“God is not double-minded. He can decree one thing and desire another, because He has layers of purposes.” 0 — John Piper Many Christians wrestle with a tension in Scripture. On one hand, it says that God "desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:4) … Continue reading Does God Want All to be Saved? Calvinism and the Two Wills of God
If anything affecting someone's salvation can be finally controlled by the action, inaction, or governing parameters of God, then God is ultimately sovereign over salvation, and Calvinism is essentially true. In other words, if we prod into the reasons for someone’s salvation, and the conversation ends up with a statement beginning with “because God…”, Calvinism … Continue reading Calvinism is True “Because God…”
In Part 2 of this series, we talked about several important reasons why it is imperative to progress in our sanctification, such as the alignment with who we already are in Christ (indicatives), and the avoidance of several different types of spiritual loss. The most detrimental is the loss of "fake salvation", a state that … Continue reading He Saved Me, He Saved Me Not: Finding Assurance in the Free Grace – Lordship Salvation Debate (Part 3)
In Part 1 of this series, we introduced the Free Grace - Lordship Salvation debate, highlighting the key areas of debate, as well as some Biblical insights that could offer a bridge between these positions. Here in Part 2, we will continue to discuss Paul's theology of synergistic sanctification in the context of the dual … Continue reading He Saved Me, He Saved Me Not: Finding Assurance in the Free Grace – Lordship Salvation Debate (Part 2)
After being nurtured in a godly Christian home, Joe made a life-changing choice to make Jesus his personal Savior when he was 11 years old. He was immediately baptized by the Children's Pastor. He continued to attend church and youth services, generally obey his parents, and engage in the basic spiritual practices expected from a … Continue reading He Saved Me, He Saved Me Not: Finding Assurance in the Free Grace – Lordship Salvation Debate (Part 1)
The Middle Ground 