Someone objects: "All this talk about justification by grace through faith is largely theoretical. When we talk to real people, they want to know what they must do to be saved." The down-to-earth, practical truth is that God saves us, apart from anything we deserve, attain or accomplish, for the sake of his Son Jesus Christ and on the basis of Jesus' finished work of redemption. (Let's listen in on the following conversation in progress.) * * * Q. This news is rather overwhelming! Yet somehow I feel strangely drawn to trust it. I find myself wanting to believe that Jesus obeyed God in my … [Read more...]

Someone objects: "All this talk about justification by grace through faith is largely theoretical. When we talk to real people, they want to know what they must do to be saved." The down-to-earth, practical truth is that God saves us, apart from anything we deserve, attain or accomplish, for the sake of his Son Jesus Christ and on the basis of Jesus' finished work of redemption. (Let's listen in on the following conversation in progress.) * * * Q. Are you telling me that I can contribute nothing to the deeds for which God forgives my sin and makes me acceptable to himself? A. That is … [Read more...]

Someone objects: "All this talk about justification by grace through faith is largely theoretical. When we talk to real people, they want to know what they must do to be saved." The down-to-earth, practical truth is that God saves us, apart from anything we deserve, attain or accomplish, for the sake of his Son Jesus Christ and on the basis of Jesus' finished work of redemption. (Let's listen in on the following conversation in progress.) * * * Q. Can I perfect myself morally, or perform enough good deeds, or obey God's commands so well, that God will look at my record and say, "Now, there's … [Read more...]

A gracEmail subscriber writes: "Salvation is certainly a gift, in the sense that we cannot merit or earn it. But it is a conditional gift. For example, suppose a rich relative gave me a check for a substantial sum of money. I must endorse the check to receive the gift -- but endorsing the check does not mean that I earned, deserved, or merited it." * * * Your analogy is interesting, but I must ask how strongly your hypothetical benefactor wishes to bestow this gift. If you should break both hands in a fall, so that you could not endorse your name to the check, would your relative make other … [Read more...]

The word "gospel" means good news, and it is the very best news we wandering and broken mortal creatures might ever hope to hear. There is only one true gospel, but New Testament writers proclaim it through many pictures and figures of speech. It is as if they lead us through the city and find examples and illustrations on every street. There is the courthouse -- reminding us that God the judge has "justified" us. For the sake of his Son Jesus Christ, he has acquitted us, pronounced us righteous as if we had never sinned (Rom. 3:24-26). There are the public baths -- and we remember that God … [Read more...]