Faith – Page 13 – Grace Evangelical Society

William Barclay on Faith as Allegiance

September 24, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - allegiance, Faith, Matthew Bates, William Barclay

If you’re a preacher, you probably know the name William Barclay from The Daily Study Bible Series commentary. Barclay is a dangerous resource to use. On the one hand, you will almost always find him making an insightful, practical, and/or “preachable” comment on any given text. At least, that’s what I’ve found. On the other

Three False Calvinist Assumptions

July 10, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Calvinism, Faith, Grace, work

I was explaining Free Grace theology to a Calvinist when he said that I really believed in salvation by works! That’s not something I’ve ever been accused of before, so I was curious why he thought that. During our conversation, it became clear to me that he was making three big assumptions that are worth

“A Single Act of Faith”?

April 13, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Faith, saving faith

Q. In your blog on Five Differences Between Perseverance of the Saints and Eternal Security, you said that salvation takes a “single act of faith.” Can you address“single act of faith”? I am trying to help people understand that faith is not a decision, and I am probably too pedantic about how we are describing

Oswald Chambers on Salvation By Faith

November 4, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - death of Christ, Faith, Oswald Chambers

The October 28 devotion in Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest risks leaving people in the dark about what he meant. I think Chambers is making an important point about the basis of our salvation, but he does it in a potentially confusing way: I am not saved by believing—I simply realize I am

How Can Faith Not Produce Good Works?

August 12, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Faith, good works, will

I was recently asked, “I am a little confused as to the relationship between faith and works in the Free Grace understanding. My own understanding is that faith naturally has a corresponding action. It’s not that the action proves or adds anything to salvation, but that grace-born trust in Jesus could not fail to be

Assurance and Faith

August 2, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Assurance, assurance is of the essence of saving faith, Faith, saving faith

Beware of what you say. You may contradict yourself. Or, you might contradict your mentor. Here is a great question from a reader/listener: At the beginning of the July 4th episode of Grace in Focus Radio on Discussions on Christianity for the Emotionally Damaged, Bob stated that assurance is another name for faith or belief.

If People Are Born Unable to Believe: Six Options

July 25, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Arminianism, Calvinism, Faith, inner light, Quaker, Total depravity, Wesleyanism

Are people born unable to believe? If so, how does anyone come to faith? As I work through these issues for an upcoming book examining “total depravity,” it might help to conceptualize the different answers given to explain how people who are born unable to believe can ever come to faith. Here are six options.

Belief: Twelve Theses

July 8, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Believe, Faith, propositional

Question What is the Free Grace definition of belief? Also, what is “intellectual consent,” and is it more than a belief in a historical Jesus? I would like to understand.  Answer There are disagreements in Free Grace (and in Evangelicalism and Christianity) circles over those questions. Here is my answer in the form of twelve

Assurance and Ongoing Faith

May 23, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Assurance, Faith

Shawn Lazar, Ken Yates, and I received the following question via email: I read the affirmations of faith on the website (https://faithalone.org/beliefs) and saw a line that seems out of sort with what I have heard from GES teaching: “That is, as long as a person believes in Jesus for everlasting life, he knows he

Faith Is Futile If Jesus Did Not Rise from the Dead (1 Corinthians 15:17)

May 3, 2019 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - 1 Corinthians 15:17, Easter, Faith, Resurrection, saving faith

“And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” Alternative history novels explore what life would be like today if a major event in human history turned out differently. For example, Harry Turtledove’s Southern Victory explores what the United States would have been like if the South had