Monthly Archives: August 2011

IS REBAPTISM EVER NECESSARY?

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IS REBAPTISM EVER NECESSARY? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 3:17pm QUESTION: Is it ever a good idea, or even necessary, for a person to be rebaptized, i.e., baptized a second time? ANSWER: My approach to this question assumes that sometimes what is considered to be a baptism is indeed a valid baptism, but sometimes it is not. If a person has been baptized once with a valid baptism, there will never be a need for rebaptism. This is true even if a baptized person has fallen from grace and has now decided to return to … Continue reading →

DEGREES OF REWARD IN HEAVEN

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DEGREES OF REWARD IN HEAVEN by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 10:47am QUESTION: It seems clear that on the day of final judgment, all works (good and bad) of all people (saved and lost) will be brought up. But if we as Christians are justified by faith apart from a consideration of our works of obedience and disobedience to our law code (Rom. 3:28), and if, even in the moment of our death, we have assurance of our salvation, what then is the PURPOSE of having to face our sins on Judgment Day? ANSWER: Please refer … Continue reading →

WILL CHRISTIANS GO THROUGH THE JUDGMENT?

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WILL CHRISTIANS GO THROUGH THE JUDGMENT? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 10:39am QUESTION: Some say that Christians will not have to go through the final judgment, based on John 5:24, where Jesus says this: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (NASB, &ff.). Others say, yes, we WILL go through the judgment, but our sins will not be brought up there. They base this on Hebrews 8:12, where … Continue reading →

Hebrews 12:15 and the Question of Eternal Security

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Hebrews 12:15 and the Question of Eternal Security by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, August 15, 2011 at 11:44am QUESTION: A typical translation of Hebrews 12:15a is this, from the NASB: “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God.” The word translated “of” is the Greek apo, which, when followed by the genitive, means “from, away from.” This raises a question concerning the people being addressed: are they not yet within God’s grace, and are thus being warned not to fall short of attaining it or missing out on it? Or are they now within … Continue reading →

Environmental Ethics

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Environmental Ethics by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, August 13, 2011 at 2:42pm QUESTION: Do you believe that polluting the environment is a sin? ANSWER: Based on the creation mandate (Genesis 1:26-28), I have to say, definitely, yes. When God created the human race in his own image, He gave us dominion over the earth and everything in it. We have the divine mandate, as stewards acting for the Creator, to subdue the earth and have dominion over it. This is comparable to owning a house and renting it to another family. What is their responsibility toward that house? How … Continue reading →

SUICIDE AND FORGIVENESS

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SUICIDE AND FORGIVENESS by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 4:29pm QUESTION: If a Christian commits suicide, does he or she automatically go to hell? Doesn’t the Bible say we must confess our sins in order for them to be forgiven? Surely suicide is a sin, but by its very nature it can be confessed only prior to the act. Is that sufficient in order to receive forgiveness for it? ANSWER: We can certainly agree on some crucial points here: suicide (self-murder) is certainly a very serious sin, being a violation of the sixth commandment; committing any … Continue reading →

Is Faith a Work?

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Is Faith a Work? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 7:54am In response to a post by a facebook friend entitled “Faith Is Not A Work,” I attached the following comment: If “works” are defined generically as “things we do,” there are two kinds: obedience to law (the commands of our law code) and obedience to the gospel. Paul uses the term “works” for the former, and separates them from justification; he uses “obey the gospel” (Rom. 10:16; 2 Thess. 1:8) for what is necessary to receive salvation, including faith and confession (see context of Rom. … Continue reading →

Is Substitutionary Atonement a Calvinist Doctrine?

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Is Substitutionary Atonement a Calvinist Doctrine? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, August 1, 2011 at 11:50am QUESTION: There are some who say that Jesus was in no way a substitute for our sins because this is Calvinism. I have your book, God the Redeemer, and have read your chapter dealing with the atonement. I believe that Jesus in some way “took our place” as in Gal. 3:13 (substitution does not have to be used), but I am not a Calvinist and would fight Calvinism rigorously. Can you offer any more help especially in locating materials that would support Jesus … Continue reading →