Paul and Olena Miles with Grace Abroad Ministries
People often wonder if they have lost their salvation or whether or not they even were saved in the first place. When we boil it down, they may not really be doubting their eternal destiny, but rather the source of their salvation, that is to say, they may be doubting their savior.
And that can actually be a good thing.[Read More]
“’If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with baloney.”
-W.C. Fields (paraphrased)
Theologians say that the Biblical word for faith has three essential aspects, expressed by the Latin words, notitia, assensus, and fiducia, which in English means “notion,” “assent,” and “fidelity.” Biblical saving faith is Latin fiducia, so when the Bible says, “faith alone,” it really means, “faith plus a lifelong commitment of works.”[Read More]
My two favorite tracts in the universe are “You can be eternally secure” and “The best news you’ll ever hear” by Bob Bryant. I don’t often distribute tracts to the masses as I’m more of a “Let’s grab some coffee and talk about what the Bible says” kind of guy (which, is another thing that I’ve picked up from Bob Bryant), but I do like tracts and have used them to facilitate further biblical discussion.1[Read More]
The gentlemen at the Back Row Theologians podcast invited Paul to be a guest on a discussion on “What is the Gospel?” You can listen to it below, or check it out on their site here.
[Read More]
The Calvinist doctrine of Limited Atonement was born several years after John Calvin died… and it has been in need of a proof text ever since. It teaches that Christ only died for a relatively few elect individuals who, according to the fifth point of Calvinism, will persevere in living for Christ until the end of their physical lives. This means that we can look at the fruit in people’s lives and determine whether or not Christ even died for them. It also means that if we want to know whether or not Christ died for us, we need to look at our own works.[Read More]
Tsar Ivan the Terrible was known for his paranoia and terrible fits of rage. Anyone who angered Ivan the Terrible to the slightest degree faced instant execution. He was constantly throwing violent tantrums, and during one outburst, Ivan even beat his own son and heir to death. Standing up to the tsar in those times was an unthinkable act, but one day a so called “Fool for Christ” named Basil did just that. It was spring in Russia, a time when followers of Russian Orthodoxy fast for Lent. Basil approached Ivan the Terrible and offered him a slab of raw meat, insisting that there was no point in fasting, since the tsar had committed too many murders to be able to cover his sin with the act of fasting. Ivan realized that Basil was right, and deeply respected him for standing up to him. In fact, when Basil died, Ivan the Terrible himself acted as a pallbearer at the funeral and named the most famous cathedral in Russia after him.[Read More]
