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Did Peter Preach Conditional Forgiveness to Simon the Sorcerer? (Acts 8:22)

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If God loves you, God forgives you, and God loves you indeed! God’s forgiveness is revealed in the matchless and unrepeatable sacrifice of the One who died for all sin. In Christ, you are eternally and unconditionally forgiven. Good news, no? It’s a liberating truth, yet many haven’t heard it. They’re bringing sacrifices of tears and confession and they are trying to earn what God has freely provided. Their efforts are all for naught. Grace cannot be purchased; it can only be received by faith. So thank the Lord for his forgiveness and live free. But what about… Whenever I tell people that God’s forgiveness is complete and unconditional, I invariably get hit with questions like these: What about the Sermon on the Mount? What about 1 John 1:9? What about James 5:15? What about 2 Peter 1:9? My answers to these questions can be found in the links above. But what about when Peter said this to Simon the Sorcerer: Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. (Act 8:22) May be forgiven. That doesn’t sound like unconditional forgiveness. It kind of sounds like [...]

What about those who cry “Lord, Lord?”

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On four occasions, Jesus spoke about people who would cry out “Lord, Lord” yet not be received into his kingdom. Who are these people and what have they done, or not done, to find themselves on the wrong side of Christ? First, note that Jesus is NOT talking about believers. Whenever Jesus used the phrase “Lord, lord,” he was talking about people who don’t know him: In Matthew 7:21 and 22, “Lord, Lord” is the plea of the self-righteous who brag about all they’ve done for the Lord only to find their works count for nothing. In Matthew 25:11, “Lord, Lord” is the cry of the foolish and locked out virgins. In Luke 6:46, “Lord, Lord” is said by those who have not built on the solid foundation. In Luke 13:25, “Lord, Lord” is uttered by those who refuse to enter the narrow door. What do these Lord-Lord folk have in common? Jesus doesn’t know them. They may claim to prophesy and cast out demons, but Jesus calls them evildoers. They may be busy “working for the Lord” but it’s all dead works because they haven’t done the one thing that matters. They have not received from the abundance of [...]

The Feeble Gospel

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The number one reason we have a feeble church is we preach a feeble gospel. We will never have a strong church unless we preach a mighty gospel. Do you know the difference? • The feeble gospel says you better love God; the mighty gospel declares he surely loves you! • The feeble gospel preaches God can forgive you; the mighty gospel declares he already has. • The feeble gospel says you need to get holy; the mighty gospel declares that in Christ you already are. • The feeble gospel says you are the Lord’s servant; the mighty gospel declares you are his beloved son. • The feeble gospel points to your badness; the mighty gospel reveals his abounding goodness. • The feeble gospel preaches turn from sin; the mighty gospel says turn to Jesus and be free from sin. • The feeble gospel says God will bless you as you do your part; the mighty gospel declares God has blessed you with every blessing in Christ Jesus. • The feeble gospel drives you with law; the mighty gospel draws you with love. • The feeble gospel says God gives and takes away; the mighty gospel declares God gives and [...]

Job’s Grace Encounter

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Tradition has taught that Job endured unimaginable suffering with poise and noble patience. He was a giant of the faith who never said anything wrong, and he is a great example for us all to follow. Baloney. As we have seen in this series, Job was, at times, a self-righteous whiner who complained to high […]

Is Satan God’s Sheepdog?

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The Book of Job is one of the most amazing stories in the Bible, but we read it wrong two ways. First, we elevate Job into some kind of faith hero. Second, we think the devil is a sheepdog sent by the Lord to do his dirty work. This crazy notion is based on the following passage: Then the […]

Religious Gangsters (Matthew 7:21-23)

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A scripture that worries some Christians, but shouldn’t, is this one: Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in […]

The 9 Lies of Religion

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“I came into the world to testify to the truth,” said Jesus. “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (John 18:37). These are strong words. If Jesus put them on his Facebook page he’d get roasted. “Jesus, how dare you claim to have the inside track on truth? Why must we take sides? How ungracious. […]

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