The Free Grace Alliance

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...

I am getting to that time in my semester at school where my students are nearing turning in research papers.  They just wrote a test for me which needs to be graded, but looking at it reminded me of the real difference between education and indoctrination. Indoctrination: 1 : to instruct especially in fundamentals or rudiments : teach 2 : to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle   Education: (technically educating but education is defined as “the art of educating”) 1 a : to provide schooling for <chose to educate their children at home> b : to train by formal instruction and supervised practice especially in a skill, trade, or profession 2 a : to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically especially by instruction b : to provide with information : inform < educating themselves about changes in the industry> 3 : to persuade or condition to feel, believe, or act in a desired way < educate the...

Greetings; In the world of theology and ministry there seems to always be something going on, and it is imperative that we be aware so that we can beware of such goings on. All of us are theologians of one stripe or another. Some of us are paid to think and teach theology and others are not. But it is imperative that we all have and hold a biblical theology. It is essential that our theology be clear, coherent, consistent, comprehensive and complete. However, on this side of heaven it also means that there is the need for balance, living with some tensions and being willing to know that some things we cannot know or at least not know completely.   As Calvin said, “ We must as go as far as Scripture and no farther ”. The latest challenge to the evangelical world comes from the hand of Pastor Rob Bell and his book “Love Wins”.   Many having read the book feel that Bell is articulating a view that could be called Universalism, in which hell will one day be empty. This is not ...