Assurance – Page 19 – Grace Evangelical Society

Calvinism Has a Box of Mystery Verses

June 26, 2018 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Assurance, Calvinism, Eternal Security, Perseverance, saving faith

I’m sitting on the plane awaiting takeoff from Dallas-Fort Worth to Orlando, FL for our June 8-9 regional conference on the theme “Is Calvinism Biblical?” I pull out my conference schedule and look it over. Then I begin to go over the message I was giving that night. Then something unusual happens. It has become

Confusion Abounds About How to Have Eternal Life

June 22, 2018 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Arminianism, Assurance, eternal life, evangelism

Beware of Misleading Blogs A reader told me about a May 20, 2018 blog by Justin Steckbauer entitled “How to Have Eternal Life.” The reader said, “After reading it I felt truly sorry for him.” I just read the blog. You can see it here. I too feel sorry for Steckbauer and for all the

Cottrell’s Continuing Assurance

June 13, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Arminianism, Assurance, continuing faith, Jack Cottrell

In his book, His Truth: Scripture Truths About Basic Doctrines, Jack Cottrell, an Arminian theologian, wrote on the subject of assurance. He did not give a name for the view he defended. I think it would be appropriate to call it the “I hope I keep believing” view. On Cottrell’s view, salvation is by faith

How Can We Activate Saving Faith?

June 12, 2018 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Assurance, evangelism, Faith, saving faith

Take a look at this moving email I just received: I have believed I was saved for a long time. But it was not until last year that I finally heard a proper presentation of the gospel of free grace. The evangelical world is crazy mixed up out there. I was brought to a Reformed

Jack Cottrell Hopes He Will Keep Believing

June 11, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Arminian, Arminianism, Assurance, Continuous faith, Cottrell

Jack Cottrell is an Arminian theologian. If you want to read a serious Arminian, start with him. Cottrell wrote a summary of his beliefs—a short systematic theology—called His Truth: Scriptural Truths About Basic Doctrines. The last chapter is on assurance. At the beginning of the chapter, he identified two prominent errors regarding assurance. The first

Is Everlasting Life the Result of Faith in Christ? Or Is It the Content of Faith in Christ?

May 30, 2018 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Assurance, evangelism, Everlasting Life, saving faith

Recently I received two similar responses to a recent blog (which you can read here). In the blog I had said that we must believe that what we get from the Lord by believing in Him is irrevocable, whether we call that everlasting life, salvation, justification, forgiveness, or new life. Those two responses I received

John Wesley on Different Types of Salvation by Works

May 17, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Aldersgate, Assurance, John Wesley, legalism, works salvation

I’ve been reading through John Wesley’s journals and diaries for the years 1735-1738. They are fascinating. It’s interesting to read about his travels to America during this time; his impressions of Georgia, colony life, and the weather. I cringed a little to read his descriptions of the Native American tribes he hoped to witness

Are Assurance Verses in John Directed to Unbelievers or Believers?

April 20, 2018 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Assurance, Eternal Security, evangelism, Gospel of John, Once saved always saved

A Free Grace friend of mine wrote an article last month dealing with the issue of whether assurance is of the essence of saving faith. (The exact title is “Does John’s Gospel Demand Belief in Eternal Security for Salvation?” It is available here.) His answer was no. One need not believe that salvation is irrevocable

Receiving Christ as Savior?

April 18, 2018 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Assurance, evangelism, evangelistic invitations, receiving Christ

From my In-Box: I have a question for you. Do you think Receiving Christ as Savior is just as powerful as Believing in Him? The reason I say this is, because for an unbeliever it may make it easier for him to transition into Christ and feel welcomed into Heaven. Just a thought I’ve

The Current Crisis in Assurance: An Interview with Prof. David J. Engelsma

August 8, 2016 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Assurance, Puritans, theology

by Shawn Lazar, originally published in the November/December, 2014 issue of Grace in Focus. The original article may be accessed here. Doubt. For some of us, it is momentary feeling of anxiety that eventually passes when our circumstances change. For others, it is a way of life born out of the barrage of insecurities created