Category Archives: salvation

OUR PERFECT SAVIOR

Jesus, salvation March 6, 2026 Leave a comment

PMW 2026:017 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

We are called “Christians” (Acts 11:26) and are committed to the “Christian” faith (Acts 26:28; 1 Pet 4:16). Consequently, Christ is central to our doctrine and practice. Indeed, he is not only central to Christianity, he is absolutely essential to it. And as such he is fundamental to explaining The Truth about Salvation.

As we begin a two-chapter study of Christ as Savior we must first recognize that:

MAN NEEDS A PERFECT SAVIOR

As we saw in earlier chapters, man is wholly corrupted by sin. As Isaiah poetically pictures Israel’s condition, so may we characterize mankind’s condition before God: “the whole head is sick / And the whole heart is faint / From the sole of the foot even to the head / There is nothing sound in it, / Only bruises, welts and raw wounds” (Isa 1:5–6).

Indeed, David observes that “in Your sight no man living is righteous” (Psa 143:2). He states this because “there is no man who does not sin” (1 Kgs 8:46; cp. Eccl 7:20; Rom 3:10, 20). Yet as an immortal creature made in God’s image (Gen 1:26), he desperately needs salvation. He must have his positive relationship with his Creator restored, for as we read in Ecclesiastes: “God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices” (Eccl 7:29).

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SOVEREIGN GRACE

Non-eschatology Studies, salvation March 3, 2026 Leave a comment

PMW 2026-016 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

THE EXPANSION OF REDEMPTIVE GRACE

God’s grace begins in the Garden where the fall occurs, but flows out from there into the broader world. By Noah’s time, however, it seems that the seed of the serpent will win the struggle, for “the wickedness of man was great on the earth . . . and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5). But God’s grace is stronger than Satan’s graft, for “Noah found favor [grace] in the eyes of the LORD” (Gen 6:8).

God graciously establishes his covenant with Noah to rebuild the human race. “Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark — you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you” (Gen 6:17–18; cp. 1 Pet 3:20; 2 Pet 2:5).

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WAS EVIL KING MANASSEH SAVED?

Old Testament, salvation June 10, 2025 Leave a comment

PMW 2025-041 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

On this blog site I define postmillennialism as follows:

Postmillennialism holds that the Lord Jesus Christ established his kingdom on earth in the first century through his preaching and redemptive work. Since then he has continued to equip his Church with the gospel, empower her by his Spirit, and charge her with the Great Commission to disciple all nations. Postmillennialism expects that eventually the vast majority of men living will be saved. Increasing gospel success will gradually produce a time in history prior to Christ’s return in which faith, righteousness, peace, and prosperity will prevail in the affairs of men and of nations. After an extensive era of such conditions, the Lord will return visibly, bodily, and gloriously, to end history. Associated with his return will be the general resurrection and the final judgment after which the eternal order follows. Because of its worldwide historical implications, postmillennialism generates an holistic worldview touching on all areas of life.

That being the case, we must be alert to an important distinction between true and false conversions. Postmillennialists are glad for the general influence of Christianity on the world. But what we labor for and ultimately expect is a dramatic impact on the world that is rooted in true conversions by the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). We are all aware that much of Christianity is today made up of falsely-professing “believers.” These people should be targets of our evangelistic outreach, for being “almost persuaded” is not enough. Continue reading →

THE GOSPEL’S LAST DAY VERDICT

salvation, Two-age Structure, Worldview March 25, 2025 Comments: 2

PMW 2025-024 by Dr. Ardel B. Caneday (from All Things Christian blogsite)Judgment day

Gentry note: Below is an insightful article that comports with the evangelical and Reformed understanding of the Already/Not Yet principle of biblical interpretation. An excellent read! For 28 years Dr. Caneday served as Professor of New Testament & Greek at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul. He recently retired from full-time teaching and now serves as an adjunct professor at UNW.

Dr. Caneday’s article:

In December 2021, I published four articles responding to Harrison Perkins’s criticism of my chapter, “Covenantal Life with God from Eden to Holy City” in Progressive Covenantalism: Charting a Course between Dispensational and Covenantal Theologies. R. Scott Clark published the article on The Heidelblog. There, Perkins blatantly claimed, “In the end, Caneday does promote a salvation by works.” So outrageous was his accusation that I patiently responded with four articles demonstrating that his assessment and accusation were wrong and thus slanderous. Those accusations by Perkins, Clark, and others derive from their common failure to account for the New Testament’s presentation of the salvation of the Last Day brought forward in the person of Christ Jesus, consequently the already but not-yet character of salvation, including justification and forgiveness of sins, featured in this article.

Despite being available for more than four years, neither Perkins nor Clark have ever acknowledged their error of judgment nor repented of their published defamation. Though I did not write my recently published article at Christ Over All to counter Perkins’s false accusation published by Clark, it nonetheless does just that. Thus, though I rarely repost articles I have published elsewhere on this blog, I repost this article as a capstone to the earlier four-part series to expose the slanderous accusation written by Harrison Perkins and published on The Heidelblog.
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WHY I AM MY BODY, NOT JUST MY SOUL

hyperpreterism, Resurrection, salvation February 11, 2025 Leave a comment

Matthew 10-28PMW 20250-12 by Gregg Allison

Theological anthropology focuses on the doctrine of humanity and explores such topics as the nature and origin of human beings and the image of God. Historically, much discussion has been dedicated to the soul, or immaterial aspect of human nature, with little or no attention given to the body, or material aspect.[1] This essay proposes that the proper state of human beings is embodiment and seeks to rectify some of the historical and (even) contemporary oversight of embodiment. It will pursue this thesis—which I will call the “embodied person” view—by some close interaction with a contemporary theologian, Joshua Farris, and his fine work An Introduction to Theological Anthropology.[2] Both of us hold that humans are composed of soul and body but we emphasize different aspects of that dualist human constitution: Farris, the immaterial; I, the material. Continue reading →

THE NEW CREATION IN CHRIST

salvation October 13, 2023 1 Comment

PMW 2023-080 by Geerhardus Vos

Gentry note:
As noted in my last posting, a new version of several of Geerhardus Vos’ works on eschatology will soon be published. This book collects together some of his important eschatological articles and updates them in the process — removing his awkward, cumbersome, early-20th century writing style. In this particular excerpt from the updated Vos, he deals with the concept of a new creation in Christ.

Vos observations:
The recognition of the eschatological source of the term “new ktisis” has been held back by its assumed individual use in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature.” And likewise by the exclusively subjective-soteriological reference the representation seemed to suggest. Both obstacles also make themselves felt in regard to Titus 3:5. But in regard to neither of the two passages can these objections obscure the quite perceptible eschatology texture.

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THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB

salvation January 26, 2021 Comments: 3

PMW 2021-008 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. (with Milton S. Terry)

The New Testament has many images of the glory of Christ’s kingdom and our joyous salvation in it. One of the most glorious images is that of a joyful marriage supper. Though this image appears directly in several New Testament passages (e.g., Matt. 22:2ff; 25:2ff) and indirectly in others, one of the most impressive presentations is in the Book of Revelation. Continue reading →