Tag Archives: Once Saved

THE PARADOX OF PRAYER

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THE PARADOX OF PRAYER by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, June 13, 2011 at 1:17pm THE PARADOX OF PRAYER:  JAMES 5:13-18  (A SERMON PREACHED 5/29/11)   THE PARADOX:  If God can do whatever He chooses, and if He really loves us, why doesn’t He answer all of our prayers?  Here I will comment on James 5:13-18, and will use this text to help resolve the paradox of prayer.   PART ONE:  COMMENTS ON THE TEXT.   Verse13 – “Suffering” means any time things are going bad for you in any way. “Cheerful” means any time things are looking good for … Continue reading →

IMPUTED VS. IMPARTED RIGHTEOUSNESS

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IMPUTED VS. IMPARTED RIGHTEOUSNESS by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, June 3, 2011 at 10:05am QUESTION: Can you explain “imparted righteousness”? ANSWER: The real issue here is the distinction between imparted and imputed righteousness, and their relation to salvation, especially as this relates to the definition of justification. This is important because the Bible pictures sinners as being saved by “the righteousness of God” (Rom. 1:17; 3:21-22; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9). I.e., God saves us by transferring his own righteousness to us in some way—by imparting it, or imputing it, or both. What is “righteousness” as such? Most fundamentally, … Continue reading →

LOVE WINS, by Rob Bell: A Synopsis of Cottrell’s Review

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LOVE WINS, by Rob Bell: A Synopsis of Cottrell’s Review by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 11:04am QUESTION: What do you think about Rob Bell’s book, Love Wins? ANSWER: I have just completed writing an analysis of his book. The full analysis is too long to post here on FaceBook, but it can be accessed at http://www.ccuniversity.edu/seminary/academics/faculty-publications/ . What follows here is a brief synopsis of this more complete analysis and critique, without any page references. See the full version for quotes and references. Two general conclusions: (1) I found not one single redeeming quality in … Continue reading →

Can a Christian Who Falls Away Ever Become Saved Again?

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Can a Christian Who Falls Away Ever Become Saved Again? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, December 28, 2010 at 3:49pm QUESTION: I understand that a true, saved believer can “fall from grace” and become lost; but can such a person ever return and become saved again? Does not Hebrews 6:4-6 suggest that a person who falls away can never again be saved? ANSWER: The idea that a fallen-away sinner can never again be saved has brought much anguish to many sincere people. It is also a false doctrine, one that is based mainly on a seriously-false translation of the … Continue reading →

Is Baptism an Act of Obedience to a Command?

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Is Baptism an Act of Obedience to a Command? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, July 1, 2010 at 12:58pm QUESTION: In your book “Baptism: A Biblical Study” you say, “The Bible never treats baptism as a work of law or as a simple act of obedience in response to a command” (p. 139, 2006 ed.). Did not Christ command His disciples to go and make disciples, baptizing them (Matt. 28:19)? When the Jews asked Peter on the day of Pentecost, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37), did he not command them to “be baptized” (2:38)? Was not their baptism … Continue reading →

What Is the Nature of Free Will?

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What Is the Nature of Free Will? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 9:08am QUESTION: Many (usually Arminians) argue that without free will in a significant (libertarian) sense, i.e., the ability to choose between good and evil, human actions would not be worthy of praise or blame. Thus in order to preserve moral responsibility, human beings must have free will in the libertarian sense—the freedom of opposite moral choice. But is this consistent with the freedom of God Himself, whom we assume to be the ultimate model for freedom? The following are said to be true … Continue reading →

WHAT WILL BE OUR ACTIVITIES IN HEAVEN?

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WHAT WILL BE OUR ACTIVITIES IN HEAVEN? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, May 22, 2010 at 1:06pm QUESTION: What kinds of activities will we be engaged in when we get to heaven? ANSWER: To answer this question, I have selected some paragraphs from chapter 32, “Heaven,” of my book, “The Faith Once for All.” Here I divide our activities in heaven into physical, mental, and spiritual. Regarding the PHYSICAL, what about activities that give us physical pleasure in our present lives, i.e., eating, drinking, and sex? This question is neither irrelevant nor irreverent, for these are normal and good … Continue reading →

Love or Truth? A False Choice!

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Love or Truth? A False Choice! by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 6:06pm REQUEST: I am a student at one of our prominent Bible colleges, pursuing a preaching degree. Often when I have a conversation with a student or even some of the professors, it seems that the general mindset is mostly a postmodern way of thinking. It seems as if everyone is very passionate about such things as evangelism, loving others, and reconstructing the church, but has very little concern for doctrine and truth. Do you have any advice for my situation? REPLY: Thank you, … Continue reading →

Is Infant Immersion a Valid Baptism?

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Is Infant Immersion a Valid Baptism? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 5:00pm A SERIOUS QUERY: In our congregation we accepted a member by transfer upon his testimony that he had been previously immersed. We have only recently discovered that he was indeed immersed, but as an infant in a Greek Orthodox church. He assumed that this was sufficient; and no one is questioning the genuineness of his faith or his salvation, because he is certainly displaying the fruit of the Spirit. But now that we have the facts, we are not sure what to do. … Continue reading →

What Is the Best Time for Baptism?

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What Is the Best Time for Baptism? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 8:54am A RECENT QUESTION: We have had a number of baptisms lately during the week, i.e., not on Sunday. We keep our water warm and tell people we can do baptisms any time, when they have come to that decision, and will arrange for someone to be baptized on, say, Wednesday at 10 A.M. Of course, Sunday baptisms are always welcomed and encouraged, and we’ve had a number of those too. But my question is, is there a Scriptural reason to prefer having … Continue reading →