“Just as genuine saving faith assumes that a person has repented from sin, so genuine repentance assumes that someone is turning to Christ in faith. Repentance from sin and faith in Christ are two sides of the same coin, two aspects of the same decision of the heart…Nevertheless, it still seems to me that a deliberate omission of the need to call people to repent of their sins constitutes a significant departure from New Testament patterns, and such a departure cannot be taught and practiced without significant harmful consequences to the church and to many of the people who hear such a gospel.” (Wayne Grudem, “Free Grace” Theology: 5 Ways It Diminishes the Gospel)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! The week is coming to a close, but it can’t be complete without some links to keep you occupied. So here they are!

• Do Christians suffer a case of circular reasoning by saying that we believe in the Bible to be God’s Word because it says so? Dan DeWitt explains why this isn’t as bad as you may think, and that everyone actually has to deal with the same issue.
• Will there ever be common ground between those who are pro-life and pro-choice on the matter of abortion? Baylor University Classics professor Julia Hejduk believes so, arguing for gift-motherhood, and providing some potential incentives and answering possible objections from both sides. There is much here to ponder, of which I am personally thankful to have read through.
• Joe Rigney recently spoke in a chapel address at Bethlehem College on the relationship between Scripture, natural law, and sexual ethics. There is much to commend in this lecture, and I learned a lot from it. I hope you do, too.
• Al Mohler has begun a series of messages on apologetics for chapel at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and it’s been quite timely. He takes an essential belief and asks the question, “Do you believe what you believe you believe?” This week, he focuses on the belief that Jesus is the Son of God. Your mind will expand as you listen.
• With all the talk about sexual identity and the culture’s trend away from biblical authority, different issues keep coming up for discussion and compromise in the church. CBMW highlights a Christian response to polyamory, or “open marriages.” May God bring about repentance for anyone who espouses this view.
• 9Marks came out with a new journal for the Fall on the reformation and your church. Great material to read on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Desiring God is also starting Here We Stand, a 31-day podcast that will highlight biographies of many of the heroes of the Reformation, both known and unknown. Stephen Nichols writes a brief article chronicling the life and influence of John Wycliffe.
• What does John Piper see as the great marriage killer? His most recent podcast deals with that topic, and more.

That’s all for this week! Please keep the youth and collegians in prayer, as they meet tonight in their respective Bible studies. Don’t forget, we have now moved to two services, at 8:30am and 10:45am. See you all then!

Soli Deo Gloria