Blog | Grace Evangelical Society

The Role of Prayer in Bible Study

September 18, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Beth Moore, Bible study, Elyse Fitzpatrick, Exegesis, Hermeneutics, illumination, Kay Arthur

When I was in seminary, only one professor that I can recall ever said that we should pray and ask God to help us understand the passage we were studying. His name was Zane Hodges. Zane pointed us to verses like Luke 24:32, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us

The Many Fruits of the Tree of Life

September 17, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - fruit, Revelation, tree of life

If you like fruit, here is an interesting feature about the tree of life, as described in Rev 22:2: In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the

Quakers, Scripture, and Justification by Turning from Sin

September 16, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Bibliology, Justification, Quaker

I read everybody. For example, I was reading this blog on Scriptural authority from “Ramblings of a Country Preacher,” an independent Quaker minister. He is arguing that Quakers—and all Christians—must return to Scriptural authority. Overall, I agree with his position: The perfect standard or Scriptural teachings have over time been consumed by the secular liberal teachings of progressive socialism. This progressive socialist doctrine

Why GES Praised Dr. Norman Geisler

September 13, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Dr. Norman Geisler, Effective ministry, Free Grace Theology, inerrancy

Here is an email I received: Is there a reason why Dr. Norman Geisler is featured and lionized in the latest Grace in Focus Magazine? In my exchanges with him, he opposed GES soteriology. His website clearly articulates a repentance view. Lots more could be said. Perhaps I’m not understanding something here? While our ministry promotes the free

What Is the Law of Liberty? (James 1:25; 2:12)

September 12, 2019 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - Holy Spirit, James, liberty

Question What is the law of liberty? Answer Thanks so much for your question. As you know, the phrase “law of liberty” is found in James 1:25 and 2:12. The key to understanding what it means is found in the context immediately before its first occurrence (1:25). James has just spoken of the new birth (1:18) and then

God Is Omniscient: God’s Middle Knowledge

September 11, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - omniscience, systematic theology

Imagine that Laura is a doctor. Laura chose to become a doctor because her mother developed Lou Gehrig’s disease, and she had to learn how to care for her mother. That sparked Laura’s passion for medicine. But what if Laura’s mother had never developed the disease? Would Laura still have become a doctor? And is that something God could know? That is, does God know what people would have (not just could

The Tree of Life: One Tree or Many? (Revelation 22:2)

September 10, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Revelation, tree of life

Revelation 22:2 has a puzzling description of the tree of life: In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. The tree of

Crown Him with Many Crowns

September 9, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog

One of our favorite songs at Dallas Theological Seminary was Crown Him with Many Crowns. Recently that song has taken on a different meaning for me. Two weeks ago, I found out I had a huge cavity under a crown, and the tooth was pulled the next day. The periodontist warned me to get to my regular dentist

God Is Omniscient: God’s Foreknowledge

September 6, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - foreknowledge, omniscience, systematic theology

God knows everything that is possible to know. But one question that has been hotly debated—is it possible for God to know the future? That is, does God have foreknowledge? What does the Bible say? First, it says that God can make declarations about the future because He knows the goals that He wants to

A Former Calvinist Says Saving Faith Is Commitment and Obedience

September 5, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - faith and obedience, salvation and obedience, saving faith, Steve Ray

Someone sent me an email about a former Reformed Baptist, Steve Ray, who is now a Catholic apologist. He sent me a 27-minute message Ray gave entitled, “By Faith Alone.” You can see it here. See especially his discussion from 16:30 to 24:00. He described saving faith as being like a hot dog. It isn’t just