Tag Archives: Redemption

THE PARADOX OF PRAYER

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THE PARADOX OF PRAYER JACK COTTRELL – 2020      QUESTION:   If God can do whatever He chooses, and if He really loves us, why doesn’t He answer all of our prayers?       ANSWER:  The answer to this question might seem like a paradox to some, but here is at least part of the deal:  God does not answer all of our prayers just because He loves us!.       Here I will approach this issue based on James 5:13-18.  I will use this text to help resolve the paradox of prayer.  First, I will make some general comments on these verses … Continue reading →

“YAHWEH IS HIS NAME” — Exodus 15:3

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“YAHWEH IS HIS NAME” – Exodus 15:3 A sermon by Jack Cottrell – CRA Bible Conference – Kissimmee FL – January 2018 INTRODUCTION. A. In most Old Testament translations, when you see God referred to as “the LORD” (with LORD all capitals), in the original Hebrew this is actually the divine name YAHWEH (which used to be pronounced “Jehovah”). What does “Yahweh” mean? (It does NOT mean “Lord.”) B. Where can we go to find the meaning of Yahweh? We find it in EXODUS 3:1-18. [READ] C. But then a puzzling statement appears in Exod. 6:2-3 – “God spoke further … Continue reading →

SUFFERING AT THE CROSS

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SUFFERING AT THE CROSS — A Communion Meditation Jack Cottrell – Greendale First Church of Christ – October 2017 [Author’s note: I gave this meditation on the same Sunday when I preached a sermon dealing in part with the subject of the Trinity. In the sermon I was pointing out that it was necessary to reveal the fact that God is a Trinity of persons at the beginning of this New Covenant age, because that was the time when God was carrying out the mighty works of redemption (incarnation, atonement, resurrection, ascension, outpouring of the Holy Spirit). The necessity for … Continue reading →

Saved by Grace #4 — SAVED BY GRACE, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

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Romans 3:24-25 says, “We are all justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation—a sacrifice of atonement—through faith in his blood” (composite translation). The only way to be saved from sin is by grace, and the only source of grace is what Jesus has done for us on the cross. Here we are seeking to understand exactly what Jesus was doing on the cross to make salvation by grace possible. I. GRACE COMES BY JESUS CHRIST. The general or generic meaning of the Greek word for grace … Continue reading →

What Is Central in Our Lives?

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WHAT IS CENTRAL IN OUR LIVES? JACK COTTRELL – AUGUST 2014 For decades I have tried to expose and refute a theological error I call “the Christological fallacy.” It is indeed a serious error in Christology, or the true understanding of the person and work of Jesus. It is also a serious error in theological method, and as such it is the source of many other errors in the interpretation and application of Scripture. What is this “Christological fallacy”? It is the attempt to make Christ an epistemological principle, rather than the Redeemer he came to be. It sees Jesus … Continue reading →

THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL: ROMANS 3:21-26

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Romans is my favorite book of the Bible, and Romans 3:21-26 is my favorite passage in this epistle. I have a series of 28 lessons on the first eight chapters of Romans, including the one that follows here. (This is also found in my book, Set Free! What the Bible Says About Grace, 190-193.) The first main section of Romans (1:18-3:20) is all about LAW. It makes three points: (1) Everyone knows some law. (2) Everyone has broken this law at some point. (3) Thus no one can be right with God by law-keeping. What, then, is our hope for … Continue reading →

ARE WE BORN SINNERS?

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ARE WE BORN SINNERS? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 7:08pm QUESTION: Are we human beings born sinners? What effect, if any, did the sin of Adam and Eve have on all their offspring? Did it affect our ability to choose whether or not to sin? ANSWER: This question is about the doctrine of original sin, which in one form or another is held by a large portion of Christendom. This doctrine says that Adam’s sin did indeed affect all of his descendants in serious ways. As early as the third century Christian writers began to … Continue reading →

WHAT IS CENTRAL TO OUR LIVES?

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WHAT IS CENTRAL TO OUR LIVES? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at 10:56am QUESTION: In my understanding and in my experience as a Christian, Jesus is the center of everything we do. Yet in your note about Jesus and the Biblical world view, you say Jesus is not the center. How can this be? ANSWER: Several of my readers were confused and/or upset by my Facebook note on how Jesus relates to the Biblical world view. They were disturbed that I said that God’s work of creation is the fundamental, foundational, central element of our world … Continue reading →

JESUS AND THE BIBLICAL WORLD VIEW

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JESUS AND THE BIBLICAL WORLD VIEW by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, September 8, 2012 at 2:34pm QUESTION: Why are so many pious-sounding yet false doctrines held by so many people, and thought to be based on the Bible? ANSWER: OK, I admit it. I made up this question myself, just to give me an excuse for writing what follows. It does relate, however, to some recent comments related to the upcoming (Nov. 2012) election. I am coming more and more to realize that one of the most prolific sources of doctrinal error, or one of the biggest hindrances to … Continue reading →

Does Ephesians 1:1-11 Support Calvinism?

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Does Ephesians 1:1-11 Support Calvinism? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, April 27, 2012 at 4:32pm QUESTION: Calvinists say that Ephesians 1:1-11 clearly establishes the absolute and all-inclusive sovereignty of God, including the unconditional predestination of the elect to salvation. How do you interpret this text? ANSWER: A right understanding of Ephesians 1:1-11 begins with the recognition that God’s purpose for Israel was from the beginning limited to preparing for the coming of the Messiah, namely, for the incarnation of God the Logos as the human person Jesus of Nazareth. Once the Messiah came, it was God’s eternal purpose to … Continue reading →