Those who know me well know I am committed to endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4:3). I am also committed to sound doctrine for the same reasons. I often see commitment to sound doctrine and commitment to unity in the Body presented as opposing principles, but that idea doesn’t reflect reality. I don’t believe any believer in Christ has ever had a stronger commitment to unity in the Body than the Apostle Paul. He was obsessed with it and saw it as an elementary implication of the gospel. As a Pharisee, a Hebrew of Hebrews, his Jewishness was an integral part of his identity, perhaps the most fundamental aspect of it. Yet, it was primarily to him that the mystery of Jews and Gentiles together in one Body was revealed. He was the one sent as the Apostle to the Gentiles. It was he that publicly rebuked Peter for his implication that the Gentiles were not equal members of the Body, and it was he that championed the Gentiles’ case as fully acc...
By Dr. Fred Lybrand Repentance has been a sticky issue and has been around as a major conversation piece since the Reformation. I know, because ‘my view’ (which I found out I share with Dr. Elliot Johnson of Dallas Theological Seminary) has been labeled an error by those involved in the Marrow of Divinity Controversy way back in the 1600s! Of course, no need to get excited, every view on the planet and throughout history is an error to someone or some group. So, the issue of concern here --- is repentance necessary to get saved (as in from-hell-to-heaven)? If it is necessary, then is it a part of saving faith? These are the essential questions. There are many views, often being represented as repentance meaning the necessary turning from all known sin (and interest in future sin, usually) to ‘believe’ in Christ. In this regard, some purveyors of salvation make repentance as much of a part of faith as they do works (see http://www.backtofaith.com ). I have a b...
By Dr. Roger Fankhauser, FGA Executive Council member and the pastor of Burleson Bible Church in Burleson, Texas. Dr. Fankhauser can be reached at rsfankhauser at bellsouth dot net. Antinomianism. A fancy word meaning “lawless”. Many who don’t get the free grace message accuse us of practicing and teaching antinomianism. They think – wrongly – that the free grace message is light on sin and light on obedience. The author of a recent best-selling book describes the message that he alleges some present this way: “We have been told all that is required is a one-time decision, maybe even mere intellectual assent to Jesus, but after that we need not worry about his commands, his standards, or his glory. We have a ticket to heaven, and we can live however we want on earth. Our sin will be tolerated along the way….” Another well-known author put it this way: “What is no-Lordship theology (the author’s name for free grace theology) but the teaching that those w...