Tag Archives: Repentance

SUICIDE AND FORGIVENESS

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

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?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

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?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

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 →

Did the Early Christian Fathers Teach Calvinism?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Did the Early Christian Fathers Teach Calvinism? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, July 25, 2011 at 1:57pm QUESTION: Some say that the doctrines of Calvinism did not begin with John Calvin, nor even with Augustine (died A.D. 430). Rather, they claim that the TULIP doctrines are present throughout the writings of the church fathers from the beginning. One Calvinist who says this is Michael Horton, in an appendix to his book, Putting Amazing Back into Grace (Baker, 2002). What do you say about this? ANSWER: I have read a large portion (not all) of the pre-Nicene, Nicene, and post-Nicene … Continue reading →

Once Saved, Always Saved — AGAIN! and AGAIN! and AGAIN!

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Once Saved, Always Saved — AGAIN! and AGAIN! and AGAIN! by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 9:47am The fifth point of the “five points of Calvinism”— the P in TULIP— is the Perseverance (or Preservation) of the saints, more commonly known as “once saved, always saved” (“OSAS”). This doctrine originated with Augustine (died A.D. 430) and is currently believed by millions of both Calvinists and non-Calvinists. On the other hand, those who reject OSAS as a false doctrine call attention to many Biblical texts that seem to teach or imply that believers can lose their faith … Continue reading →

THE PARADOX OF PRAYER

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

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 →

WHEN DID CALVINISM BEGIN?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

WHEN DID CALVINISM BEGIN? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 at 8:59am QUESTION: I have a question about the historical nature of Calvinism. One of my points with my Calvinist friends has been that you really don’t see the doctrines of T-U-L-I-P until Augustine. To me that is compelling stuff. If Paul meant total depravity and all that the way Calvinists believe it, then you would think you would find that in the early church fathers. Do you find that argument compelling? I recently read a blog that basically said the ideas of Calvinism are all throughout … Continue reading →

CHURCH UNITY: WHO ARE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

CHURCH UNITY: WHO ARE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 12:21pm QUESTION: What can we say about the unity of the church as a whole? Can we call Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Roman Catholics, etc., our brothers and sisters in Christ? ANSWER: Everyone who is presently in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ is my brother or sister in Christ. Everyone who has obeyed the gospel has entered into this saving relationship with Christ and is thus my brother or sister in Christ. Obedience to the gospel consists of FAITH (believing … Continue reading →

ARE BABIES BORN IN ORIGINAL SIN?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

ARE BABIES BORN IN ORIGINAL SIN? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, May 6, 2011 at 10:01am QUESTION: A friend of mine argues that babies are born in sin. She uses some specific Bible verses for this: Psalm 51:5, Romans 3:23, and Romans 5:12-19. She especially emphasizes Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned . . . .” Since it says “all,” she says it must include babies. Do these texts really teach that babies are born sinful? ANSWER: I have written quite a bit on this. For Romans 5:12-19, see my commentary on Romans, published by College Press. See also … Continue reading →

WAS JOHN’S BAPTISM “FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS”?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

WAS JOHN’S BAPTISM “FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS”? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, May 2, 2011 at 6:48pm QUESTION: Mark 1:4 says that John’s baptism was “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Now, if those baptized by John had their sins forgiven there, how can John’s baptism be any different from the Christian baptism that began on the Day of Pentecost? Also, if people could receive forgiveness through John’s baptism, then why did Jesus have to die on the cross? ANSWER: There are two questions here; we will take the second one first. Let’s grant for … Continue reading →