Works – Grace Evangelical Society

Why Did Jesus Evangelize (John 5:39-40)?

June 20, 2023 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - eternal life, evangelism, Grace, Works

I’ve recently been involved in many discussions about the gospel of eternal life. Many people think that it’s not necessary to insist on the unbeliever’s understanding that Jesus offers eternal life to everybody who believes in Him for it. The unbeliever can be saved without knowing that. Instead, he can simply believe in Jesus regarding

“You Don’t Take Sin Seriously!” (Romans 3:8)

July 25, 2022 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - eternal life, Repentance, Sin, Works

A little while ago, I was teaching a class in a Bible institute in a foreign country. The students were young, between the ages of 18 and 20. As the class progressed, it was clear that they had some issues with the gospel of eternal life. I decided to stop the planned instruction and address

When Our Good Works Won’t Be Good Enough (Revelation 20:12)

June 24, 2022 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - eternal life, Security, Works

Recently, I visited the national park at Ft. Pulaski near Savannah, GA. I didn’t even know it existed until I drove by it. Much of the original fort is still there. The famous Robert E. Lee himself was involved in the fort’s initial plans. At the beginning of the Civil War, it was a stronghold

Paul Rejected Salvation by Non-Meritorious Works

October 6, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Grace, non-meritorious works, Works

Some works-salvation teachers will try to soften—or obscure!—their message by saying that doing good works is necessary for salvation, but those works are not meritorious. In their view, requiring works for salvation becomes a problem only if you think you can earn your way into heaven. Is that a possible Biblical position? Consider what Paul

Free Air or Hot Air?

September 30, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - evangelism, Works

Look at this sign. It reads, “Free Air. $0.25” See the problem? Not everyone does. The person who made the sign didn’t. To him it made perfect sense. I’ll admit that a quarter is a good price for air—I don’t see it going for less than $1.25 in my neighborhood. A quarter is certainly cheap.

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

Sixty Seconds with a Lordshipper

August 26, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - evangelism, good deeds, Lordship Salvation, neighbors, Works

Q: What would you say to someone who believes in the necessity of Lordship Salvation if you only had one minute to get your point across? A: If he has a Christian background, I can assume he believes that Jesus is the Savior (in some sense) and that He died on the cross for our

Is Salvation a Gift or a Bargain? An Illustration from Steven Hein

September 4, 2020 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Assurance, eternal life, gift, lutheran, Works

I like Steven Hein’s analogy for two ways of presenting salvation. He compares it to the difference between receiving a diamond as a gift vs. purchasing it yourself for a bargain: What is the difference between receiving the largest, most valuable diamond in the world as a free gift—and getting it for a penny? If

Why Must Salvation Be Apart from Works? (Ephesians 2:1-3)

February 28, 2019 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - dead, Ephesians, Works

Everyone knows Eph 2:8-9, that we are saved by grace through faith, apart from works. But do you know why that is? Paul explained why in Eph 2:1-3. The Ephesians had been in a bad way. Really bad. Hopeless, really. Here’s how Paul described them: And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses

Free Grace Theology Is Really Important (Mark 4:13)

September 27, 2018 by Kenneth Yates in Blog - basics, four soils, Grace, Mark 4:1-20, Works

At the end of the Parable of the Four Soils in Mark 4, the disciples asked the Lord to explain the parable to them. He does so, but before explaining the parable, He asks them a couple of questions. “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?” (Mark 4:13).