Category Archives: Sacraments

I get emails — My daughter has been routinely put on the spot by kids in her class for her doctrinal convictions. She does not accost her friends with her beliefs but is regularly asked how in the world she … Continue reading →

Let’s get back to where we started: grace and baptism. Here’s the difficult thought that we need to wrestle to the ground: How can grace forgive sin (including doctrinal error — but not a lack of faith in Jesus) and … Continue reading →

Let’s talk about justification by faith. What does that mean? We’ve talked at length about faith, but not justification. But doesn’t it just mean “saved”? No, it does not. Rather, it means — The acquittal, or declaration of being righteous, … Continue reading →

I have a confession to make. For decades, I was convinced that grace does not extend to baptismal error. After all, faith is non-negotiable. Why shouldn’t baptism be the same? Not too many years ago, it became obvious to me that … Continue reading →

Grace is not an easy concept for most people. To some, it sounds like what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called “cheap grace.” From his The Cost of Discipleship, cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. … Continue reading →

[An extra post at no extra charge!] Judging from the comments, it would be helpful for me to lay out what I teach about baptism again. It’s not complicated, but because it’s unfamiliar to most within the Churches of Christ, … Continue reading →