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GraceNotes
GraceNotes is a concise quarterly Bible study on the important issues related to
salvation by grace and living by grace. They are designed for downloading (*pdf available)
and copying so they can be used in ministry. No permission is required if they are
distributed unedited at no charge. You can receive new GraceNotes by subscribing to
our free quarterly GraceLife newsletter.
Can a person obtain eternal life by doing good or be justified by keeping the law? Yes, of course—that’s what these verses in Romans say—at least speaking theoretically. Some would argue that these verses teach how one can obtain eternal life or prove they are justified by continuing to do good or obeying the law. But how are these verses used in context and can a person be good enough to satisfy God’s perfect justice?
Some believe that salvation can be lost. Considering all that transpires in one's salvation, if it were possible to forfeit that salvation, here's what someone should be told to do.
There are two ways to view the rewards to the overcomers in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. The recurring phrase “to him who overcomes” suggests Jesus is not making promises to every person in the church, but only to certain individuals. Though some rewards are a bit enigmatic, there is some biblical evidence that can help us interpret them.
In the seven letters to the churches of Revelation chapters 2-3, the overcomers can be seen as either 1) all believers who are promised entrance into the kingdom, or 2) individual believers who overcome trials and are promised rewards in the kingdom and in eternity. The churches and their problems are obviously familiar and thus contemporary with the apostle John, the author, but the exhortations are relevant for all times.
These three passages are similar in that they list sins and the consequence of those who commit them. The passages often confuse people. What kind of people do they describe, believers or unbelievers? What is the point of listing these sins for the original readers and for us today?
At the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, one of the two criminals who was crucified next to Him was eternally saved. What does his story teach about salvation?
Many assume that "perfect" (teleios) refers to total sinlessness, and worse, that achieving perfect sinlessness is required for eternal salvation. Most Christians believe it is impossible in this life to have sinless perfection. So what did Jesus mean? We will examine some different views then seek the best view supported by the context.
In Part 1 (GraceNotes no. 92) we cited historical sources on the meaning of repentance starting in the first century. We will see here that for two thousand years experts have overwhelmingly agreed that repentance is an inner change, a change of heart or mind. As with Part 1, the information below is selected from an article by Jonathan Perrault. You can find his article with more complete quotes and bibliology in the Grace Research Room at GraceLife.org or at the author's web site FreeGraceFreeSpeech.blogspot.com. The selections and sources below are abbreviated to save space.
The meaning of repentance is a contemporary controversy. When we examine a sampling of quotes from historical sources there is general agreement that repentance is essentially an inner change of mind or heart. The information below is selected from an article by Jonathan Perrault. You can find his article with more complete quotes and bibliology in the Grace Research Room at GraceLife.org or at the author's web site FreeGraceFreeSpeech.blogspot.com. The selections and sources below are abbreviated to save space.
The fullness of God's grace seems hard to grasp for some. Especially when it is taught in relation to salvation, some raise objections. In "GraceNotes no. 90: Answering Objections to Free Grace, Part 1," we discussed six common objections to the Free Grace view. Below we discuss six more.
Since the gospel was first preached, people have objected to the Free Grace teaching that people are saved by the unconditional grace of God through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Often, objections come from misunderstanding the nature of God's grace and what Free Grace teaches. Sometimes objections are merely parroted from others without much thought. Here's how to answer six common objections to Free Grace teaching about salvation.
Grace is not only a theological term that helps us understand how God shares His unconditional love towards us, it is also a moral term that should influence our conduct, especially in ministry. All believers in Christ are called to minister (serve) the body of Christ, but that ministry is most effective when it reflects God's love and grace. As a starting point, we must understand that grace not only saves us, but gives us the privilege of and the ability to minister to others (Rom. 1:5; 1 Cor. 15:10; Eph. 3:7; 1 Peter 4:10). Here are some ways to practice grace in various ministries.
About 2000 years ago, the apostle Paul (with his co-laborer Silas) answered a frightened prison guard's question, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" He answered simply, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household." Since then, that simple answer has generated debate about its meaning. Here are some common misunderstandings of Acts 16:31.
Arminian theology (not Armenian, which is someone from the country of Armenia) is named after its proponent, Dutch theologian Jacob Arminius (1560-1609), who objected to the strong determinism of John Calvin. Arminius died before he could formally present his arguments, but his followers formalized them into five articles in the Remonstrance of 1610.
This passage, especially verse 22, raises the questions, who is the apostle Paul addressing?, what does it mean to be "cut off"?, and what is the significance of the condition "if you continue in His goodness"? It could be misconstrued that Paul is talking to individual Christians who can be cut off from their salvation if they do not continue to live faithfully.
This familiar story depicts God's love for sinners, and indeed that is the main point, but there is much to learn here about God's magnificent grace. In the context, Jesus answers the Pharisees who criticize His love for sinners (Luke 15:2-3) with three stories. The story of the lost son especially illustrates God's love for sinners as an overcoming, amazing, and misunderstood love.
Though law is used in various ways in the Bible, The New Testament often uses the term for the Law delivered through Moses. It is important to understand how Christians should relate to the demands of the Mosaic Law. We will look at the nature and purpose of that Law and how it affects Christians.
Some who have trouble accepting that eternal salvation is by faith alone insist that repentance (as turning from sins) is also necessary. That is why they claim repentance is in John's Gospel even though the word is not present in verb or noun form (metaneo, metanoia). They argue that the concept of repentance is present in various passages, but their definition and assumptions of repentance in John cannot be supported.
A question often heard is "How were people eternally saved in Old Testament days?" For a more comprehensive perspective, it might be better to ask, "How were people eternally saved before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?"
Most Bible commentators interpret this passage to say that these people at the Passover did not really believe in Jesus for salvation, therefore Jesus did not commit Himself to them because He knew the unbelieving condition of their hearts. Their faith was defective or insufficient for salvation because it was based only on the signs that Jesus performed and/or they believed only in His name, not His person.
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