By Brandon Burdette Years ago I attended a Baptist church in Los Angeles. It was during this period that I’d assimilated as much Reformed theology as I could get my hands on. I was halfway through the membership course in this Calvinist church when one of my worst church experiences occurred. It happened on a

By Staff Love Q: According to 1 John 3:23, must Christians love one another to be saved? A: Some think 1 John teaches that we must behave a certain way to be saved, or at least to prove we are saved. For example, they say if we don’t love other Christians, then we are not

By Phil Congdon Many Bible teachers are fond of a saying that goes like this: “You are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.” Doesn’t that sound neat? It states a fundamental truth—that we are saved by faith alone—then turns around and states that while it is faith alone that

A chapter from Is Calvinism Biblical? Let the Scriptures Decide (available Dec 1, 2017). By Bob Wilkin Calvinists think of unregenerate people as cadavers. That is, they see them as totally unable to respond to God in a saving way—or in any way. They often cite Rom 3:11 which says, “There is none who seeks

By Ken Yates Nevertheless, what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free (Gal 4:30-31). Defining Legalism If we were to define

By Bud Brown My daughter-in-law recently posted a Facebook message about our ten-year-old grandson who has muscular dystrophy. My son was scared tonight. He can feel his muscles deteriorate and is afraid of the day he can no longer walk. He is upset and concerned what this means for his life. As he sobbed in

By Zane C. Hodges Function and Maturity 3:1. The discussion of privilege in the public gatherings of the Church as they relate to men and women leads quite naturally to the discussion of another privilege—that of spiritual oversight. It is a good work (kalou ergou). An ascending scale is seen. Just as public prayer and

A chapter from Chosen to Serve: Why Divine Election Is to Service, Not to Eternal Life. By Shawn Lazar Introduction When theologians write or talk about the decrees of God, it is usually in hushed and reverential tones. These decrees are said to lay at the very heart of the mystery of predestination and election

By Ric Webb When you look at Rembrandt’s painting The Return of the Prodigal—the son with his head shaved, his clothes tattered and torn, no robe, his sandals bare to the sole—you see the picture of one who has been brought to the brink of despair. Broken and bleeding…and most of it within. He makes

By Bill Fiess with Bob Wilkin Many theologians and pastors today do not like to use the word believe when speaking of saving faith. They much prefer to speak of trust or even heartfelt trust. For example, Dr. Wayne Grudem in his recent book on clarity in evangelism said repeatedly that saving faith is “heartfelt