works salvation – Grace Evangelical Society

How Do You Define a Works-Salvation Cult?

April 7, 2023 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - characteristics of a cult, works salvation

John saw a blog I wrote about believers falling from grace. He asked this question: “I saw in one of your articles [see here] that you were talking about work-salvation cults. Would you consider the Catholic Church as a work-salvation cult?” Nearly all cults reject justification by faith alone—even if they indicate formal agreement with

Are There Saving Promises That Are Not Clearly Irrevocable?

May 4, 2022 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Acts 10:43, Object of Saving Faith, works salvation

A friend, A. D., sent me a quote from a seminary professor who argues that there are saving promises in the NT that are not clearly irrevocable. Or, stated differently, that professor argues that one can believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of his past sins only and be saved. Here is a portion of

How Can Someone Be Against Works Salvation and in Favor of It?

April 25, 2022 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - assurance by works, works salvation

Recently, a pastor friend sent me a blog with an interesting title, “10 Flavors of Works-Based Salvation.” It is by Pastor Ed Moore of North Shore Baptist Church in Bayside, NY. You can read the article here. I agree with eight of the ten flavors Moore cites. The first four are salvation by philanthropy, works

How Bad Is the Tradition of Salvation by Works? Evaluating Tradition in Light of Scripture

October 22, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Final Salvation, perseverance theology, works salvation

Catholic churches teach works salvation. So do Eastern Orthodox churches. So do most Protestant churches. Matthew Bates is associate professor of theology at Quincy University in Quincy, IL. He has written several books on justification by works. The first was called Salvation by Allegiance Alone (Baker, 2017). The second was titled Gospel Allegiance (Brazos, 2019).

Michael Eaton on the Legalism of the New Perspective on Paul

October 5, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - legalism, Michael Eaton, new perspective on Paul, works salvation

Seminary students and pastors will have heard of the “New Perspective on Paul” (or “covenantal nomism”) championed by scholars such as N. T. Wright, James D. G. Dunn, and E. P. Sanders, and reflected (I think) in popular movements such as the “Federal Vision.” The critical issue with the New Perspective is that it promotes

Widespread Confusion in Evangelicalism Today: Is Faith Plus Works a Saving Message?

September 6, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Are Arminians saved?, Gal 1:6-9, John 5:39-40, works salvation

Works salvation is the view that justification is not by faith alone, but is by faith plus works (e.g., baptism, turning from sins, and perseverance in obedience). Many who call themselves Evangelicals today believe that works salvation is a saving message. That obviously includes those who believe in works salvation themselves. One denomination teaches that

The Problem of Basing Your Religion on Feelings: Hannah Whitall Smith’s Story, Part 2

August 2, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Assurance, emotions, Feelings, Hannah Whitall Smith, legalism, Quakerism, works salvation

When Hannah Whitall Smith grew up among the Quakers of Philadelphia in the 1830s, she found that their legalism and emphasis on inward feelings and impressions combined to make a perfect formula for religious doubt: The sort of introspection I had imbided from my Quaker teaching was calculated to lead to constant self-examination of the

The Problem of Basing Your Religion on Feelings: Hannah Whitall Smith’s Story, Part 1

July 30, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - emotions, Feelings, Hannah Whitall Smith, legalism, Quaker, Quakers, works salvation

Some brands of legalism are focused on obeying external rules. Think of the Pharisees trying to obey all the laws of Moses plus all the additional rules, regulations, and applications of the oral law. But other types of legalism are inwardly focused and highly subjective. An example of that is described in Hannah Whitall Smith’s

Works Salvation and the New Birth, Part 1

February 10, 2021 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Galatians 1:6-9, John 5:39-40, John 6:28-29, works salvation

Back in 2006, a Free Grace theologian presented a message at a conference in which he argued that believing in Jesus for the promise of irrevocable everlasting life cannot be a requirement for the new birth since no one believed that between AD 100 and AD 1500. That article was published in the Spring 2008

A Gospel Coalition Council Member Says You Need Good Deeds for Salvation

October 29, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Gospel Coalition, Luke, Repentance, works salvation

I recently saw a quote attributed to Martin Luther that said, “Every week I preach justification by faith to my people because every week they forget it.” One of our ministry’s unpleasant but necessary tasks is to point out when popular authors and preachers have forgotten about justification by faith apart from works. Instead, they