Giving Grace
Peter tells us that grace is a many-splendored thing. (I Peter 4:10)Thus far we have examined two aspects of grace, saving grace – the unmerited favor that results in my salvation, and helping grace – the unmerited favor that helps me to do what God tells me to do. In this post I…
Balthasar Hubmaier: Zealous Defender of Truth
Dr. Balthasar Hubmaier was an Anabaptist reformer and arch-heretic of the Catholic Church. This Catholic priest turned reformer began as a promising student and preacher. At some point he had a genuine regeneration experience and gained the spiritual clarity to begin a “Back to the Bible” movement in the small…
Are You a Worship Service Participant or Just a Spectator?
The alarm clock rings. And rings again. And again. Mom and Dad stumble out of bed and cajole sleepy kids to scarf down their breakfast and find shoes. Kids dawdle, Mom and Dad frantically grab coffee mugs, and somehow everyone makes it into the car. By the time you get…
The Beginning of Fundamentalism: The Niagara Bible Conference
Spiritual forces were at work in nineteenth century Western society to undermine biblical authority and dash the blessed hope of the church upon the rugged terrain of unbelief. The twin knock-out blows dealt to the Christian denominations were Darwinian evolution and historical criticism. The only force standing in bold opposition…
Grace and Truth
The beginning of Jesus' ministry is generally regarded as His baptism at the hands of John the Baptist. By the time Jesus stepped into his baptism line, John had built a truly massive ministry. (Matthew 3:5) The Lord had commissioned him to preach a message of forward looking repentance to…
What About Fearing the Future?
Thank you for reading today. Our greatest desire is that you would be encouraged in the Lord! In my daily time with God in His Word today, the Holy Spirit spoke to me about “fearing the future.” Right now it is a difficult time for many around the world because…
How to Get Grace
Thus far in this blog series on grace we have examined what grace is, where it begins, how it ought to impact our treatment of one another, and how it becomes the atmosphere in which we grow. We have also examined some of the important doctrinal questions surrounding grace, namely…
The Burning Bush Believer
“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush” (Exodus 3:2). The business of on-the-spot, spur-of-the-moment testifying / witnessing / soulwinning is never to be forsaken. God has commanded each of us to turn aside and seek the…
Strong Faith – Weak Faith
“And being not weak in faith…he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith” (Romans 4:19, 20 excerpted). Abraham, known as the “father of faith,” experienced interludes and intervals of weak faith during his one-hundred-seventy-five-year sojourn on this earth. However, as he progressed in…
The Definition of Legalism
This is the second in a four post mini-series on legalism set within the context of this series on grace. These are by Pastor Joe Cassada of the Solid Rock Baptist Church in Maryland Heights, Missouri. Previously, I mentioned that two popular understandings of legalism fail to take the battle…