I recently received a four-page handwritten letter from a friend and GES partner. After greeting me, he wrote, “I hate GES.” I thought, “What does he mean? Have I offended him? Did I do something wrong?” He explained that his grandson had said that to him. He was shocked since he loves GES, and his family knows it. It turns out that the boy’s parents had been reading a book that is highly critical of GES. They became angry and conveyed their feelings about GES to their son. He, in turn, became angry, even without knowing the issues. I’m not fond of criticism. I especially dislike hatred direc ..read more

I spoke at a church pastored by Dan Adams in Dora Lake, MN, about twenty years ago. In 2012, I received a book from Ralph “Yankee” Arnold entitled The Dora Lake Story. In that book, he talks about how many people in that small town came to faith in Christ when he was preaching there in 1969. People became very upset by his preaching about everlasting life. They agreed with him that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. However, they did not believe that salvation was irrevocable. The opposition was so angry that Yankee became fearful for his life. But after speaking one Sunday night, he agree ..read more

GES conducted a regional conference April 5-7, at the First Baptist Church of Portland, OR. The theme was “Christ, the Righteous Rewarder.” As the title indicates, we discussed what the NT has to say about rewards for the faithful believer. There were three speakers at the conference: Dave Janssen, Kathryn Wright, and me (Ken Yates). All three of us made clear the distinction between being a believer and being a disciple. A believer receives eternal life when, at the moment of faith, they believe in Jesus for it. It is free. The disciple is the believer who follows Christ in discipleship. Dis ..read more

I’ve visited a lot of gyms in my life, in both the military and the civilian world. Even though I’m not one of them, I’m sure that you, like me, have seen muscle-bound men and women who frequent such establishments. We’re also aware that many other people use these gyms who, as a result of availing themselves of such establishments, are at various stages of physical fitness. Maybe they’re new to the process. Some take their exercise very seriously. You can tell when a person’s been working out over a period of months or years. The NT tells us that everybody uses a gym. Peter and the author of ..read more

In 1988, a man by the name of Nicholas Winton walked into a BBC studio in Britain and took a seat in the audience. The unassuming stockbroker, wearing coke-bottle glasses and a simple suit, had no idea that the upcoming program segment on the talk show That’s Life was dedicated to him. For decades, Winton had kept a secret, but his secret had been discovered. This seemingly ordinary man was actually a hero, having organized and executed one of the greatest humanitarian feats of WW2. Before the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia, Winton relocated 669 Jewish children from Czechoslovakia to homes in B ..read more

Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air (1 Cor 9:26, emphasis added). Fight the good fight of faith… (1 Tim 6:12, emphasis added). I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing (2 Tim 4:7-8, emphasis added). From 776 BC until 393 AD, the ancient Olympic Games were held every four years in Olympia, Greece. Corinth had its ath ..read more

When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” (John 2:9-10). No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities (1 Tim 5:23). I don’t drink wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages. My reason is spiritual, but not Biblic ..read more

When someone in the NT speaks to a crowd, who do you think is in that crowd? For example, when Paul, in the Book of Acts, speaks in a synagogue over a period of weeks, do some of the people come to faith over time, or do they all remain unbelievers and eventually run him off? In the Gospels, when the Lord speaks to great multitudes, are they all unbelievers or are there believers as well? Maybe it’s just me, and maybe it’s subconscious, but I think there’s a tendency to see the crowds in the Gospels as being composed of unbelievers. Unless the text specifically mentions that somebody believes ..read more

There is no question. Church history does not agree with Focused Free Grace (FFG). The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches reject FFG. It may be true that, at least for a time, both Luther and Calvin held to FFG. However, Calvinism and Lutheranism quickly diverged from the early views of the Reformers. Neither Calvinism nor Lutheranism has agreed with FFG. Arminians have not and do not agree with FFG. I could provide lots of quotes, but there’s no need. Everyone agrees that church history is contrary to FFG. The question is whether that matters. The answer may surprise you. No. It do ..read more

One of the greatest NT passages about grace is Eph 2:8-9. In these verses, Paul says that we have been saved by grace. It is all through faith–a person’s believing in Jesus Christ for eternal life. It was a gift of God. Paul specifically says that works played no part whatsoever in it. As a result, no believer has the right to boast–brag–about it. In fact, Paul mentions the word grace a second time. He could not state any more clearly that the salvation of which he speaks is all by grace and that good works have nothing to do with it. In recent years, I’ve come to see in a much clearer way th ..read more