Tag Archives: Cross

Is Baptism Essential for Salvation?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Is Baptism Essential for Salvation? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 3:21pm A READER HAS ASKED the straightforward question, “Is baptism essential for salvation?” My straightforward (but qualified) answer is this: “Under normal circumstances, since the Day of Pentecost, YES.” In my book, “Baptism: A Biblical Study” (College Press, 2 ed., 2006) I have shown that the 12 NT texts that say anything at all about the purpose of baptism all testify to its saving significance. Water baptism is clearly described as the time or occasion during which God bestows salvation upon the one being baptized. … Continue reading →

God Hates the Sin AND the Sinner

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

God Hates the Sin AND the Sinner by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 12:20pm A RECENT QUESTION: We have all heard the saying, “God loves the sinner but hates the sin.” But is that the whole story? Would it be fair to say, at least as far as the unbeliever is concerned, that God both loves the sinner and hates the sinner? MY REPLY: I have answered this question in my book, “What the Bible Says About God the Redeemer,” in the chapter on “The Holiness of God,” in the discussion of wrath. Here is the … Continue reading →

Are We Justified by Christ’s Death or by Faith?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Are We Justified by Christ’s Death or by Faith? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 11:40am QUERY: Are we justified by Christ’s death, or by our faith in Christ? ANSWER: Both are involved, but in different ways. Romans 5:9 says we are “justified by his blood,”and Romans 3:28 says that “one is justified by faith.” Justification (equivalent to forgiveness of sins) is God’s declaration that he accepts us as righteous before the law, in the sense that our debt of eternal punishment has been canceled. To be justified means that God, in his role as Judge, … Continue reading →

Did Jesus Go to Hell When He Died (1 Pet. 3:18-19)?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Did Jesus Go to Hell When He Died (1 Pet. 3:18-19)? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 3:29pm I HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF INQUIRIES about 1 Peter 3:18ff., which says: “He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago.” What does this mean? Did Jesus somehow “go to hell” after he died on the cross? If so, is this part of his atoning work? Or does it mean that he went and preached to … Continue reading →

Heb. 6:4-8 and “Once Saved, Always Saved”

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Heb. 6:4-8 and “Once Saved, Always Saved” by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 10:03am A RECENT QUERY: “We are doing a study in Hebrews and this week chapter 6 rears its ugly head regarding eternal security. I know that I have at least 2 with a strong calvinistic background in my class, and we will be addressing the ‘once saved, always saved’ problem. Any thoughts?” MY REPLY: In my book, “The Faith Once for All,” I have a whole chapter on the subject of assurance of salvation (ch. 21). In this chapter I give a strong … Continue reading →

What is the Age of Accountability?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

What is the Age of Accountability? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, October 31, 2009 at 12:21pm QUERY: How can we tell when a child reaches the “age of accountability”? ANSWER: The word “accountability” raises two questions: a) Accountable FOR WHAT? and, b) Accountable TO WHOM? The obvious answers are: accountable FOR SIN, and accountable TO GOD. Thus the age of accountability is that point when a child comes to the understanding that he or she is a sinner before God and faces the penalty of eternal punishment. The key word is “understanding.” For there to be sin, four things … Continue reading →

Is Faith a Gift?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Is Faith a Gift? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 9:42am A RECENT QUERY: “I came across a church website that says (slightly abbreviated): ‘We share the values of the Reformation, the five “Alones”: ●Christ Alone: We believe that Jesus Christ was, is and always will be fully God (Hebrews 13:8) and that he became fully human, taking the very nature of a man (Philippians 2) and that he came to show us what God the Father is like; when you see Jesus you see God the Father (John 14:9). ●Grace Alone: Our relationship with God … Continue reading →

The Wonders of Christmas: 1 Timothy 1:15

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

The Wonders of Christmas: 1 Timothy 1:15 by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 16, 2009 at 9:58am [This note sheds some light on a previous note, “Can Christians Be Called Sinners?” Also, this note is not addressing any specific issue. It is just a Christmas devotional thought. It also works as a sermon outline!”] THE WONDERS OF CHRISTMAS: 1 TIMOTHY 1:15 To children,Christmas abounds with wonders. How can reindeer fly? How does Santa know if they’ve been good or bad? How can he visit the whole world in one day? How can a fat man come down skinny chimneys? … Continue reading →

Forgiveness in the Old Testament

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Forgiveness in the Old Testament by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 1:32pm HERE’S A QUESTION ABOUT FORGIVENESS: In your Romans commentary (Vol. I, p. 264) you say that the sins of OT saints were not just “rolled back” until Jesus’ crucifixion, but that the certainty of Jesus’ propitiatory sacrifice enabled God to forgive the sins of OT saints even during the OT era. What, then, is Isaiah referring to when he says in 22:14: “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for.” What is the sin? Why was it not forgiven during their … Continue reading →

To Whom Should We Pray?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

To Whom Should We Pray? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 1:59pm I received this question from a FaceBook friend: “To whom should we pray? Jesus says we are to pray, ‘Our Father who art in heaven’ (Matt. 6:9). He also says if we ask HIM anything, he will do it (John 14:14). The final prayer of the Bible is made to the Son: Rev. 22:20. Is this a big issue?” FOR MY ANSWER, I will copy a couple of paragraphs from my book, “God the Redeemer” (p. 171), from the chapter on the Trinity. The … Continue reading →