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In the Bible, the ancient authors frequently attribute things directly to God, although their causation is actually less direct. We may call this mode of speech “direct attribution.” A consequence of this mode of speech is that the authors of Scripture sometimes speak as if God actively caused...

Thank you Anthony for cheering me up.

Communion and baptism are not a means of grace? God does not show divine favor through communion and baptism? We just engage in communion and baptism as an obligation with nothing resulting from it? I do not see ordinances as conferring salvation, but I do see them as sources of blessings.

How horrifying to think you are saved, to feel like God approves of you, then end up in the lake of fire. I received Christ as a teenager, sprang up as a zealous, devoted Christian, amateur evangelist, Bible teacher, leader of a county for a ministry, then recklessly backslid for over 20 years...

No. There was no lie. Samuel just omitted part of the total truth. He did bring a heifer and made a sacrifice.

Whether you call them sacraments, ordinances, rites, commands, or duties, they are all over God’s Word and are essential elements of Christian life and worship. Can include baptism, infant dedication, communion, tithing, prayer, evangelism, charity, listening to sermons, memorizing scripture...

Yes, the hedonistic libertine Christian who had the righteousness of Christ imputed to him, so he was completely pure spiritually, even when smoking cigarettes, experimenting with drugs, getting drunk, strutting around pridefully, acting like a pompous know-it-all, enjoying worldly music...

As a teenage convert, first hearing the gospel fully explained to me by the pastor at a Mennonite church camp, the idea was always “ask Jesus to come into your heart, receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior”. Lord means Christ replaces self on the throne of your heart. I don’t recall...

Salvation is receiving Jesus as Lord, not just as Savior.

Yes, I did. At that time, the 4 Spiritual Laws tract was used widely. There was an illustration of the throne of the heart with self sitting on it and another illustration with Christ represented as replacing self on the throne. In the sermons in Acts, the Lordship of Jesus is clearly...

This seems like a very strange theology. You say an unsaved person surrenders their unbelief and turns to dependence on Christ, without any intention to obey Him as Lord? So Jesus is Savior first, and only later, eventually, hopefully, Jesus becomes Lord to obey?

Roman’s 10:9 is not an opinion, it’s a scripture verse. Apostle Paul is my favorite theologian. Do you prefer that I quote some man trained in a theological seminary? So you seem to think that nobody can understand salvation or evangelism, unless they have training in theology? Do you...

Here is my theology. Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Evangelism with Jesus just as Savior, and not as Lord, is incomplete. By confessing the Lord Jesus, you...

It seems you are inventing your own mechanics of salvation, but the truth is simple. To repent means to change your mind. About what? About who is going to be lord in your life. Will your selfish fleshly desires be your lord or will Jesus be your Lord? Once you decide to trust the death of...

I would consider a deathbed confession, a last minute turning to Christ, as special and atypical, in the sense that no obedience, no change in lifestyle can possibly occur, but most saved people can and should obey Christ as Lord, and change their lifestyle. Apostle Paul is someone who had a...

The thief on the cross was a special, atypical case. A paralyzed person also may not be able to obey Christ much, aside from praying, forgiving, and changing what occurs in their mind. Most people who repent and turn to Christ do have time to follow Him as Lord and obey Him in various areas...

I do not want a resurrected body that is bald, has wrinkled skin, and looks old and decrepit. Babies who died will likely be 20 or 30 years old in heaven, like the rest of us. I doubt we will care about experiencing parenthood in heaven. We will be thrilled with being with the Lord. I do not...

So if we die at age 90, we will be 90 in heaven for all eternity? That sounds horrible!

Can you clarify what this “heart turns to Christ” means if it does not include turning to Christ as both Savior and as Lord? The change in the heart’s direction would mean it is pointed toward Jesus as the one to follow, which is the lordship quality. What is this “obedience and surrender at...

To confess the Lord Jesus, but not make Him your personal Lord seems contradictory. In fact, Jesus warned us about obedience-deprived people confessing Him as Lord. The gospel as presented in Matthew includes this: Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the...