Tag Archives: Sanctification

IS BAPTISM THE FIRST STEP OF OBEDIENCE?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

IS BAPTISM THE FIRST STEP OF OBEDIENCE? (This is the second edition of an article by Jack Cottrell, first published in Christian Standard in April 10, 2005.) A church leader was recently asked to explain his convictions and practice concerning baptism. He replied, “I have always believed that when a person sincerely comes to trust Jesus Christ as leader, forgiver, and Savior, and repents, the first step of obedience is to be baptized into Christ. That is what I have always taught, believed, and practiced” (Christian Standard, 6/27/04, p. 6). What does it mean to think of baptism as “the … Continue reading →

THE MESSAGE OF ROMANS 1-8

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THE MESSAGE OF ROMANS 1-8 A DEVOTIONAL GIVEN BY JACK COTTRELL AT THE MAY 2016 MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CHRISTIAN RESTORATION ASSOCIATION I. INTRODUCTION. How can we discern what Paul is teaching in Romans 1-8, or what any other Biblical text means, for that matter? The issue is not just hermeneutics. Rather, to a great extent it depends on how we answer this question: who is the primary AUTHOR of the Bible? This is a watershed issue—in Christendom, in Evangelicalism, in the Restoration Movement, and in many colleges and seminaries. Christian orthodoxy usually agrees that Scripture … Continue reading →

Saved by Grace #3 — DOUBLE CURSE, DOUBLE CURE

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The English word “grace” can be used in three ways. First, it can refer to the cause of salvation: it represents the aspect of God’s nature that causes him to love sinners and seek their salvation even though they do not deserve it. Second, “grace” can refer to the way of salvation: we are saved by the grace system (via the grace gate), as contrasted with the impotent law system (via the law gate). The third way we use the word “grace” is this: it refers to the content of salvation, which we receive as a gift in the moment … Continue reading →

David and the Holy Spirit in Psalm 51:11

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QUESTION: How did King David receive the Holy Spirit? ANSWER: This question is probably suggested by Psalm 51:11, where David as king prays to God, “Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” This indicates that when he is saying this prayer, he does have the Holy Spirit in some way. How did he receive the Spirit in the first place? We must understand that in the Bible people can “have the Holy Spirit” in two very different ways. On the one hand, we may speak of the EQUIPPING presence of the Holy Spirit. This means that some people have … Continue reading →

What’s Supposed To Change in the Lord’s Supper? A Communion Meditation

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

I was baptized when I was ten years old, and began taking the Lord’s Supper the very next Sunday. Shortly thereafter, one Sunday I noticed that the juice in my communion cup tasted – very different! It was not good and not sweet, like normal grape juice. Rather, it was much more bitter, and quite sharp to the taste. Being an inquisitive child, I began to wonder: what does this mean? Why does this taste different? I was just a kid, but I knew that the Lord’s Supper involved some very sacred realities. I thought to myself, maybe we are … Continue reading →

CAN ONE BE “SPIRITUALLY ALIVE” WITHOUT BAPTISM? (PART TWO)

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CAN ONE BE “SPIRITUALLY ALIVE” WITHOUT BAPTISM? (PART TWO) by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 8:49am In part one we began discussing this question: If baptism results in death to sin and rebirth to new spiritual life, then (1) why do some unimmersed people seem to exhibit this new life and new lifestyle; and (2) why do some immersed believers not do a very good job of living a committed life? The “new lifestyle” that follows conversion is what we usually call “sanctification,” or the lifelong process of becoming more and more holy as God is … Continue reading →

HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT WORK?

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HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT WORK? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 3:14pm QUESTION: I am confused about the various references to the working of the Holy Spirit [HS] in the Book of Acts. E.g., do Acts 1:5 and 1:8 refer to the same work of the Spirit? Is the promise in 1:5 fulfilled in 2:4? Does 11:15-16 tie 1:5 and 2:4 together? ANSWER: Once source of such confusion is the assumption that all works of the HS are basically the same. Some add to this the assumption that all works of the Spirit involve salvation. … Continue reading →

UNDERSTANDING HOMOSEXUALISM

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UNDERSTANDING HOMOSEXUALISM by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, June 11, 2012 at 1:41pm QUESTION: If homosexualism is wrong, what should be the Christian’s attitude toward it? ANSWER: Here are some general considerations. ONE. The first thing is that we must distinguish between a homosexual disposition and homosexual behavior. A homosexual disposition is a real sexual preference for or attraction to persons of one’s own sex. Such a person is “a homosexual” (gay or lesbian), whether sexually active or not. On the other hand, homosexual behavior refers to sexual desire and sexual contact between persons of the same sex. Homosexual desire, … 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 →

Are Christians Forbidden To Marry Non-Christians?

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Are Christians Forbidden To Marry Non-Christians? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 2:05pm QUESTION: Does 2 Corinthians 6:14 mean that Christians are not allowed to marry non-Christians? ANSWER: The answer to this question must begin with a look at the nature of marriage. One of the crucial aspects of marriage as described in the Bible is that it is a covenantal relationship. We conclude this from the way the Bible often compares the husband-wife relationship with the relationship between God and his people. In fact, the relation of God to his people is often described in … Continue reading →