Tag Archives: 1 John 1:9

Saved by Grace #6 — GRACE VS. GALATIANISM

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In lesson five I said that many Christians lack assurance of salvation because they do not understand how “justification by faith” relates to STAYING saved, once one has become a Christian. It is important to distinguish between these two questions: (1) How does a sinner BECOME saved? and (2) How does a Christian STAY saved? Many Christians, especially in the Restoration Movement, know how to answer the first question; but many are seriously confused about the second one. A common but faulty approach to this issue is often called Galatianism. It is called this because it is the false view … Continue reading →

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS IN JAMES 5:13-20

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QUESTION: How do you reconcile James 5:13-20 with your explanation of 1 John 1:9? You have said that the latter does not mean that confession of a Christian’s specific sins is a condition for their being forgiven. But James 5:14-16 seems to say that confession of sins and prayer are necessary for forgiveness. How do you explain this? ANSWER: In this passage James says (5:14) that a Christian who is sick should call for the elders, and that the elders should come and pray for the sick person’s healing, while applying oil to that person for medicinal purposes, as in … 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 →

What Does 1 John 1:9 Mean?

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What Does 1 John 1:9 Mean? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 10:40am QUERY: You have said that a faulty understanding of 1 John 1:9 is a roadblock to a proper understanding of grace and a genuine sense of assurance. Please explain what 1 John 1:9 means. ANSWER: I have done this in my book, “Set Free! What the Bible Says About Grace” (pp. 314-316). The following is mostly from that source: A main roadblock to assurance is a faulty understanding of 1 John 1:9. This familiar text reads, “If we confess our sins, He is … Continue reading →

WHY DO CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS?

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WHY DO CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 8:37am SHOULD CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS? AN INQUIRER WRITES: “We are studying prayer in our small group. I remember a conversation that came up in one of our classes in Bible college. Since Jesus has already died for our sins, do we ask for forgiveness in a prayer, or do we simply just thank God for having already forgiven us of our sins? Do we make a request or just say ‘Thank you’?” MY REPLY: First, you would not say it this way: “Since … Continue reading →

Ananias and Sapphira: Saved or Lost?

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Ananias and Sapphira: Saved or Lost? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 7:37pm HERE’S AN INTERESTING QUESTION: “We are working through the book of Acts in our Sunday School class, and last week discussed Ananias and Sapphira. The question which hung a few of us was: ‘Did they go to heaven when they were struck dead?’ Most of us felt, assuming they were born again believers, they did. If all it took to banish a born again believer to Hell was sinning at the moment of death, Grace would seem less ‘graceful.’” MY REPLY: I vote … Continue reading →