This is Part Two of a two part series by Sam A. Smith. If a saved person can’t lose their salvation (see the previous article in this series), then how do we explain all the warnings in the New Testament about departing from the faith? The answer lies in understanding the New Testament's teaching on … Continue reading The Biblical Doctrine of Apostasy -Part 2: Personal Apostasy
Salvation
The Biblical Doctrine of Apostasy -Part 1: The Case for Eternal Security -Sam A. Smith
This is article is Part One of a two part series. To skip to Part Two, tap or click here. When a person exercises genuine faith in Christ, the process of salvation that is begun is irreversible; it is impossible for a person, once redeemed and regenerated, to ever be lost again. The two views … Continue reading The Biblical Doctrine of Apostasy -Part 1: The Case for Eternal Security -Sam A. Smith
Were the Old Testament Saints Regenerated and Indwelt by the Holy Spirit Prior to Christ’s Death on the Cross?
Sam A. Smith According to the Bible, there has never been but one means of eternal salvation: salvation by grace, through faith in Christ. However, that should not be interpreted to mean that the temporal relations in the application of the various elements of salvation (justification, regeneration, indwelling, sanctification, etc.) are uniform in redemptive history. … Continue reading Were the Old Testament Saints Regenerated and Indwelt by the Holy Spirit Prior to Christ’s Death on the Cross?
The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 4: The Superiority of Grace to Law as Seen in Romans 3:21-10:15
Click here to go to the first article in this series. Paul fought a running battle with legalistic thinking within the early church; they too had those within their number who thought that righteousness could be produced through the keeping of the Law, and this conflict shows through clearly in his epistle to the Romans. … Continue reading The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 4: The Superiority of Grace to Law as Seen in Romans 3:21-10:15
The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 3: The Superiority of Grace to Law as Seen in Galatians 2:11‑5:26
Click here to go to the first article in this series. In this letter Paul addressed what he termed a “desertion” (NASB) from God to a different gospel (1:6). This was a serious theological matter and quickly brought with it a forceful response from the Apostle (1:8). Those who introduced their heretical teaching of Christian … Continue reading The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 3: The Superiority of Grace to Law as Seen in Galatians 2:11‑5:26
The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 2: The Superiority of Grace as Seen in Hebrews 7-9
Click here to go to the first article in this series. Hebrews chapters 7-9 were written to address the obsolescence of the Law and its replacement by the New Covenant. Let’s step through these three chapters and see what they have to say about the present applicability of the Law. Hebrews 7:1-10 Melchizedek was a … Continue reading The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 2: The Superiority of Grace as Seen in Hebrews 7-9
The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 1: The Purpose of the Law
Salvation is by grace; it cannot be obtained by keeping any moral Law. The reason is simple: God requires perfection, and no one, other than Christ, has ever or could ever meet that standard. If you’re reading this and you have doubts about whether or not you’re perfect, in your own right, you’re reading the … Continue reading The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 1: The Purpose of the Law
How Did the Moral Fall of Adam Affect the Human Race?
How did Adam’s sin affect the human family? Historically, three positions have been given to answer this question; they are: total depravity, Pelagianism, and semi-Pelagianism. The view one takes with regard to how Adam’s sin affects his posterity has radical consequences with respect to the doctrines of salvation. This is really where the dividing line … Continue reading How Did the Moral Fall of Adam Affect the Human Race?
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