Dan Chapa

Martin Luther was well aware that 1st century Judaism had aspects of grace and forgiveness in their theology. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22).  This is a most important addition, and is directed against the rebellious mind of arrogant objectors who say: "Very well, then, we know of ourselves that we are unrighteous; we also know that we are inclined to evil and that inwardly we are enemies of God.  We believe therefore that we must be justified before God, but this we desire to achieve by our prayers, repentance and confession.  We do not want Christ, for God can give us His righteousness even without Christ."  To this the Apostle replies: Such a wicked demand God neither will nor can fulfill, for Christ is God; righteousness for justification is given us only through faith in Jesus Christ.  So God has willed it, and so God is pleased to do, and this He will never change.  And who...

Romans 10  Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is thatthey may be saved.  2  For I bear them witness that they have azeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  3  For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking toestablish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.  4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness toeveryone who believes. 5  For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the personwho does the commandments shall live by them.  6  But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not sayin your heart , ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down)  7  “or ‘Who will descend into theabyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).  8  But what does it say? “The word is near you,in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim) ;...

Billy and Roy were discussing altar calls so I thought I would throw my 2 cents in. Some Calvinists object to altar calls. I can understand objections based on fears of easy-believism or false conversions. This is a serious objection because altar calls have been terribly abused; but altar calls can be and in my experience usually are done right. I could understand objections based on the regulative principles of worship. Just as a preacher wiping his nose when he sneezes during a sermon is not formally worship, so also altar calls may happen in church but not be considered formal worship. I could understand objections based on the idea that preaching is the only means God appointed to save through. Altar calls simply open the door for one-on-one evangelism and sinner’s prayers are simply concise gospel presentations. All these objections are understandable even though I ultimately disagree with them. But I am not OK with objections to altar calls based on soteriology. Fatalism ign...

God is both willing ( John 6:39 ) and able to preserve us ( Jude 24 ). To this Robert Shank responds "Our keeping ourselves in His love, in full anticipation of the mercy of our Saviour unto eternal life, is prerequisite to his safekeeping of our souls. We can trust Christ to save us, and we can trust Him to keep us; but we must trust Him." (Shank. Life in the Son. p. 279) But as Pink said: "I’m a hazard to myself, Don’t let me get me, I’m my own worst enemy". If God's not protecting us from ourselves, He's not protecting us. God saves us from the inside out. Shank is really right about one thing and really wrong about another. We do need to trust Christ, but that's not an a prerequisite for His protection - faith is the instrument of His protection ( 1 Peter 1:5 ). Peter understood Christ's protection through experiencing trials; trials he failed but his faith failed not due to Christ's intercession ( Luke 22:31-32 ). Shank sees Peter as a speci...

John 3:16 is perhaps the best know verse in scripture because it's one of the simplest expressions of the gospel; it's only rival for popularity that I can think of is Genesis 1:1. It states: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. This seems like a plain statement of Eternal Security, and yet so many that know and love this passage don't hold to ES. What I Eternal Security? Eternal Security is the union of two views: 1) the assurance of salvation and 2) once saved, always saved (OSAS). Assurance is knowing for sure that you are saved. Many folks that hold to falling from grace do think we can have assurance (i.e. I know I am saved today, but I might not be tomorrow). So assurance is not as controversial an element as OSAS. OSAS is the view that if your saved now, you always will be. Those that hold to OSAS must be subdivided into two groups: 1) those that hold perseverance is n...

This question is a bit of a problem for Catholic s, because their councils come along over a thousand years after the writing of scripture and require you to believe some things not explicitly taught in scripture and anesthetize dissenters. But does scripture explicitly teach what is necessary for salvation? Arminius said yes. Let’s look at his reasons why. Broadly, is argument is in three steps 1) God perfectly inspired all things we need to know for salvation to the prophets and apostles, 2) they faithfully communicated them, and 3) they wrote them down in scripture. ( link ) God perfectly inspired all things we need to know for salvation to the prophets and apostles Arminius argues that John 14:26, John 15:15, John 16:13, and John 17:8 teach Christ knew and revealed all things necessary for salvation to His Apostles and he fortifies his argument based on John 17:17-20 that this revelation was intended for the sanctification of the whole church. Based on 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 ,...

Outline of Edwards’ arguments in part III.V Some falsely argue we can’t perform our spiritual duties, but desire these things, so they are excusable. This entails the contradiction that we are inclined and disinclined to the same thing Obedience consists in the inclination itself The inclination is itself the choice “Desire without performance” is a phrase sometimes used, but it's improper as the desire relates to something future or something else is the object of desire. (i.e. someone might say a drunk doesn't want to drink the drink he's drinking, meaning: a drunk who desires to avoid drinking “someday” so he can keep his money) This “indirect willingness” falls short of any virtue or even partial obedience to God’s command “Sincerity” in indirect willingness doesn’t make it any better, people can be sincerity about bad things. I already addressed the inconsistency between Edwards and modern Calvinists on the will here , but I wanted to address the argument itself. My...

The doctrine of justification by faith is the teaching that God pronounces sinners, who are believers, not guilty, based on what Christ has done. God counts our faith as righteousness, based on Christ. Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Phi 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: This doctrine clearly teaches that the blessings Christ are applied to no one apart from faith. Those that have faith are justified, tho...

testing ways to organize tags into a tables of contents 1 PROLOG, 2 GOD, 3 CREATION, 4 PROVIDENCE, 5 PREDESTINATION, 6 THE LAW, 7 THE GOSPEL, 8 SOTERIOLOGY , 8.a Conditional Election, 8.b Depravity, 8.c Christ's death, 8.d Resistible Grace, 8.e Perseverance, 9 THE CHURCH, 20 HISTORY, 30 DEBATES, 40 COWBOYS, 99 ABOUT ME