“The increase of the kingdom is more to be desired than the growth of a clan. We would do a great deal to make a Paedobaptist brother into a Baptist, for we value our Lord’s ordinances; we would labour earnestly to raise a believer in salvation by free-will into a believer in salvation by grace, [...]
Salvation
"According to Calvinism, salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the triune God: the Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes Christ’s death effective by bringing the elect to faith and repentance, thereby causing them to willingly obey the Gospel. The entire process (election, redemption, regeneration) is the work of God and is by grace alone. Thus God, not man, determines who will be the recipients of the gift of salvation. This is the biblical Gospel." ~ Loraine Boettner, What is the Gospel
The Invisibility of God is a Great Problem
The invisibility of God is a great problem. It was already a problem to God’s people in Old Testament days. Their pagan neighbors would taunt them, saying, “Where Is now your God?” Their gods were visible and tangible, but Israel’s God was neither. Today in our scientific culture young people are taught not to believe [...]
An Inventory of Spiritual Fruit
Fruit-bearing is not a matter of being strong or weak, good or bad, brave or cowardly, clever or foolish, experienced or inexperienced. Whatever your gifts, accomplishments, or virtues, they cannot produce fruit if you are detached from Jesus Christ. Christians who think they are bearing fruit apart from the Vine are only tying on artificial [...]
False Assurance of Salvation
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. ~ Matt. 7:13-14 Assurance of Salvation The [...]
Can Jesus be Savior and Not Lord?
“I cannot conceive it possible for anyone truly to receive Christ as Savior and yet not to receive him as Lord. A man who is really saved by grace does not need to be told that he is under solemn obligations to serve Christ. The new life within him tells him that. Instead of regarding [...]
Quick & Easy Assurance is No Assurance of Salvation
Many professed Christians – and even many true Christians – hold a false doctrine of assurance. Often it is because the person who witnessed to them told them that all they had to do was make a profession of faith, walk an aisle, raise a hand, say a prayer, and never doubt what the Lord [...]
Are you really saved? Are you sure?
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you–unless indeed you fail the test? II Corinthians 13:5 What does the fruit of a genuine Believer look like? The MacArthur Study Bible has a great tool you can use for [...]
What Is the Gospel?
During my recent trip to California for the Alliance Defense Fund Academy, I had the pleasure to meet Greg Gilbert, the author of a wonderful book, What is the Gospel? I I would strongly encourage you to take a look. View Sample Pages What Is the Gospel? It seems like a simple question, yet it [...]
Evangelism and Apologetics by Dr. Greg Bahnsen
The very reason why Christians are put in the position of giving a reasoned account of the hope that is in them is that not all men have faith. Because there is a world to be evangelized (men who are unconverted), there is the need for the believer to defend his faith: Evangelism naturally brings [...]
The Importance of Salvation by Archibald Alexander
In comparison with salvation, all other subjects are trivial. To waste time in the pursuit of wealth, or in the chase of sensual pleasure, while our salvation is not secure, is more than folly—it is madness. What, would you agree to dwell in the dark dungeon of despair forever and ever, for the sake of [...]
Nature and Means of Growth in Grace by Archibald Alexander
THE word ‘grace’ is of frequent occurrence, and high and interesting import, in the sacred Scriptures. In the great concern of man’s salvation, no other word has a richer meaning. But while the general idea of the term is every where retained, there are several shades of difference in the signification, as it is used [...]
Sinners Welcome to Come to Jesus Christ by Archibald Alexander
Our blessed Lord knew how prone convinced sinners are to unbelief as it regards the reception which he is disposed to give them if they come to him, and therefore he graciously uttered, and has left on record this precious encouragement, “Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.” No, though [...]
Every Christian a Publisher by Earnest C. Reisinger
The Need for Truth I would like to speak to you today about the importance of the use of literature in the church, for evangelism, for instruction in Christian truth, for devotion, and for its role in planting churches. Protestants, in particular, are very weak in the proper use of literature to spread God’s truth. [...]
The Transforming Effect of the Gospel by J. Gresham Machen
Modern thought is a mighty force. It is either subservient to the Gospel or else it is the deadliest enemy of the Gospel. For making it subservient, religious emotion is not enough, intellectual labor is also necessary. And that labor is being neglected. The Church has turned to easier tasks. And now she is reaping [...]
What is a Biblical Christian? by Albert N. Martin
There are many matters concerning which total ignorance and complete indifference are neither tragic nor fatal. I am sure that there are few of us who can explain all the processes by which a brown cow eats green grass and gives white milk but we can still enjoy the milk! Many of us are totally [...]
Experimental Salvation by Arthur W. Pink
SALVATION may be viewed from many angles and contemplated under various aspects, but from whatever side we look at it we must ever remember that ‘Salvation is of the Lord.’ Salvation was planned by the Father for His elect before the foundation of the world. It was purchased for them by the holy life and [...]
God’s Sovereignty in the Salvation of Men (Romans 9:18) by Jonathan Edwards
Sermon IV of Seventeen Occasional Sermons, in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume Two, The Banner of Truth Trust, Reprinted 1995, pp. 849-854. ROMANS 9:18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. THE apostle, in the beginning of this chapter, expresses his great concern and sorrow [...]
Salvation According to Jesus by William Webster
When teaching on salvation Jesus has a great deal to say about hell, the kingdom of God, his atonement, union with himself, conversion, faith, repentance, sanctification and discipleship. Surprisingly, he has little to say about justification. In the context of Protestant–Roman Catholic ecumenism, Harold O.J. Brown recently made an interesting observation about the teaching of [...]
Salvation by Grace by Loraine Boettner
1. MAN’S ILL-DESERT THE Bible declares that the salvation of sinful men is a matter of grace. From Eph. 1:7-10 we learn that the primary purpose of God in the work of redemption was to display the glory of this divine attribute so that through succeeding ages the intelligent universe might admire it as It [...]
The Work of Conversion by John Owen
The corrupt principle of sin works early in our natures, and for the most part prevents grace from working in us (Psa. 58:3). As we grow mentally and physically, our natures increasingly become the willing instruments of unrighteousness (Rom. 6:13). This perverse ruling principle in us reveals itself more and more as we grow older [...]
Treatise on Grace – Part I: Shewing That Common and Saving Grace Differ, Not Only in Degree, But in Nature and Kind by Jonathan Edwards
CHAPTER I. SUCH phrases as common grace, and special or saving grace, may be understood as signifying either diverse kinds of influence of God’s Spirit on the hearts of men, or diverse fruits and effects of that influence. The Spirit of God is supposed sometimes to have some influence upon the minds of men that are [...]
Treatise on Grace – Part II: Shewing Wherein All Saving Grace Does Summarily Consist by Jonathan Edwards
CHAPTER II. THE next thing that arises for consideration is, What is the nature of this principle in the soul that is so entirely diverse from all that is naturally in the soul? Here I would observe,— 1. That that saving grace that is in the hearts of the saints, that within them [which is] [...]
Treatise on Grace – Part III: Shewing How a Principle of Grace is from the Spirit of God by Jonathan Edwards
CHAPTER III. I. That this holy and Divine principle, which we have strewn does radically and summarily consist in Divine Low, comes into existence in the soul by the power of God in the influences of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person in the blessed Trinity, is abundantly manifest from the Scriptures. Regeneration is by [...]
The Plan of Salvation – Part I (Differing Conceptions) by Benjamin B. Warfield
THE SUBJECT to which our attention is to be directed in this series of lectures is ordinarily spoken of as ‘The Plan of Salvation.’ Its more technical designation is, ‘The Order of Decrees.’ And this technical designation has the advantage over the more popular one, of more accurately defining the scope of the subject matter. [...]
The Plan of Salvation – Part II (Autosoterism) by Benjamin B. Warfield
THERE ARE fundamentally only two doctrines of salvation: that salvation is from God, and that salvation is from ourselves. The former is the doctrine of common Christianity; the latter is the doctrine of universal heathenism. ‘The principle of heathenism,’ remarks Dr. Herman Bavinek, ‘is, negatively, the denial of the true God, and of the gift [...]
