Oh Night Divine
Years ago, one of my favorite Rainer Maria Rilke poems gave me a new perspective on the night, and I’m reminded of this at Christmas time whenever we sing “Oh Holy Night,” one of the most beautiful songs that has…
Tag Grace
Perseverance of the Saints: John 6
The wonderful thing about the grace of God is that the grace that saves is the grace that causes perseverance in the saint. That may take some clarification. Perseverance of the saints (or believers) does not mean that the saint…
Perseverance of the Saints: Clearing Up Some Confusion
The doctrine is known by more than one name, which has created some serious problems because it has led to confusion about what the biblical teaching really is. Two other terms or expressions, “eternal security” and “once saved, always…
Perseverance of the Saints: Receiving in Order to Continue
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God is life. There is no life apart from God. For life to be, God must give it and sustain it. There is no such thing as life that God…
Ministerial Godliness: Faith and Life
This little trilogy of posts relates to godliness and the Christian ministry. It arises out of Paul’s counsel to his young ministerial protégé, Timothy, the then pastor of the church in Ephesus. As with many a young pastor, Timothy was…
Irresistible Grace: A Fictional Factual Dialogue
Pastor Paul was studying when interrupted by the knock at the door. The sound was rapid fire and thud-like. “Someone is upset,” he thought as he called out an invitation to enter. Jacob stumbled through the doorway carrying an armload…
Irresistible Grace: The Gauley River & God
In my adult years, I have enjoyed whitewater rafting. Several years ago, my wife and I decided to do the Gauley River. Every fall, the Somerville Dam is released and the River turns into a world class white water adventure! …
Irresistible Grace: The Lord Opened Her Heart
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ given to mankind in the Gospel is of course resistible. We noted this very truth a few weeks back when Place for Truth covered man’s Total Depravity. In our fallen nature, men…
Irresistible Grace and Condemnation: Who Are We?
When I was a child there were times when my mother, exasperated by my behavior, would ask: “Who do you think you are!?” My unruly and arrogant conduct revealed that I was not thinking rightly about myself. Understanding salvation from…
Irresistible Grace: The Lord Your God Will Circumcise Your Heart
Some Christians resist belief in the doctrine of irresistible grace. These brothers and sisters find the teaching that grace conquers all pushback repugnant. How could an all-loving God run roughshod over the freedom of his human creation? This is a…