“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12, 13, NASB. […]
photo © 2008 viZZZual.com | more info (via: Wylio) Peter Rollins, my favorite heretic, in his book “The Fidelity of Betrayal,” shares the following story: There is an old anecdote that speaks of a couple planning to decorate their living room with attractive byt expensive wallpaper. It so happens that one of their friends […]
This is a response to a list of ‘problem’ verses that seem to indicate that Paul doesn’t really mean it when he talks about grace. My friend Kim Dickson (who is a wonderful Christian woman, and with a beautiful spirit of free dialog and exploration for truth) posted this verse in the midst of a […]
In dialog with a friend, Kim Dickson, she did my work for me and brought up some passages that might seem to contradict grace. I am going to work through these one by one. However, before I do, I want to think through a bit of groundwork. First, as Christians, we believe the Bible. The […]
We’re still looking at the sermon on the mount. Read it here: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%205-7&version=NIV Let’s think about this from the perspective of a modern reader. Here is what might really go through someone’s head when they read this. “Poor in spirit … not sure what he means. Mourn … hope that never happens! Meek … I […]
I want to turn aside and take a look at Jesus’ famous teaching known to us as the sermon on the mount. It is one of the most penetrating explanations of God’s laws and ways ever given. I want to examine exactly what it says, and see how it fits with Paul’s teachings about the […]
This is a rather technical post, and is a necessary defense of the Biblical foundation of the message of grace that I am teaching. To all who are not able or willing to follow all of this, I apologize in advance. I hope you might try to read it anyway, there is some really great […]
There is a passage in James that is a classic stumbling block to serious belief in the full-bore grace of God that Paul teaches. Even Martin Luther wanted to excise this book from the Bible, because he viewed it as being so antithetical to the message of salvation by faith alone apart from works of […]