Category: Salvation
Of Currant, Maine: A Brockton Dialogue
A Brockton Dialogue The younger, inexperienced, James: Does failure to obey God tell us the truth about a man? Is this so even if he claims to know Christ, and to trust him? The wiser Mr. Brockton: Yes, without question. A man is known by his...
The Problem With “Panmillennialism”
“I’m not amillennial, postmillennial, or premillennial. I’m pan-millennial.” “Huh?” “Yep, I’m pan-millennial—I believe it will all pan out in the end!” I’ve occasionally heard this humorous remark made when the end times are discussed. Technically, if we believe in the biblical gospel, we should be panmillennialists....
Understanding God’s Purpose in Sending His Son
. . . and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)God the Father sent His Son into the world with a definite purpose. It was a purpose that can even be seen in His name. When...
The Worth of Warnings (Part 1)
Why do the writers of Scripture promise sure salvation for believers, but then warn those same believers not to fall away from the faith and be lost? It’s a fair question, after all, because if something cannot happen, why caution someone against allowing it to happen?...
What We Will See Next
You may wish to know what is next in this world. Let me tell you what is about to come with certainty: Men and women “will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” Though that statement was made by a man named Paul who...
What was “Reformed” in the Reformation?
If one wants to know what the Protestant Reformation was all about without reading huge volumes of historical literature, it is perhaps most clarifying to look at the theological results. One should specifically note the rediscovery of five critical biblical doctrines that had been obscured from...
You’re Going the Wrong Way!
A few years ago, I was preaching in prisons in Oklahoma. In one of those prisons, I had to go into the meeting location several minutes after the pastor who had invited me. When it was time to go in, the guard opened the iron door...
Why I Long for Eternity
I love thinking about eternity. My favorite thoughts, however, are not of the heavenly city with its gold streets and jeweled walls (cf. Rev. 21:18-21). That city will be impressive, to be sure, but it is not all there is to our future existence. We are...
The Elderly Mr. Phipp: A Brockton Dialogue
James, the youth: Is affection necessary for true spirituality? I mean, can’t a man be Christian, yet cold as a stone emotionally? Mr. Brockton: Affection cannot be separated from true religion. James: But are we to strain to be affectionate toward God when it is not...
Justification: God’s “Not Guilty” Verdict
Imagine you are on trial for a crime you didn’t commit—a crime punishable by death. Though you are innocent, circumstantial evidence has convinced police and prosecutors that you are guilty. You have no alibi—no way of proving you were somewhere else when the crime was committed....
