saving faith – Grace Evangelical Society

Does Faith Save, Or Does Jesus Save?

July 6, 2023 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - saving faith

On June 26th, on our YouTube channel, we posted a video by me called “Can Miracle Faith Save?” You can see the 7-minute video here. One of the comments at the bottom of the video caught my attention. S.P. wrote: “Faith does not save a person. There is no such thing as ‘saving faith.’ Jesus

They Are Believers, but Are They Saved?

April 18, 2023 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Assurance, saving faith

Frank says, The more I read the Bible and then read comments by those who write commentaries, the more confusion results. It is no wonder there are cults. I think the church starts cults because one day, you are saved by believing. The next day, you are saved by believing and working. I know many

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

What’s Wrong with Believing in Jesus as My Only Hope of Heaven?

October 25, 2022 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - 1 John 5:13, Hope of heaven, saving faith

At the end of a conference I attended in 2006, the sponsoring church hosted a free evangelistic banquet. Scores of visitors came for the free banquet, which ended with a short evangelistic message. I was struck by the prayer the pastor gave as his evangelistic close. He said, “I don’t understand it all. But as

Current Issues in Salvation, Part 3: Changing Saving Faith into Saving Work

August 26, 2022 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - John 3:16, saving faith

Many schools and pastors teach that saving faith is not mere persuasion. They call that easy believism or cheap grace. Many teach that saving faith includes turning from sins, surrender, commitment to serve Christ, and even perseverance in obedience that must follow the commitment. The words “whoever believes in Him” in John 3:16 thus become

Beware of Confusing Explanations of John 3:16

May 10, 2022 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Commitment salvation, John 3:16, saving faith

C.S. points out a major issue in study Bibles and commentaries:  So, I just received a new study Bible, and I am curious about the thoughts being presented in it regarding John 3:16. It states that in the New Testament, belief denotes more than intellectual assent to a fact. I don’t necessarily agree with that;

Nine Current Free Grace Issues

February 7, 2022 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Assurance, Free Grace Theology, saving faith

A friend sent me a copy of a 2009 booklet by Fred Chay titled The Glorious Grace of God: Understanding Free Grace Theology. I found myself agreeing with much of what he wrote. But I also found several issues that I disagreed with. I believe discussing his booklet helps clarify areas of agreement and disagreement

Wayne Grudem Makes Works a Part of Saving Faith

September 28, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Grudem, Repentance, saving faith, Works

I have a little test for you, designed to challenge your critical thinking skills. Are you ready? It’s a puzzler! Here it is— If I put a $20 bill into an empty wallet and then put that wallet into my empty pocket, how much money is in my pocket? $20, right? Whatever is in my

How Would You Define Saving Faith?

September 15, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - faith as intellectual assent, saving faith

I still use the expression saving faith occasionally since it saves a lot of space. By saving faith, I mean faith in the saving object, the gift of God (everlasting life, John 4:10, 14; Eph 2:8) given by the Messiah Giver Jesus (John 4:25-26; 6:47). But what is faith? It probably is no surprise to

Why Is Faith in Christ Confusing for So Many?

July 26, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - faith as persuasion, saving faith

Hundreds of people send us questions about what it means to believe in Jesus. We answer these questions often in our blogs, podcasts, and videos. John 3:16 says that “whoever believes in Him” will not perish but has everlasting life. Yet the simple words whoever believes in Him are incomprehensive to many, for some reason.