Tag Archives: grace

Words matter. Ideas have consequences. In the years that I have been engaging Mormons about matters of faith, I’ve learned to define terms very carefully. Christians and Mormons use many of the same terms: “grace”, “heaven”, “Jesus”, “God”, “salvation” and many more. But when the definitions of these terms are …

Every world view takes a position regarding eternity. Even those who don’t believe in God, still believe something about death and the possibility of heaven. To disbelieve a claim requires a belief in something contrary. When I was an atheist, I believed something about eternity and the possibility of life …

In this blast from the past, J. Warner begins by talking about the unique nature of Christianity then continues responding to listener email by addressing several topics, including: a brief response and observation related to the Baha’i faith, a discussion of the importance of keeping the Sabbath, a review of …

I’ve taken many missions trips to the great state of Utah. Our high school and adult teams have had the opportunity to talk with LDS and Christian believers about the nature of salvation. Many of our conversations centered on the relationship between faith and works. Christianity is unique from Mormonism …

Over the years, I’ve taken many missions teams to Salt Lake City to talk with Mormons about what they believe and the many differences between Mormonism and Christianity. For theists, the most important question we will ever ask (or answer) is simply this: “How does one attain eternal life?” Mormonism …

I have several believing friends that are “perfectionists”. They believe that Christians, filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, can eventually attain a level of sanctification in this life that results in perfect Christian character. John Wesley (the founder of Methodism) believed the sanctifying grace of God could accomplish such …

I’ve taken many Utah Missions trips with high school students over the years. Each time, we spend 7-8 days talking with Mormons about what they believe related to the nature of salvation, Jesus, God and the Bible. Our students engage LDS believers in great conversations; they definitely have to step …

I took my family to an early showing of Les Misérables on New Year’s Eve and had several thoughts following the excellent performances and cinematography of the movie. This post will likely include spoilers for some of you, but I thought the striking contrast between Christian notions of “grace” and …