Category Archives: Modern Doctrines

Why It Matters That You Can Lose Your Salvation

Posted on 04/12/2020 by Paul Pavao

Sometimes my blogs put me in awkward position. I almost don’t want to write this post because I am tacking on to the sermon of a friend. His sermon was great, his exhortation timely, and his delivery of the sermon … Continue reading →

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Romans 2:5-8: The Judgment by Works

Posted on 02/07/2020 by Paul Pavao

I struggled for six years with Romans 2:5-8. But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God; who “will pay back … Continue reading →

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Hebrews 6:1-2: What Are The Basics of the Christian Faith?

Posted on 02/05/2020 by Paul Pavao

I spent a lot of my Christian life confused about the elementary principles of the faith as taught in Hebrews 6:1-2. Obviously, these “principles of the doctrine of Christ” are supposed to be simple. The writer of Hebrews wants us … Continue reading →

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Can We Be Good Enough to Go to Heaven?

Posted on 12/22/2019 by Paul Pavao

My last post was an answer to an inquirer who asked what I meant when I said it requires works to enter God’s eternal kingdom. He wasn’t satisfied. He asked, “How do you know if you are good enough to … Continue reading →

Posted in Modern Doctrines, Protestants | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Is Christianity Different than Islam Because It Does Not Require Works?

Posted on 12/21/2019 by Paul Pavao

Another email I answered. This one asked how my teaching is any different from Muslim teaching if I teach that we must do good works to enter the kingdom of heaven after the judgment. I kindly avoided saying that one … Continue reading →

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How I Became a Heretic (to the Evangelicals)

Posted on 12/14/2019 by Paul Pavao

I was raised Catholic, gave up on Catholicism, explored eastern mysticism as a teenager, and wound up agnostic at age 20. The prayers and daily witness of my first Air Force supervisor and some reading of the Gospels led to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Dealing with Scripture Honestly, Early Christianity, Evangelicals, Modern Doctrines | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Saved by Works and Not by Faith Only

Posted on 12/03/2019 by Paul Pavao

I thought of a way to get across a concept that people struggle to understand: there is a difference between being saved by faith and going to heaven. Picture a congregation. The congregation is asked, “How many of you are … Continue reading →

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Due Diligence

Posted on 12/01/2019 by Paul Pavao

“Due Diligence” is a legal IRS term. You are allowed to take a questionable deduction on a tax return as long as you have done your “due diligence.” This means that you have researched your deduction enough to confirm a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Dealing with Scripture Honestly, Evangelicals, Modern Doctrines, Unity, Verses Evangelicals Ignore, Verses Versus Verses | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

“Faith Apart from Works” and “Not by Faith Alone”

Posted on 11/10/2019 by Paul Pavao

This is from the comments on “Faith and Works: A Brief Summary”, my June 19 blog post. I wrote this in response to a good question. Your comment (that the only mention of faith alone in the bible is in … Continue reading →

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You Do Not Win Battles Without Battling

Posted on 10/22/2019 by Paul Pavao

This blog was a Facebook post, and the FB post was supposed to be just the quote from Micah in the next paragraph. My mind and fingers raced forward almost on their own. I sure hope that was God moving … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Holiness, Modern Doctrines | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments