“Repentance is not the coin we put in the vending machine of salvation to get our product. Repentance is part of the gift” (From Out of Darkness, Light, p. 145).
Why Life is Necessary
“If the old heart is capable of repentance and faith, which is all that God requires of us, then why do we need a new heart?” (From Out of Darkness, Light, p. 144).
What Didn’t Happen
“No doubt Lazarus told Mary and Martha afterwards about what it felt like to be raised, but we really cannot reconstruct that conversation. However, we can be sure that Lazarus did not say that while Jesus pulled and pulled, he, Lazarus, pushed and pushed, until there he was, alive again” (From Out of Darkness, Light, …
Lazarus Wasn’t Pushing While Christ Pulled
“Now when Jesus performed this miracle, he did not first have to secure the cooperation of Lazarus. Rather, the miracle resulted in the cooperation of Lazarus. After he was raised from the dead, Lazarus did all the hopping and all the mumbling through the grave clothes. But prior to the resurrecting word of authority, Lazarus …
Breeze in a Can
“In many ways, the doctrine of regeneration is a signature issue for modern evangelicals, and the third chapter of John is frequently quoted. But the summary statement that Jesus makes here is routinely ignored. We cannot tell where the wind is coming from or where it is going. The Greek words for “wind” and “Spirit” …
Not Consulted at All
“Birth is another irresistible process. As writers in another time would have said, the present writer was born in 1953. I do not recall being consulted about this in 1952, and I have on good authority that this was because I was not there. I was born a Wilson, and not a Smith. I was …
Irresistible Light
“The God who summoned light from darkness at the beginning, without consulting the wishes of darkness, is the same God who summoned the light in our souls into being” (From After Darkness, Light, p. 138).
As Irresistible As It Gets
“When God acted in creation, he did so ex nihilo . . . so we speak of creation. But no one speaks of the doctrine of irresistible creation. However, when we think about it for a moment, we should realize that creatio ex nihilo is about as irresistible as it gets” (Irresistible Grace, in After …
The Political Results
“His authority is extended by spiritual means and not by political means. It has political results, but His kingdom does not advance in the same way that other kingdoms do” (Heaven Misplaced, p. 130).
The Whole Point
“Jesus did not come in order to try to save the world, if the uncooperative world would only let Him. He came to save the world; He will be satisfied with nothing less than a saved world. That was the whole point” (Heaven Misplaced, p. 127).