by Timothy Klaver
Here are eight stubborn, biblical declarations rooted in the finished work of Christ, the New Covenant, and the pure Gospel of grace. They go right to the heart of true Christianity. There is no middle ground on these realities. There is no room for compromise on any of these eight points.
- Either the Bible is in its entirety the holy, inspired, infallible Word of Yahweh God — our final authority for faith and life — or it is unreliable and unworthy of our trust. If it is Yahweh God’s Word, as it repeatedly claims, then we must submit every thought, doctrine, and practice to it. It must be our only rule of faith and practice.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
- Either Yahweh God is absolutely sovereign over all things, working out His eternal purpose — or He is not God. Yet this same sovereign God genuinely offers salvation to all and calls every sinner to repent and believe the Gospel. There is no contradiction: His sovereignty includes the real responsibility He has given to man.
(Ephesians 1:11; John 3:16; Acts 17:30-31)
- Either man is born spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, utterly unable to save themselves — or humanity needs no Saviour. All have sinned and fall short of Yahweh God’s glory. Therefore every sinner desperately needs the grace of Yahweh God and the new birth provided in the New Covenant.
(Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12)
- Either salvation is entirely by Yahweh God’s sovereign grace, chosen for us in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world — or it is not of grace at all. Yet this same grace is freely offered to whosoever will believe in Jesus. Salvation is Yahweh God’s gift from start to finish; the Gospel invitation is real and universal in its call.
(Ephesians 1:4-5; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16)
- Either the Lord Christ Jesus is the all-sufficient, effectual Saviour who has perfectly redeemed His people by His blood — or He is no Saviour at all. On the cross He cried “It is finished!” His one offering has forever put away the sins of all who believe. He is the Saviour of the world — mighty to save all who come to Yahweh God through Him.
(John 19:30; Hebrews 9:12,26; 1 John 2:2; Hebrews 7:25)
- Either the Holy Spirit must sovereignly quicken the dead sinner and draw him to Christ Jesus — or there is no salvation. This same omnipotent grace is not coercive but powerfully persuasive, enabling the sinner to respond in faith. No one is saved by their own willpower, but by the irresistible pull of Yahweh God’s love made effective through the Gospel.
(John 6:44; Ephesians 2:4-5; Titus 3:5)
- Either Yahweh God’s people are completely free from the Law as a covenant and system of righteousness — or we remain in bondage. The New Covenant declares that we died to the Law through the body of Christ Jesus. We are not under Law but under grace. The Spirit within us fulfills the righteous requirement of the Law as we walk in newness of life.
(Romans 7:4-6; Romans 6:14; Galatians 3:25; Hebrews 8:10)
- Either every true believer shall be preserved and kept by Yahweh God’s power unto final salvation — or the Gospel offers no lasting security. Because of the unbreakable purpose of Yahweh God, the perfect atonement of Christ Jesus, and the sealing of the Holy Spirit, those who are in Christ Jesus will persevere. Yahweh God’s grace not only saves — it keeps.
(John 10:28-29; Philippians 1:6; Jude 24; Romans 8:38-39)