February 2001 New Horizons

Right with God

by Stephen D. Doe

They are everywhere, all around us: desperate people seeking justification. Oh, they don't think of it that way, not at all. In Asia, it is the worshiper at a Buddhist shrine with his joss stick, a square of gilt paper, and a crudely printed prayer, seeking peace. In the streets of Madrid, it is the person in the confessional box, seeking absolution for sins. In American neighborhoods, it is the couple knocking on doors to offer cultic literature, seeking acceptance with God for their efforts. People throughout the world, in a multitude of ways, try to get approval from their god or God. How does the God of the Bible respond to these various efforts? The God who made us and our world rejects all these futile acts! God provides only one way for a sinner to be right with him: justification by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone . The Reformers asked the key question: How can a sinful man be accepted by his holy Creator? The Roman Catholic Church and biblically oriented Protestants have answered this ... Read more

Justification in Paul and James

by George W. Knight III

In the letters of the apostle Paul, the doctrine of justification is that wonderful biblical teaching that God accepts us as righteous in Christ and forgives our sins when we receive him by faith alone. The Westminster Shorter Catechism states this teaching quite succinctly and accurately when it says, "Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone" (Q. 33). Paul's Teaching The apostle Paul refutes those who erroneously think that God saves people by taking into consideration the good things that they themselves do, in addition to their faith. He does so over and over again: Romans 3:20-22—"No one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This ... Read more

Learning from Dr. Laura

by David Feddes

People listen to Dr. Laura. The ratings for Dr. Laura Schlessinger's radio show have shot upward faster than any program in the history of talk radio. Her books, too, have racked up remarkable sales. How has Dr. Laura attracted such multitudes of listeners and readers? She doesn't do it by flattering the people who call the show for advice. She scolds caller after caller for being selfish, stupid, immoral, or lazy. If a caller objects to the scolding or tries to explain something, Dr. Laura might say, "Shut up! I'm not finished insulting you yet." Dr. Laura's popularity doesn't depend on trendy ideas from psychotherapy, either. She mocks the notion that people's greatest need is self-esteem and insists instead that what they need is self-control. Some psychologists and counselors try to make people feel less guilty, but not Dr. Laura. When people do wrong, she wants them to feel guilty. "Guilt is good," she declares. She doesn't like excuses. She complains that we live in the "Age of the Victim," where ... Read more

God's Sufficient Grace

by Walter D. Copeland

Last July, I began experiencing a little discomfort after eating. It didn't seem too serious, but I saw my doctor. After giving me an ultrasound, he called me into his office. "You have multiple lesions in your liver." The doctor was having some trouble giving me the news. I knew that he was a believer, and reminded him that death has been conquered through Christ. I asked him to be open and forthright with me. He said I had what looked like a serious malignancy. A few days later, a CAT scan confirmed his thinking. All three lobes of my liver were covered with multiple malignancies. A subsequent test found several tumors in my stomach and stomach's lymph nodes. I began bleeding internally. In August, I was hospitalized. That's when I heard that I had "three months to live without treatment or maybe seven to eight months with treatment." I was deemed terminal and inoperable. I began taking chemotherapy. They said I was too far gone for radiation. The chemo might prolong my life a few months. In ... Read more