Blog – Page 48 – Grace Evangelical Society

Was Zane Hodges’s View of the Saving Message Misguided, Anemic, Inconsistent, and Evasive? Part 1

March 22, 2023 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Repentance, saving faith, Zane Hodges

A 2019 doctoral paper by Nicholas James Claxton (available online—see here) is entitled “Faith Without Works: The Gospel According to Zane Hodges.” Claxton’s paper is irenic in tone. In his conclusion, he raises seven objections to the views and exegetical method of Hodges. I’ll briefly answer three objections in part one and the other four

The Mercy of the Lord (Psalm 106)

March 21, 2023 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - discipline, Forgiveness, Mercy, Psalm 106

Psalm 106 is, in one sense at least, like the speech of Stephen right before he is stoned to death by the Jews in Acts 7. The psalmist reviews the history of the Jewish people. It is not a pretty picture. He speaks of their many sins. These sins included complaining against God, idolatry, sacrificing

Is Everlasting Life Everlasting?

March 20, 2023 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Eternal Security, Everlasting Life

Chris from West Virginia asks an important question: I found myself Googling, “What is eternal life in Greek,” and stumbled upon a Quora forum where someone had asked the same question. The first answer…I found [was] not only concerning, but confusing. Does Eternal Life NOT mean eternal life? Chris gave a lengthy quote that can

Believing What You Hear (Mark 7:25)

March 17, 2023 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - Faith, Sanctification

To believe something is to be convinced that it is true. To believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life is to be convinced that He gives it to you by faith in Him alone. But there are many other things that the believer is called to believe in after he has received eternal life. When

Have You Seen the Movie Jesus Revolution?

March 16, 2023 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Chuck Smith, Jesus People, Jesus Revolution

I like to get my news from a variety of platforms. Online I prefer Yahoo and Breitbart News Network. An article by John Nolte on Breitbart caught my attention: Jesus Revolution Grosses More Than 4 Oscar Nominees Combined. See here. Nolte cites these movie profits from U.S. theaters: The Banshees of Inisherin– $5 million The

Looking at the Hands of the Lord (Mark 7:5)

March 15, 2023 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - Grace, legalism

Many times, I have seen paintings of Jesus that emphasize His hands. Usually, they are reaching out, as if He is inviting people to come to Him. When you think about the hands of the Lord, what do you see? In Mark 6:30-39, Jesus feeds a large multitude of people with a few pieces of

Does Easy Believism Really Teach Works Salvation?

March 14, 2023 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Faith as a gift, John 5:39-40

L. A. writes: Hi Bob, I have heard James White say non-Calvinists or people who don’t believe in election to eternal life, are really saying it is not all of God saving, because their faith is contributing to their salvation. I was a little surprised to hear John MacArthur agrees. He gave a sermon on

The First “Hallelujah” in Psalms (Psalm 104:35)

March 13, 2023 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - Creation, Hallelujah, Psalm 104, Rev 19:1-6, Worship

Psalm 104 is a song that praises God for His creation. Every living creature benefits from what He has done. He has given us life, water, food, and places to live. He even provides us things that are not necessary for survival, such as wine and oil, in order to make our lives merrier. In

Do We Need to Strive to Be Saved? (Matthew 7:13-14)

March 10, 2023 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Matthew 7:13-15, striving to enter

A. S. writes: Hello. Thanks for your articles. I genuinely believe in salvation by faith alone, by trusting in Jesus Christ as God and His atoning death/blood for the forgiveness of sins. However, one Scripture that has always confused me is Matthew 7:13-14. What does Jesus mean when He says we need to strive to

The Forgiveness of Sins

March 9, 2023 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - Confession, Fellowship, Forgiveness, Gospel

My daughters are all adults now, but when they were younger, they loved the movie The Princess Bride. All I remember about the movie are certain phrases that were repeated over and over. The word inconceivable is one example. One of the characters misused it on various occasions. Once, after he said it, another character