Showing titles in Salvation Theory

Mary the Mother of God, the first volume in the series Sermons by Saint Gregory Palamas, is a collection of some of the greatest homilies on the Theotokos ever written, including the most celebrated of all Palamas’ writings, his sermon “On the Entry of the Mother of God into the Holy of Holies”.

When clouds of doubt block the sunshine of our assurance of salvation, a sense of foreboding plagues us. The fear of hell becomes a sobering reality, leading to loss of joy and strength. We also leave the ground of victory. We lose confidence in accessing Jesus by faith because of our uncertainty over whether we even have Jesus. Such a person can be overcome by the world instead of overcoming through faith.

Does the New Testament truly teach the “plan of salvation” as it is commonly presented—or has something been added to the gospel? In KJV vs. Churches of Christ: Condemn Not, and Ye Shall Not Be Condemned, David Michael Curtis examines the core doctrines of the Churches of Christ using a single standard: the plain text of the King James Bible. This book does not appeal to tradition, denominational authority, or theological systems. It gathers and harmonizes Scripture, allowing the Bible to speak for itself. Using a rigorous topical Bible study method developed over decades, this volume...

"Hypothetical universalism," or "unlimited atonement," states that Christ's death is sufficient for the guilt of all people yet is only effectively applied to those with faith. This tradition, typified by the French Reformer Moïse Amyraut, has continued among Anglicans and Baptists for over four centuries, yet has been underexplored in Reformed systematic theology. Unlimited Atonement fills a gap in resources on atonement theology that begin with the unlimited love of God.

Considered a cornerstone of modern Christian theology, Charles Spurgeon’s All of Grace is an exploration into the way Christians envision themselves. While many people see themselves as strong, Spurgeon argues that if humans were strong there would have been no need for Jesus to have sacrificed himself. The actions of Jesus were shrouded in a love of the weakness of humanity, and to Spurgeon that truth was being further shrouded by modern pride. The book itself was a call to Christianity to look at repentance as a gift and to accept its grace into their lives.

Does your salvation rest entirely on the finished work of Jesus Christ—or on your own lifelong effort to maintain holiness? In KJV vs. John Wesley, David Michael Curtis puts the core doctrines of Methodism, the Nazarene movement, and the Salvation Army to the test using one standard alone: the King James Bible. This book does not appeal to church tradition, denominational systems, or academic commentary. Instead, it applies a simple but rigorous method—gather every verse on a topic and let Scripture interpret itself. When this standard is applied, the central conflict becomes clear: is ...

There are still big theological discoveries to be found when digging into Scripture. Hyper-Calvinist Universal Salvation unearths a few of them, most notably, a previously undiscovered theology in Scripture, where the mysterious entity referred to in the book of Revelation as the Lake of Fire is found to be another name for GOD, who, according to Scripture, will save all condemned and unchosen human souls that were ever created at the Eschaton (end of the world), when he will immolate them in the core of his Consuming Fire (Lake of Fire), to save them by Fire (1 Cor 3: 15).

In this work, John Bunyan addresses the issue of imputation in great detail. The imputed righteousness of Christ was of the highest importance to him, as the only way of salvation. He opposed any manifestation of self-righteousness among Christians, any any claim of justification built thereon.

The kenosis heresy is a doctrinal error that misuses the biblical idea of “kenosis” (Greek kenóō, “to empty”) from Philippians 2:6–8 to teach that Jesus laid aside His divine nature, attributes, or authority when He became human. In its heretical form, it claims that Christ stopped being fully God in order to live as a man. The kenosis heresy refers to a theological distortion of the biblical teaching about Jesus Christ’s incarnation, drawn from a misreading of Philippians 2:6–7. The Greek word kenoō means “to empty,” and orthodox Christianity has historically ...

What sets the historic Christian faith apart from all other religions and worldviews? Nothing less than the good news of God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ. The Protestant Reformers boldly declared the marvelous message of the gospel: Salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed in Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone. Together, these “alone” statements are called the five solas of the Reformation. In this book, Dr. Gabe Fluhrer explains how the five solas give us the heartbeat of the gospel and the road map for the Christian life.

It’s time to open your eyes to the freeing power of authentic grace—grace that releases us from trying to earn God's favor, grace that enables us to rest in the finished work of Christ, grace that liberates from the tyranny of trying to please others. That's what the theology of Martin...

Jesus Christ's designation as High Priest after the order of Melchizedek is a cornerstone of Christian theology, representing the fulfillment of divine promises and the inauguration of a new covenant between God and humanity. To understand Jesus as High Priest, it is essential to look back at Melchizedek, a figure who appears briefly in the Old Testament yet holds profound significance in the understanding of priesthood and kingship. Melchizedek’s unique role in the Bible foreshadows Jesus’ ministry and His ultimate role as the eternal mediator between God and humankind. Unlike the ...

Understand the history, core values, and divisions as they've developed within the Evangelical Christian movement. Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism compares and contrasts four distinct positions on the current fundamentalist-evangelical spectrum. Each contributor offers their case...

Longtime pastor Douglas Wilson takes a hammer to some of our very favorite graven images, and (surprise, surprise) we've set up display cases for most of them in our churches: liturgy, tradition, systematics, infant baptism, and that crafty old Baal doctrine. Alongside a critique of philosophical assumptions about human nature, dualism, and grace, Wilson stresses the unavoidable and absolute necessity of individual hearts being born again. He concludes by laying out the case for the church.

Many of us believe that in order to please God, we have to be perfect. It’s an easy lie to buy into. In a culture that emphasizes accomplishment and ever-higher goals, we feel driven to do more, achieve more, be more. And we get caught up in the unforgiving treadmill of self-imposed rules, believing that we should, we need to, we must. The result? Anger, frustration, and anxiety that keep us far away from the life of peace that Jesus promised.

One of the theological mysteries that every Christian who wrestles with doctrine faces is the tension between predestination and free will. Christians have been arguing over this since the 4th century, with some churches stressing the sovereign work of God and others stressing the free will of man. In this chapter taken from the book "Solid Ground", Mr. Clay explores part of this conflict and attempts to resolve it from a look at what the Bible says on both sides of the issue. Mr. Clay explains that he believes both sides have part of the truth and need to see the entire truth partially ...

Isaiah 14:12, with its phrase hêlēl ben-šāḥar (“shining one, son of dawn”), originally referred to the King of Babylon in the form of a prophetic taunt-song (Isa. 14:4). The image of the morning star (Venus) mocked the arrogant ruler who exalted himself as divine but was cast down to Sheol. In Jewish interpretation, the passage was seen as satire of a human king, not a story about Satan. Early Christian writers, however, such as Tertullian, Origen, and Cyprian (2nd–3rd centuries), were the first to apply the verse allegorically to Satan’s fall. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate (4th ...

Do Christians choose to have faith, or is faith a supernatural work of God? Far from an abstract intellectual exercise, this question has vast implications for the hope, joy, and assurance of the Christian life. When the truth of God’s sovereign grace breaks into our minds and hearts, it changes everything. In What’s So Great about the Doctrines of Grace? Dr. Richard D. Phillips takes us on a tour of the doctrines of grace, also known as the five points of Calvinism.

Women of Faith points you to the bedrock of joy: grace. Grace describes things beyond your ability to earn or attain, gifts you can only gratefully receive from a God who lavishes them on you freely. With the same wit and insight that have characterized their previous devotionals such as Joy...

"I am a fanatic about freedom. And I'm fanatical about coming at you hard in this book." Maybe you're not as free as you think you are. Even worse, you may have been duped into believing that a "balanced" life is the key to happiness (it isn't) or that a relationship with God is about layering...