I’ve complied a list of some of the most sound spiritual leaders for Christ as well as the most highly educated minds in theology and science, to prove once and for all the simple and natural reading of the Bible, that Christians do not “practice” sin (1 Jn 3:6-10,31; 5:18; Heb 10:26-31; 6:4-6), abuse grace as a license to sin (Jd 4 NET), or remain in a lifestyle of sin (Ro 6:1-2,15; Gal 5:19-21). If they do, they give strong evidence of false profession (1Jn 2:4; Mt 10:38; Mt 18:3 NLT; Lk 9:23,62).

  • 🐉 The Serpent says, “Surely you will not die” (Gen. 3:4 NET).
  • 🍇 God says, “Little children, let no one deceive you. … Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, … No one born of God makes a practice of sinning …” (1 John 3:7-9 ESV)
  • 🧑 Obedience does not merit salvation, the Holy Spirit produces obedience (1Cor 3:6-7; Ga 5:22-23 NLT; Jn 15:4-5, Ac 17:30; 1Jn 2:4).

Practice in this sense means a lifelong continual pattern. It speaks of the pursuit of a lifestyle of indulgent sin. This does not mean that you will not have sin or that you will be perfect, in fact you may struggle with sin, make mistakes, and even backslide. A true Christian will undergo decreasing patterns of sin (1 John 3:8–9; cf. Rom. 6:14–18) in their progressive sanctification. They will not remain in their old way of life (2 Cor. 5:17; 1Jn 3:31).

Little children, let no one deceive you. … Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, … No one born of God makes a practice of sinning … — 1 John 3:7-9 ESV

I’ve written this article because certain modern theologies falsely teach grace as a license to sin (Jd 4 NET; Ro 6:1-2,15; Heb. 10:26-31; 1Jn 2:3-6, 3:8-10). This is the same deception that Satan used in the garden of eden when he deceived our parents (Adam & Eve). It reflects the lie that the Serpent spewed, “Surely you will not die” (Gen. 3:4 NET). I’m writing this article to protect the children from this demonic teaching.

It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. — Luke 17:2 (cf. 1Jn 3:7-9)

We’re saved by grace through faith alone (Eph 2:8-9; Gal 2:16,21; 3:10-12; 5:4; Ro 3:20,28), but the faith that saves is never alone in the person justified (James 2:14-26; Eph 2:10). Sola fide. If you do not obey God’s commandments, not only are you showing evidence that you do not love God (Jn 14:15,21), but you’re also showing evidence that your profession of faith is false (1Jn 2:3-6). Make sure your heart has not betrayed you (Heb 3:12; Jer 17:9), examine your faith to see if it is genuine (2Cor. 13:5 NLT).

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. — 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Repentance, obedience, and good works are all fruits of genuine saving faith. Fruits of already being saved; that’s why we say they follow naturally, because if the fruit isn’t growing, the root is dead (Mt 3:10).

Contents

  1. First John 3:6-10
  2. Study Bibles & Commentaries
  3. Textual Critics
  4. Scientist Theologians (Crit. Realism)
  5. Biblical Scholars (Scholastic Calvinist)
  6. Biblical Scholars (Moderate Calvinist)
  7. Pastors (Moderate Arminian w/ Eternal Sec.)
  8. Pastors & Scholars (Arminian)
  9. Biblical Scholars (Moderate Neotheist)

1. First John 3:6-10

6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. — 1 John 3:6-10 ESV

2. Study Bibles

  • 2.1 ESV Study Bible

    3:6–7 No one who abides … keeps on sinning. True followers of Christ do not recklessly and habitually violate what their anointing (2:20, 27) has planted within them (see note on 3:9–10). Those who do habitually sin have neither seen him nor known him. They are not genuine Christians. On “abides,” see also notes on John 8:31; 15:4.

    3:8 The reason the Son of God appeared restates v. 5 but here specifies the connection of sin to the devil. Knowing Christ means becoming involved in an all-out war against the works of the devil, that is, the practice of sinning.

    3:9-10 … In other words, because the Word is present in the believer’s heart through the work of the Spirit, the believer cannot keep on sinning. Thus the hearts of genuine Christians (those who are truly children of God) have been so transformed that they cannot live in a pattern of continual sin—though this does not mean that Christians are ever completely free from sin in this life (see 1 John 1:8–10). By this it is evident. Or, as Jesus said of false prophets, “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:16).

3. Textual Critics

4 Scientist Theologians

  • 4.1 Dr. John C. Polkinghorne (Prof., Mathematical Physics at Cambridge; Ph.D., Quantum Field Theory at Cambridge; Ph.D., Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics from Trinity College)

    Polkinghorne was Lennox’s science teacher.

    … Repentance can avert his judgment and apostasy incur it. — Science and providence. p. 91.

  • 4.2 Dr. John C. Lennox (PhD, University of Cambridge; DPhil, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford; DSc, Cardiff University)

    According to the Oxford English Dictionary the word “faith” derives from the Latin fides (from which we get “fidelity”), so its basic meaning is “trust” or “reliance”. The Greek etymological equivalent is pistis, which is found in the New Testament where it has the following principal senses:

    1. belief, trust;
    2. that which produces belief, evidence, token, pledge, engagement;
    3. trust in its objective aspect, troth, observance of trust, fidelity.

    So the main dictionary meanings given to “faith” are: belief, trust, confidence, reliance, and belief proceeding from testimony or authority. It is to be strongly affirmed that the faith in God described in the Bible is “reliance and belief proceeding from testimony or authority”. Biblical faith is evidence-based. — “Determined to Believe?” p. 136.

    –

    Real faith in Christ shows itself by its fruit in the lives of those who profess it. It is not a superficial thing. One of its evidences is a deepening commitment to the word of Christ. A disciple is a learner. The hallmark of a true disciple is a readiness to learn more and more of the truth, thereby discovering that knowledge of truth leads to freedom. Genuine faith perseveres. — “Determined to Believe?”, On John 8:31–47. p. 218.

    –

    A second way of knowing that we have eternal life is by observing the spiritual and moral outworking of our faith in our behaviour:

    We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:3–4.)

    We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. (1 John 3:14.)

    Jesus made a similar point when he said, by their fruit you will recognise them (Matthew 7:20). If there is no moral consistency between our lives and our professed belief in God, then our claim to know God will not be credible. It is in this context that Peter exhorts his readers to make your calling and election sure by our development of Christian character and moral virtues. The phrase “making sure” means “confirming”. That is, the development of visible Christian moral virtues in a person’s life confirms the genuineness of their claim to be believers. True faith in God will be evidenced by its moral consequences in the life of a believer. — “Determined to Believe?” p. 313.

    –

    Let us see what John has to say about them. So serious is their heresy that John calls them antichrists and says:

    They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. (1 John 2:19 ESV.)

    These people departed in two senses: theologically, they abandoned the true doctrines about Christ; and physically, they left the church community. What did that mean in terms of their spiritual state? John says that their action showed that they were not of us, that is, they never had been genuine believers. If they had been, he adds, they would have stayed; but they left, and that demonstrates that they were not genuine, even though to all appearances they had been. Recall the final part of the parable of the sower:

    But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. (Luke 8:15.)

    The heretical teachers didn’t endure. They had no root. In the end they proved themselves to be unbelievers. John backs this up later in his letter by saying:

    No-one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No-one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. Th e reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No-one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. Th is is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:6–10.)

    Observe the strong emphasis on the present continuous tense: keeps on sinning. John is not saying that genuine believers cannot sometime act inconsistently, or even give in to temptation. Early on in his letter he makes clear that this is possible and that God has made gracious and merciful provision for it.

    My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1–2 ESV.)

    — “Determined to Believe?” pp. 322-323.

  • 4.3 Dr. Alister McGrath (Ph.D., Molecular Biophysics at Oxford; D.D. Theology at Oxford; D.Litt. Intellectual History at Oxford)

    Christian theologians have never seen faith simply in terms of intellectual assent to Christian belief. It is a matter of the heart, not simply the mind, involving personal commitment. As the English theologian William Temple (1881–1944) once pointed out: “Faith is not only the assent of our minds to doctrinal propositions: it is the commitment of our whole selves into the hands of a faithful Creator and merciful Redeemer.” — Dr. Alister McGrath (PhD, DD, DLitt), Theology - The Basics, Faith. p. 1.

    Faith is about trust in God, rather than just accepting that God exists. — Dr. Alister McGrath (PhD, DD, DLitt), Theology - The Basics, Faith. p. 4.

  • 4.4 Dr. Hugh Ross (Ph.D., Astrophysicist at the University of Toronto)

    Under construction

5 Biblical Scholars (Scholastic Calvinist)

  • 5.1 Dr. Wayne Grudem (Ph.D., University of Cambridge)

    I believe saving faith will result in obedience… We must guard jealously the fact that faith alone is what saves us, not faith plus obedience. … No historic Protestant confession says that saving faith includes obedience. — Dr. Wayne Grudem (Ph.D., Cambridge; D.D., Westminster), “Free Grace” Theology: 5 Ways It Diminishes the Gospel. p. 71.

    In the 14th verse of the 2nd chapter of the book of James in the Bible, we find that if a person has no good works, and that if there is no change in his life, then that person has a “dead faith”—and verse 14 implies that that kind of faith cannot save a person.

    14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. — James 2:14-17 ESV

    2The Greek interrogative particle mē at the beginning of the sentence indicates that the author expects a negative answer to the question. … If a person has no good works, if there is no change in his life, then he has a “dead faith”—and verse 14 implies that that kind of faith cannot save a person. — Dr. Wayne Grudem (Ph.D., Cambridge; D.D., Westminster Theological Seminary), “Free Grace” Theology: 5 Ways It Diminishes the Gospel. pp. 79-80.

    It’s important to recognize that these warnings were written not to people outside the church but to people who would be listening to the New Testament epistles as they were read aloud in New Testament Churches (cf. 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 2 Cor. 13:5; Heb. 3:12; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 3:6, 9-10; 14) — Dr. Wayne Grudem (Ph.D., Cambridge; D.D., Westminster Theological Seminary), “Free Grace” Theology: 5 Ways It Diminishes the Gospel. pp. 79-82.

    Pay attention to the context of whom James is speaking; James is not talking about all of his readers or even most of his readers, he is talking about “someone” which is distinguished from “my brothers.” James continues speaking in context to eternal salvation.

    In addition, [critics] fail to consider that whenever the Greek word sózó—“save,deliver”—is used in the New Testament, it always refers to eternal salvation except where the context specifies of a situation of rescue from physical danger or healing from physical sickness (as in James 5:15 or Matt. 8:25; 9:22, for example). But there is no such contextual specification in James 2:14-17. Therefore we are correct to understand it as referring to eternal salvation, which is consistent with its usage in every other New Testament context … — Dr. Wayne Grudem (Ph.D., Cambridge; D.D., Westminster Theological Seminary), “Free Grace” Theology: 5 Ways It Diminishes the Gospel. pp. 132-134.

    20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? … 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. … 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. — James 2:20,24,26 ESV

    This same consideration regarding the use of the Greek term sózó also weighs heavily against [critics] interpretation of [James 2:26] — Dr. Wayne Grudem (Ph.D., Cambridge; D.D., Westminster Theological Seminary), “Free Grace” Theology: 5 Ways It Diminishes the Gospel. pp. 132-136.

    The context shows that James was referring to showing one’s faith through doing good deeds. This is not to be confused with Paul (Rom 3:20, 28; Gal 2:16; 3:10–12) when he was referring to “works” (erga) of Jewish law.4

  • 5.2 Dr. J. I. Packer (Ph.D., University of Oxford)

    Saving faith is composed of three essential elements: notitia, assensus, and fiducia. As Packer points out in Concise Theology: “Without fiducia there is no faith, but without notitia and assensus there can be no fiducia (Rom. 10:14).”

    The latin term notitia means ‘knowledge’ and refers to an “acquaintance with the content of the gospel”; assensus or ‘agreement’ means “recognition that the gospel is true”; fiducia means ‘trust and reliance’ and it speaks of the “personal dependence on the grace of Father, Son, and Spirit for salvation, with thankful cessation of all attempts to save oneself by establishing one’s own righteousness: Rom. 4:5; 10:3.”

    Justification by works (things we have done) is the heresy of legalism. Justification, as Luther insisted, is by faith only (‘faith apart from observing the law’, Rom. 3:28), because it is in Christ and by Christ only, and depends on what he is as distinct from what we are. But if ‘good works’ (activities of serving God and others) do not follow from our profession of faith, we are as yet believing only from the head, not from the heart: in other words, justifying faith (fiducia) is not yet ours. — Concise Theology. Chapter 59 Works. p. 174.

  • 5.3 Dr. Michael Horton (Ph.D., Oxford)

    Under Construction

  • 5.4 Dr. William D. Mounce (Ph.D., Aberdeen)

    An accurate understanding of the use of metanoeo and metanoia in the NT is essential to grasp the gospel message, because it does not allow for someone to obtain salvation simply by intellectually believing that Jesus is the Son of God without repenting of sins and turning to live for him. See NIDNTT-A,367. — Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words

  • 5.5 Dr. R. C. Sproul (Ph.D., Whitefield Theological Seminary)

    In our day and age, we have hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in America who have made professions of faith, who have never demonstrated the reality of the faith they claim to possess. Dr. R. C. Sproul (Ph.D., Whitefield Theological Seminary

    When Luther was challenged for his doctrine of justification by faith alone and was asked about this faith, as I said before does that mean you can just believe and live however you want to? Well, Paul answers that same question, and his answer is, “God forbid,” (Ro 6:1-2,15) and Luther said, “Justification is by faith alone but not by faith that is alone.” Then he went on to say that the faith that justifies, Luther said, is a fides viva, a living faith, a faith that is alive and you know it is alive when it manifests itself in the fruit of obedience. — Dr. R. C. Sproul (Ph.D., Whitefield Theological Seminary)

    Genuine Saving Faith  
    Legalism
    Works = Justification
    Violates: Eph 2:8-10; Gal 2:16,21; 3:10-12; 5:4; Ro 3:20,28    		 False
    Synergism
    Faith + Works = Justification
    Saving faith includes obedience.
    Violates: Eph 2:8-10; Gal 2:16,21; 3:10-12; 5:4; Ro 3:20,28    		 False
    Historic Sola fide
    Faith = Justification + Works
    Saving faith results in obedience after justification.
    Defends: Eph 2:8-10; Gal 2:16,21; 3:10-12; 5:4; Ro 3:20,28
    Reconciles: Jn 14:15,21; 15:10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 5:3-4; James 2:14-26; Eph. 2:8-10; 1 Jn 3:6-10; 5:18; Jd 4 NET; Ro 6:1-2,15; 3:8,31; Heb 10:26-31; 6:4-6; Lk 9:62    		 True
    Antinomianism
    Faith = Justification - Works
    Saving faith does not result in obedience
    Violates: Jn 14:15,21; 15:10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 5:3-4; James 2:14-26; Eph. 2:8-10; 1 Jn 3:6-10; 5:18; Jd 4 NET; Ro 6:1-2,15; 3:8,31; Heb 10:26-31; 6:4-6; Lk 9:62    		 False

    The verses and descriptions in the chart above were provided by Shepherd, the formulas by R.C. Sproul.

  • 5.6 Dr. John Piper (D.Theol, Munich)

    Under Construction

  • 5.7 Dr. Steven J. Lawson (D.Min., Reformed Theological Seminary)

    … you can say you know God but if you live a life in the pursuit of practicing sin you have never been born again. Now John is not saying that a christian can never sin, we all sin all right, but we don’t love our sin and we’re not pursuing our sin. We will occasionally fall into sin, but the one who is living a life, a lifestyle, of continually sinning has never been born again. So it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve walked an aisle, doesn’t matter how many times you’ve prayed a prayer with a counselor, it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve joined a church, if your life doesn’t match up with your profession of faith it calls into serious account the validity of your profession of faith in christ. So to put it another way wherever there is the root of the new birth there will always be the fruit of a changed life and even Jesus said in matthew 7 verse 20 you will know them by their fruit you can know what’s going on beneath the surface down in the ground where the root is by just examining the fruit and so that’s the whole argument that John is making here. To put it another way, there is an inseparable connection between regeneration and sanctification, regeneration will always be evidenced in sanctification, which is a progressive growth into christ’s likeness. — Dr. Steven J. Lawson

  • 5.8 Dr. John MacArthur (D.D., Talbot)

    under construction

5 Biblical Scholars (Moderate Calvinist)

  • 6.1 Dr. D. A. Carson (Ph.D., University of Cambridge)

    Faith Is More than Belief

    But in the second place, faith is more than simply believing that certain things are true. James has something to say about this in the second chapter of his epistle. He says, “Faith without works is dead.” In fact, a few months ago, I was in Sweden debating with a Catholic theologian who said, “I don’t understand you Christians who call yourselves evangelicals.” He says, “You speak of being saved by faith alone, whereas James explicitly says that ‘Faith without works is dead.’ Faith, all by itself, faith alone, is precisely what’s invalid. How do you respond to that?” My response is pretty straightforward. The kind of faith that James is talking about is not the kind of faith that Paul is talking about. They use the same word in different ways, which often happens in the New Testament.

    Let me give you another example so you see I’m not making things up. When Paul says that Christians are “called of God,” for example, for him, the call of God is effectual; it works. If you’re called of God, you really are saved. Whereas, in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), the call of God is something like the invitation of God: “Many are called, but few are chosen.” So in other words, the word “call” can mean slightly different things depending on the writer, depending on the context. That often happens. It’s because God has chosen to give His infallible Word through different human functionaries, through human authors.

    So how does “faith” mean something different in James than in Paul? Well, James makes it very clear. He says, “Consider the demons. They believe there is one God.” In fact, he says, “You believe there is one God; you’re doing well. But then so do the demons, and it doesn’t save them, so why should it save you?” Satan himself believes that Jesus rose from the dead; he believes in the resurrection, but it doesn’t save him. In other words, merely believing the truth that Christ rose from the dead is not salvific; it’s not saving; it’s not transforming.

    Faith Includes Trust

    There is another element: faith, though it is based on the truth or on the promises and words of Him who is the truth, faith also involves self-abandonment to that truth or to the God who speaks the truth. It involves our trust in Him. Satan believes that Jesus rose from the dead; Satan never trusts Christ. Satan believes that there is one God; he doesn’t abandon himself to God. Genuine saving faith is not to be confused with works, but it is of a different quality than mere belief in propositions. The propositions must be true (that’s the first point), but in the second place, there must be a self-abandonment to God.

    It has a kind of repentance built into it. It’s the very nature of faith to abandon myself to God and His word and His promises, or it’s not saving faith. So when Paul says to the Philippian jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved,” he certainly means something more than “Believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and you will be saved.” That you might almost call “demonic faith”; that is to say, it’s faith that a demon can exercise without it saving anybody, whereas genuine saving faith not only believes the truth that God has revealed, but also it finds the believer abandoning himself, abandoning herself, to Christ in wonderful trust.

  • 6.2 Dr. Demarest (Ph.D., University of Manchester)

    Under Construction

  • 6.3 Dr. Ron Rhodes (Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary)

    See Geisler, as they are both moderate calvinists.

  • 6.4 Dr. Norman Geisler (M.A., Theology at Wheaton)

    1 John 3:9 John affirmed that “no one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” This confirms moderate Calvinism’s view of eternal security for two reasons. First, anyone truly born of God cannot persist in evil. If someone does, then he is not born of God. That is, a Christian’s perseverance in avoiding continual, habitual sin is a proof of his salvation — Dr. Norman Geisler, Systematic Theology Vol. 3 Sin & Salvation. Ch. 11.

    As Ryrie put it, “Saving faith is a working faith, and those works justify believers in the courtroom on earth,” and an “unproductive faith is a spurious faith.” — Dr. Norman Geisler, Four Views On Eternal Security. p. 107. 45Ryrie, So GreatSalvation, 110-11.

    As Charles Ryrie correctly observed, “every Christian will bear fruit; otherwise he or she is not a true believer.” For ‘fruit, then, furnishes evidence of saving faith. The evidence may be strong or weak, erratic or regular, visible or not. But a saving faith works,” — Dr. Norman Geisler, Four Views On Eternal Security. p. 105.

    Since saving faith is an act of trust in and obedience to Jesus Christ regarding the gospel, it is evident from its very essence that saving faith (which involves repentance) will naturally tend to produce good works—a nominal, noncommittal, purely intellectual-type faith will not. Therefore, whereas we are saved by faith alone, saving faith is not alone but is inclined to produce good works. — Dr. Norman Geisler

  • 6.5 Dr. Frank Turek (D.Min., SES)

    To “believe that” is to have the belief that Christianity is true; to “believe in” is to put your trust in Jesus. To get your moral transgressions forgiven, you have to go from “belief that” to “belief in” because “belief that” alone won’t save you.

    See Geisler also.

7. Pastors (Moderate Arminian w/ Eternal Sec.)

  • 7.1 Chuck Smith (B.A., LBC)

    Do not be deceived, if you are walking after the flesh and involved in the things of the flesh, you have no assurance of being in the Kingdom of Heaven — Chuck Smith (YouTube Short)

    The following is an excerpt from Chuck Smith’s C2000. We also recommend his topical study on repentance.

    1Jn 3:6 Whosoever abides in him does not practice sin: and whosoever practices sin has not seen him, neither known him. Pretty powerful words. It should cause us to examine our own lives. If I am living a life of practicing sin, I really don’t know Him. I really haven’t seen Him. If I really know Him, then I’m gonna be free from the practice of sin.

    1Jn 3:8 He that is practicing sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. And for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. So again, don’t deceive yourself. If you are practicing sin, living in sin, you are not of God; you are a part of that rebellion against God, led by Satan.

    You can say that you are sorry for what you have done but if you continue to do it, that is not true repentance. Real repentance is being so sorry, so contrite, that you do not do it again. You turn away from it and cease doing it. If a person declares that they have repented of a certain action or sin, and they continue in that same action, there is good reason to doubt the genuineness of the repentance. It is not a true repentance when you continue in that sin. Repentance is the first step to salvation. — Chuck Smith

  • 7.2 Dr. Skip Heitzig (Ph.D., Trinity Southwest)

    Our salvation requires both confession and repentance on our part. Though God loves us, He requires us to willingly turn away from our sin and toward Jesus. — Skip’s Teachings

8. Pastors (Arminian)

  • 8.1 Billy Graham

    Ask God to reveal the hypocrisy in your life—an inconsistency between what you profess and what you practice. Then ask God to bring you so close to Christ that you won’t have any desire to live an inconsistent, deceitful life. — Billy Graham

  • 8.2 C.S. Lewis (Oxford)

    “Die before you die, there is no chance after.” ― C.S. Lewis

    Under construction

  • 8.2 Dr. Thomas C. Oden (PhD, Yale)

    Under construction

9. Biblical Scholars (Moderate Neotheists)

  • 9.1 Dr. Charles C. Ryrie (PhD, Edinburgh)

    As Ryrie put it, “Saving faith is a working faith, and those works justify believers in the courtroom on earth,” and an “unproductive faith is a spurious faith.” — Dr. Norman Geisler, Four Views On Eternal Security. p. 107. 45Ryrie, So GreatSalvation, 110-11.

    As Charles Ryrie correctly observed, “every Christian will bear fruit; otherwise he or she is not a true believer.” For ‘fruit, then, furnishes evidence of saving faith. The evidence may be strong or weak, erratic or regular, visible or not. But a saving faith works,” — Dr. Norman Geisler, Four Views On Eternal Security. p. 105.



Sources & Citations

May be expanded or contracted as the article grows

— Study Bibles —

1 The ESV Study Bible has over 200+ biblical scholars (100+ ESV; 95 Study); 9 countries, 20 denominations, 50 seminaries, colleges, and universities, including Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, London, Japan, California, MIT, Duke, Westminister, Dallas, etc. 20,000 study notes, 80,000 cross-references, 200+ charts, 50+ articles, 240 full-color maps and illustrations. Textual Basis: Masoretic Text BHS ‘83, DSS, LXX, SP, S, Vg; UBS5, NA28. Many distinguished scholars including:

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2 The NET Bible: Full Notes Edition is a completely new, non-sectarian and “inter-denominational,” translation of the Bible with 60,932 translators’ notes, completed by more than 25+ of the world’s foremost biblical scholars from Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Sheffield, Columbia, Dallas, etc. This is the largest set of translators’ notes ever created. Textual Basis: Masoretic Text BHS [B19A(L)], DSS; NA28, UBS4. Many distinguished scholars including:

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3 The Expanded Bible (EXB) builds on the NCV which has 53 scholars, and expands inline, extraordinarily accurate and concise comments and literal renderings from the following scholars:

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4 The Faithlife Study Bible is a state-of-the-art study created for Logos Bible Software—the world’s most advanced biblical software—and is translation independent.

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5 The NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, 165 scholars (100+ NIV; 65 Study); Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, Yale, California, London, Belfast, Claremont, Denver, Westminister, & Dallas.

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6 The NLT Filament Study Bible has over 90+ Scholars in translation from Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, Columbia, Westminster, Dallas, etc. The study brings even more to the table. In addition to the NLT being the most readable Bible version on earth according to quantitative linguistic comparison of Bible translations using computerized statistical analysis, many distinguished scholars are worth noting:

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7 Commentary from NKJV Thomas Nelson Study Bible is also excellent even if I have moved from the textus receptus to the critical text, the study remains excellent. The NKJV translation has 177 Scholars, and the study includes many others. This was my study bible in my young adulthood.

— Lexicons —

8 BDAG Greek-English Lexicon, 3rd ed.. This Lexicon is the world’s most authoritative Greek lexicon.

— Individuals —

9 Dr. Wayne Grudem (Ph.D., University of Cambridge; D.D., Westminster Theological Seminary), a distinguished Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies. He graduated Harvard, Westminister Seminary, and Cambridge. Member of the Translation Oversight Committee for the English Standard Version of the Bible, the general editor of the ESV Study Bible, and the author of over twenty-five books.

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10 Dr. J. I. Packer (Ph.D., University of Oxford) Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology, Regent College. He was a prolific writer, and he also served on the translation board of the English Standard Version of the Bible. The 2005 Time listed him as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals. During his time at Oxford, Packer attended lectures by C. S. Lewis, and hearing Lewis greatly affected his spiritual thinking.

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11 Dr. D. A. Carson (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) is a Distinguished Emeritus Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Carson has been described as “one of the last great Renaissance men in evangelical biblical scholarship,” and as doing “the most seminal New Testament work by contemporary evangelicals.”

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12 Dr. R. C. Sproul (Ph.D., Whitefield Theological Seminary) was an American Presbyterian pastor, theologian, author, apologist, Bible teacher, as well as founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries. He was Professor of theology and apologetics, and Senior Chair of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, and distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Knox Theological Seminary in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

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13 Dr. John Piper (D.Theol., Munich) taught biblical studies at Bethel University for six years (1974–1980), before serving as pastor for preaching and vision of Bethlehem Baptist Church (Converge) in Minneapolis for 33 years (1980–2013).

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14 Dr. Michael S. Horton (Ph.D., Oxford) has been the J. Gresham Machen Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California since 1998. He learned Biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek while studying under Meredith Kline at Westminster Seminary California for his M.A. Dr. Horton received his Ph.D. from Wycliffe Hall, Oxford through Coventry University and completed a research fellowship at Yale Divinity School.

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15 Dr. Bruce Demarest (Ph.D., University of Manchester) was senior professor of spiritual formation at Denver Seminary, where he taught since 1975, and a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, Theological Thinkers and Cultural Group, and Spiritual Formation Forum.

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16 Dr. Steven J. Lawson (D.Min., Reformed Theological Seminary) is a graduate of Texas Tech University (BBA), Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M.), and Reformed Theological Seminary (DMin). He has preached in 14+ countries and has authored thirty-three books. Dr. Lawson is also a Teaching Fellow for Ligonier Ministries, where he serves on its board, and a Professor of Preaching overseeing the Doctor of Ministry program at The Master’s Seminary, where he also serves on its board.