The Mileses

Paul and Olena Miles with Grace Abroad Ministries

evangelism

The only test for salvation

​For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Eph 2:8-9 (ESV)

T​he Bible clearly teaches that we are saved by grace through faith alone… but many people have twisted up this simple truth. Often, if you ask someone how he knows that he’s a Christian, his response will start with faith, but then his focus drifts to his own works. Here is an example from John Piper as he responded to the question, “How can I know I’m saved?” 
[Read More]

Fireworks, Corruption, and Rallies

It has been a crazy week. Monday started with Independence Day celebrations and America celebrated freedom, fireworks, and fun (and etymology!). On Tuesday, the tone switched to angry Americans crying out for justice against Hillary. Then on Thursday, the frustration shifted toward the police after some violence in Louisiana and Minnesota… then overnight the country became pro-police again after Dallas lost some of its public servants at an anti-cop rally.

​In some ways, the atmosphere reminds me of the Maidan Revolution back in 2013. Corrupt politicians, police brutality, protests, killings, anger, a little bit of nationalism… different details for sure, but on a primitive level the frustrations are quite similar.

​When Russia invaded Eastern Ukraine, many people lost their homes and had to flee westward. Lena and I had the opportunity to meet some Christians who were refugees to Kiev, and they said something significant. They said that we, the Christians of Ukraine, were the guilty party in all of this chaos. I agreed with them about Ukraine then, and as I look at America falling apart this week, I can’t help but think the same thing about America now.
[Read More]

Appositive in John 1:12

Here is a cute grammar joke that has been circulating the internet:

​Personally, I prefer the Oxford Comma, but that’s a debate for another day.  For now, I would like to discuss a certain grammatical relationship that’s common in the Bible. It is called the appositive. Consider this sentence:

My wife, Lena, is an awesome person!

In the above sentence, the word, “Lena,” is a repetition and clarification of the phrase, “my wife.” Who is my wife? Lena. Who is Lena? My wife. The word, “Lena,” is an appositive. It is in apposition with the phrase, “my wife.” Pretty easy, right?
[Read More]

Three reasons that James 5:19-20 does not teach that we can lose our salvation

A ​brother in Christ has recently heard a preacher on the radio say that the last two verses of James prove that a Christian can lose his salvation. Let’s take a look at this passage and see how they fit in with the rest of the Bible’s teaching on God, man, and eternal life:

​My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (Jas 5:19-20 ESV)

[Read More]

Nuances in English translations of John 3:16

One of my favorite authors calls John 3:16 the most beautiful 25 words of the English language and I agree. The book he wrote was translated into Russian, where John 3:16 only occupies 21 words (not to mention that the original Greek is actually 26 words). When the book was translated into Russian, it maintained the figure of 25 words. It was a good translation, but sometimes when we explain the Gospel, we need to use localization.
[Read More]

John 3:16 tract for Wookies

​We at Grace Abroad Ministries have a passion for translating clear Gospel materials into other languages. With the new month of April, we have decided to translate a useful John 3:16 tract into Wookie, to assist any of you who are evangelizing in Kashyyyk. You can see the original English version here.
[Read More]