- The Doctrine of Salvation (6/27/2018) - The doctrine of salvation encompasses our initial salvation experience, our ongoing walk with Christ, and our final deliverance.
- The Importance of Having Right Beliefs (2/26/2022) - As a Christian, how important are 'right beliefs'? Does it really matter what I believe so long as Jesus is my savior and I live a good life?
- Forms of Prayer: Text Messaging, Email, and Face to Face (2/6/2012) - What form does you prayer take? Is if like text messaging, or maybe emails? Or do you take the time to sit at his feet and just be with him?
- The Call of Abraham and His Response of Faith (1/13/2015) - Genesis records for us the call of Abraham. While little is know of his background. He responded to God and was considered righteous.
- Arminianism: Atonement for All (8/25/2017) - The atoning sacrifice of Jesus was made for the sins of the whole world. But that atonement is only effective to those who believe.
- Arminianism: It’s All About Grace (9/19/2017) - For the Arminian, God's grace frees the will of a depraved humanity enough to allow us to accept or reject his gift of salvation to us.
- The Doctrine of Election: Who Are the Elect? (2/8/2019) - The doctrine of election is confusing and lies at the heart of many theological disputes. It simply refers to God's choosing of his people.
- God Loves the Whole World, with No Exception (3/15/2019) - What is the scope of God's love? Does he love everyone? Or just the chosen few? John makes it clear that God loves the whole world.
- What Is Biblical Faith: A Study in Hebrews 11 (4/12/2019) - No matter how you understand faith, it is clear that it is instrumental in our salvation; we will not be saved without it. But what is it?
- Defining Eternal Life: Who, What, When, and How (5/3/2019) - Eternal life as defined in the New Testament is much more than just living forever. Eternal life is relational. It is knowing the triune God.
- What Must I Do to Be Saved? Believe in Jesus! (6/28/2019) - What must I do to be saved? This is the most important question a person can ask. And the answer? Believe on, put your trust in, the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Is the Cross Enough for Our Salvation? (11/29/2019) - The cross is essential to our salvation. But is it enough? The cross represents forgiveness. But that is only the beginning of a new life in Christ.
- Who Is Drawn by the Father in John 6? (1/31/2020) - Do all that are drawn by the Father actually come to the Son? Or does the Father drawn some who resist his drawing and reject the Son?
- Reconciliation and Forgiveness in the Bible (2/7/2020) - Reconciliation and forgiveness can be challenging for most of us. So what instruction does the Bible give us concerning these two things.
- Why Was Jesus Crucified? The Foolishness of the Cross (2/21/2020) - Jesus was crucified as a ransom and penalty for our sin. But God also chose to use the foolishness of the cross to save those who believe.
- Apostasy: Is It Possible to Fall Away from the Faith? (3/6/2020) - How should we respond to the warnings against apostasy in the Scripture? Is it possible for a true believer to fall away and be lost?
- What Does the Bible Say About Heaven (4/10/2020) - Heaven is a common term in our vocabulary today. And one that is found throughout the Scriptures. But what does the Bible have to say about heaven?
- Why Did Jesus Curse the Fig Tree – Matthew 21:18-22 (5/1/2020) - One of the stranger stories in the gospels concerns Jesus cursing a fruitless fig tree. What is the point of this? Why is it in our Bibles?
- What Does It Mean To Enter Into God’s Rest (5/15/2020) - The author of Hebrews holds out the promise of entering into God's rest. But what is this rest? And how does one enter into it?
- The Doctrine of Hope: What Is Our Hope As Believers? (5/22/2020) - The doctrine of hope is an important one for believers. Hope is the earnest expectation of what God has in store for us. And hope holds us steady today.
- Salvation: A Gracious Gift of God, Received by Faith (6/26/2020) - Salvation is a gracious gift of God. There is nothing we can do to earn or deserve it. We can only accept this gracious gift of God by faith.
- Follow the Way of Love: the Most Excellent Way (7/31/2020) - The 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians describes the most essential element of our Christian walk; the way of love. Without it, nothing we do has value.
- Life in the Garden of Eden: Then and Now (9/18/2020) - The Bible pictures humanity beginning in the Garden of Eden. And it looks to Christ's work on the cross to return us to that Garden.
- Living Faithful to God in the Midst of a Godless World (9/25/2020) - One of the challenges facing believers today is our relationship with the world around us. How do we live faithfully to God in a pagan world?
- Walking With Christ: Backpacking as a Model (10/2/2020) - The Scripture uses many metaphors to describe walking with Christ. I have found that backpacking works well for me in describing that walk.
- Don’t Envy the Prosperity of the Wicked – Psalm 73 (10/9/2020) - Do you ever find yourself envying the prosperity of the wicked? If you do, you are not alone. But consider their fate, and rejoice in God.
- Holiness: Being Holy. And Being Made Holy. (10/16/2020) - Holiness is not just something expected of some believers. All of us who belong to Christ are holy, and are expected to live holy lives.
- What the Bible Says About the Evil in the Spiritual Realm (10/23/2020) - This post is looking at what the Scripture says about the spiritual realm. And, especially, at evil in the spiritual realm.
- The Importance of Being Faithful Until the End (10/30/2020) - Repeatedly the Scripture exhorts us to remain faithful to the end. The life of King Asa is a lesson on failing to do that.
- You’re Never Too Old to Be Used by God (11/13/2020) - Are you ever too old to be of service in God's kingdom? The story of Moses would tell us that we are never too old, no matter our age.
- God, Israel, and the Nature of Free Will (11/20/2020) - What is the nature of free will? Is it an illusion? Are our choices made for us by outside forces? Or can we actually make real decisions?
- The Book of Job: A Lesson About Suffering (12/4/2020) - The book of Job is about suffering. Why do we suffer? God's answer to Job is that it is often beyond our understanding.
- Abraham’s Test: The Sacrifice of Isaac As a Burnt Offering (3/5/2021) - God called Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering. What was Abraham's test all about? Was it for God's benefit? Or Abraham's?
- What Does the Bible Say about Circumcision? (3/12/2021) - What role does circumcision play for a follower of Jesus? It is still a practice that we should follow? Or is it unnecessary today?
- Participating in the Divine Nature (3/19/2021) - What does it mean to participate in the divine nature? How do we go about doing that? And what are these promises that enable this life?
The Doctrine of Salvation
The articles included here concern salvation, both the initial experience and the ongoing life as a believer. The initial post on this page is a part of the systematic theology class I taught a few years ago.
