saying 'amen' to God (three gracEmails)
"A father of many nations have I made you," said God to ancient Abraham. We don't know his mental or physical health, but we do know this much -- the old patriarch, now about 100 years of age, cannot begat a child. Even if he could, his wife Sarah, past 90 herself, cannot contribute to the process. But there is a third character in this scenario, and that makes all the difference.trusting Christ
"What," someone asks, "does it mean to 'trust Christ?' I often hear people use that term but it is not clear to me what they are saying."head knowledge not enough
A gracEmail subscriber writes: "This idea of just 'accepting Jesus as our Savior' can be a dangerous teaching. Satan knows this fact, and if anyone is headed straight for hell he is. There must be more to this than just a head knowledge of the gospel. Perhaps we must also repent and submit to baptism."the chutzpah of desperate men
"Why did Jesus tell the ten lepers to go show themselves to the priests, asks a gracEmail reader, "and what did that have to do with their being healed? Was this a condition of their healing, like Naaman being told to go dip seven times in the Jordan River?"by grace through faith
A gracEmail subscriber asks what the Scripture means that says we are saved "by grace through faith" (Eph. 2:8-9).grace's response -- faith's fruit
A gracEmail subscriber asks: "How do verses such as 1 Peter 1:22 (you purify your souls through obeying the truth); 2 Peter 1:10 (make your calling and election sure); Acts 2:40 (save yourselves from this perverse generation) and Matthew 7:13, 21 (not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" to Jesus will be saved but those who do the Father's will) fit in with salvation by grace through faith?"a little faith goes a long way
A gracEmail reader asks, "How do I know if my faith is adequate? It is so weak. And what if my works or obedience are inadequate? How can I have confidence that God loves me?"grace, faith & certainty
Someone asks how we may ever be assured that we are right with God, since our lives are always imperfect and none of us is without sin.Christ died for me
John Wesley (1703-1791), surely one of the greatest evangelists of all time, ... on a voyage to America once was terrified when a fierce storm threatened to drown everyone aboard. Wesley was awed by the calm peace of some fellow passengers who were Moravian Christians.words, words, words
Paul promises that whoever confesses Jesus as Lord and believes that God raised him from the dead will be saved (Rom. 10:9-10). Jesus warns that in the Day of Judgment he will turn away some people who had called him "lord" (Matt. 7:21-23). A gracEmail subscriber asks how both statements can be true.faith only
A gracEmail subscriber chides, "I see you saying that you believe in salvation by faith alone, which is an improvement over the doctrine of salvation by works, but is not satisfactory to careful Bible students. (We are saved by faith and not by works, but not by faith only.)"calling on the name of the Lord
A gracEmail subscriber asks the meaning of the biblical expression "calling on the name of the Lord."faith -- item or attitude?
A gracEmail subscriber asks, "Must we merely believe to be saved, or do we also have to obey God? Some say that faith is enough by itself, and others say that faith in the Bible includes obedience."faith more than intellect
A gracEmail subscriber in Australia suggests that believing in Jesus might not be sufficient since James 2:19 says the demons also believe and tremble. This subscriber suggests that a life of obedience is also necessary to please God.faith refusing baptism?
A gracEmail reader in Arizona asks, "Do you believe that the 'sinner's prayer' can be an appropriate and sufficient substitute for baptism by someone who believes the gospel ... ? Has such a person truly believed if they leave out water baptism as a part of their response to the gospel message?"