 2023 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - Angels, devil, Grace, Satan

A woman at the church I attend (I’ll call her Betty) recently told me about a conversation she had with a friend. It put a bit of an unusual spin on Jas 2:19, which says, “even the demons believe and tremble.” Most often, people erroneously use that verse to say that faith in Jesus alone

Should We Change the Names of the Days of the Week?

May 15, 2023 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Pagan names for days of the week

I’ve not given much thought to the names of the days of the week. Have you? Over the past few years, however, I’ve had a growing displeasure with the names we use. Do you know that most of these names honor various gods? Sunday is named after the Roman sun god (though in Spanish and

The Faithfulness of God (1 Kgs 15:1-8)

May 12, 2023 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - 1 Kings 15, discipline, Faithfulness, Grace, kings

The books of 1 and 2 Kings give an instructive account of how obeying God results in blessings for His people, while disobedience brings discipline and wrath. About forty kings are discussed in these books. Most of them “do evil in the sight of the Lord,” and this brings great destruction upon they themselves as

Is Repentance in the Bible Always Directed to the Jewish People?

May 11, 2023 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Calls to Israel to repent, repentance in the NT, repentance in the OT

I wrote my dissertation at DTS on repentance in 1985. I recently wrote a book on repentance called Turn and Live. But I’ve never been asked the question that M. G. asked via email: “Is it accurate to say that the use of repent and repentance found in the Old and New Testaments always refers

What’s in a Name? (Phil 2:29)

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Kenneth Yates

All of us recognize certain names. We know them because they belong to famous people. They might be sports stars, celebrities, or movie actors. Sometimes, they are so famous they go by a single name. Such names include Oprah, Cher, Bono, and Pelé. When we hear names like Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Barak Obama, and

Posted in Blog Epaphroditus, humble, Servant, wealth

Why Do So Few Believe in the Judgment Seat of Christ?

May 9, 2023 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Bema, Dispensationalism, Judgment Seat of Christ

Jack emailed me a great question: “Why does it seem like only dispensationalists believe in the Judgment Seat of Christ?” For those who are not theology nerds, a dispensationalist believes that at various times–or dispensations–in the world’s history, God has changed His commandments. For example, today God allows us to eat pork or shrimp. We

How Can We Respectfully Disagree in a Bible Study?

May 8, 2023 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Disagreeing agreeably, expressing your view

John asks a great question: I go to a church that doesn’t affirm Calvinism. However, in my small group, I detect subtle Calvinist catchphrases like “Salvation has nothing to do with us” and “Dead people can’t ask for help.” How would you counter this type of teaching without being outright disrespectful or rude? When I

Not Sinful, But Not Wise? (1 Kings 3:1-4)

May 5, 2023 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - 1 Kings 3:1-4, neutral areas, Solomon, wisdom

Many people know the story about how Solomon, as he faced the task of ruling after the death of his father David, asked the Lord for wisdom. The author of 1 Kings records what happened (1 Kgs 3:1-15). Clearly, the Lord was pleased with Solomon and his request, and we are told Solomon loved the

Do Good Christians Need Everlasting Life?

May 4, 2023 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Faith and works, Justification by faith alone

That is the title of Chapter 4 in my new book, The Gospel Is Still Under Siege. (We will release it on May 22 at our annual conference, though it will be for sale on our website around May 15.) In the book, I give this explanation: “By good Christians, I am referring to people

An Example That Connects with Us (Acts 11:18)

May 3, 2023 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - Acts 11:18, baptism of Spirit, Gentiles, Grace, Traditions

When they heard these things, they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life” (Acts 11:18). Working with GES has given me the opportunity to hear many people tell their stories about how they came to understand Free Grace Theology (FGT). There is a very