Posts Tagged ‘grace’
A Comparison of Romans 4 and James 2:14-26
by Jim Sasser Recently, we have been listening to a speaker on this radio station discussing the 4th chapter of Romans as compared to the 2nd chapter of James. It was obvious, from some of his statements, that he was trying to make Paul teach salvation by faith only and at the same time cause…
Read MoreIncorrect Paradigms on Grace: “Works Righteousness” and “Believes in Him”
by Jonathan Perz “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—that word you know,…
Read MoreSalvation by Grace
by James R. Cope via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 12, October, 1952. In Titus 2:11-13 we read: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and…
Read MoreSalvation Is Neither Deserved nor Earned
by Doy Moyer Salvation cannot be earned for the simple reasons that: If deserved, it isn’t salvation. We deserve what we are saved from, not what we are saved to. If deserved, it isn’t grace. Grace grants something good that we don’t deserve. Sin makes it impossible to earn or deserve salvation (Romans 3:23; 6:23),…
Read MoreI want to know God and feel Jesus’ love, but I don’t know how
Question: Am I worthy of God’s grace? If so, why is it that I am lost and can’t control my sins? My whole childhood was a mess during my parents’ divorce. I guess never having a father around made me blame everything on my mother. Getting older I followed what everyone else was doing. I got…
Read MoreHow can we be given grace without repentance?
Question: What does this mean? Does this mean that we are giving grace without repentance? I’m looking at a church and I looked up their beliefs, this was one of them. “That God has given us all a measure of grace according to our gifts: Ephesians 4:7 “But to each one of us grace was given…
Read MoreWhat does it mean that grace and truth came by Jesus?
Question: Hello Jeff, I came across these beautiful words from John 1:16-17 “And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Can you explain, what does it really means that grace and truth came through Jesus Christ? These beautiful…
Read MoreWhat is prevenient grace?
Question: In a conversation with a Methodist, the term “Prevenient Grace” came up. What does this mean? Is this type of grace founded on Scripture? Answer: “Prevenient Grace” is a term coined by John Wesley, who founded groups like the Methodists and the Church of the Nazarene. The word “prevenient” is archaic, in modern English, we…
Read MoreIs it by grace or by law?
Question: My concern is to avoid a polluted and compromised gospel that turns people away from Christ or worse, inoculates them against the true gospel with cheap grace. Your letter most likely triggered a reaction in me because I am right now driven to seek God for answers about some disturbing things around me in church…
Read MoreWhat Saves a Person?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Since, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9), it would be sensible to understand that in order to get people saved, God would tell them…
Read MoreWhat Must I Do to be Saved?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Listening to preachers, pastors, and priests today, one wonders if they could answer the question, “What must I do to be saved?” in a manner similar to the apostles. What Must I Do to be Saved? In the very first sermon recorded, Peter convicted the Jews of participating in the death of…
Read MoreWhat is the “free gift?”
Question: I’m having a little trouble with this passage and hope you can shed some light on it for me. Romans 5:12-21 talks about a “free gift”. What is it? Who brought it? What does it do for us? Answer: “But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s…
Read MoreJoys Of Christianity: God’s Grace
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/JoysOfChristianityGodsGrace.mp3 by Garry Floyd
Read MoreObeying the Lord
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 8, Feb. 20, 2009. Question: How can one talk about “obeying the Lord” in the light of what is said in Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 2:8? Answer: First, let us notice what these two passages say: “Not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to…
Read MoreFinding Grace
by Mark McCrary via Biblical Insights, Vol. 8, No. 11, Nov. 2008. Man fell because he rejected God. Rejection is a painful thing, isn’t it? When others push us away, they are really saying we aren’t what they want; that we do not satisfy them. And, when we are rejected, aside from being hurt, we may…
Read MorePreaching the Grace of God
by Terry W. Benton via Prove It by the Scriptures A brother made the following comment: “Grace is one subject one hears very little about in conservative Churches of Christ except it be prefaced by a stern warning of what grace is not.” I wonder if that statement has been true of my preaching. I personally…
Read MoreHow do you grow in grace?
Question: In II Peter 3:18 it says, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Does this scripture mean that as we study our Bibles and become more knowledgeable we are blessed with more grace? Answer: Grace refers to the fact that we have been given a gift…
Read MoreGrace and Permissiveness
by Dale Smelser via Truth Magazine, July 25, 1974 There is cause for concern in some current ideas premised upon the grace of God. What persons with such ideas are saying of grace per se is often fine, but their projected applications are unjustified, especially when they suppose that the fellowship of false teachers and errant…
Read MoreWhat Saves Us from Sin?
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 57, No. 28, July 11, 2008 We are not saved by one thing to the exclusion of all others, for there are many factors that work out our salvation. Rather than focus on just one passage that speaks of our being saved, we must learn the truth of…
Read MoreDo you believe that the only way to heaven is by accepting Jesus as your Savior and not by good deeds or grace?
Question: Does the church of Christ believe that the only way to heaven is through the Lord Jesus Christ, by accepting Him as your Savior and not by good deeds or grace? Thanks. Answer: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). You cannot claim to accept the Lord as your Savior if you…
Read MoreGrace and Mercy
Author Unknown Grace is giving to another what they don’t deserve. Mercy is not giving another what they deserve.
Read MoreWho initiates grace, God or man?
Question: I do a lot of reading on theology and it seems like there are all kinds of versions on certain topics. I pray for God to shake up Christianity one day so that all these different interpretations of the His Word are eliminated and the Truth is illuminated. It gets pretty confusing sometimes because…
Read MoreIrresistible Grace and Matthew 23:37
by Bryan Sharp In Matthew 23:37 Christ proclaims: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!” Jesus is bemoaning the fact that the people…
Read MoreThe Grace of God that Brings Salvation
by Irvin Himmel via Truth Magazine, December 1973 Nothing is more clearly revealed in the Scriptures than our dependence on God’s grace for redemption. Paul said to the saints in Ephesus, “by grace are ye saved” (Ephesians 2:5). Everyone who is permitted to enter heaven will be there by grace. Today there are teachers, even in…
Read MoreIs it too simple to say we are to believe and we will be saved by God’s grace?
Question: I’m concerned that purgatory does not exist in the Bible. I believe that imaginary doctrine can be changed, as has the belief of Limbo, with innocent newborn babies, who have died prior to baptism, no longer going to Limbo. I always thought that God has told us to believe in Him and we will…
Read MoreHow Did Jericho Fall?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Joshua 6:6-20 I. The record of the fall of Jericho is familiar to many people. A. It was an impressive victory for the people of Israel who had recently entered the land. B. Despite the fact that the city was heavily fortified – Joshua 6:1 C. It was completely destroyed – Joshua 6:21…
Read MoreWhat Must I Do to be Saved?
by Wayne S. Walker Of all the questions asked … Where did I come from? Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? The most important question ever asked was: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) In the sixteenth chapter of the book of Acts, the apostle Paul…
Read MoreSince teaching is a work, then it doesn’t save. Right?
Question: Telling others about Christ is a work. “For by grace we are saved through faith, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast ” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Answer: There was a branch of the Baptist denomination that fully accepted the idea that being saved was entirely a work of God…
Read MoreGrace and Law
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 1:14-17 I. False ideas don’t always die. They end up getting recycled at a later time when the present generation has forgotten the teachings of the past which showed the ideas to be false. A. I remember from childhood a big debate over the role of grace 1. The core was…
Read MoreDo you believe that baptism could be linked to grace?
Question: Do you believe that baptism could be linked to grace? Answer: In the Bible, grace is the concept of a freely given gift; a gift that the recipient has not earned nor has necessarily deserved to receive. God’s gift to mankind was the life of His own Son. “For God so loved the world…
Read MoreSalvation by Grace Through Faith
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 2:1-10 I. When we read Ephesians 2:8-10, there are four important words which stand out: grace, saved, faith, and works. A. The gift mentioned in verse 8 is the gift of salvation given to us by God’s grace. 1. Grace is an unmerited favor. a. It is an action distinguished by justice.…
Read MoreRoles in Salvation
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 2:1-10 I. There are many misleading claims in the denominations regarding salvation A. Most of the misconceptions come because people only look at some of the verses regarding salvation. B. They find verses which says we are saved by God’s grace and then trumpet that salvation is solely by God’s grace.…
Read MoreWhat must I do to go to heaven?
Question: What must I do to go to Heaven when I die? Please, no opinions. Please use the Bible, it is all we have that is the truth. Answer: I really appreciate your desire for a biblical answer to your question. Far too many only want confirmation that they are right and so they search…
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