Joe Duke
The Price to Pay

The Price to Pay

It’s clear that God wants to communicate with us. But sometimes the things of God can be difficult to understand. When we look carefully at the concepts surrounding the spiritual life, we discover a simple, basic distinction that profoundly informs our understanding...

Under Grace Not Law

Under Grace Not Law

While many Christians admit that salvation occurs apart from the keeping of the law, they hasten to insert the law as a standard for living the Christian life. What is the purpose of the Old Testament law? And more specifically, what does it mean to be under grace and...

Abide or Slide

Abide or Slide

Because every person is born separated from God, we are in trouble. But God has come to the rescue. Salvation is offered to all as a free gift - a gift received by belief that Jesus has died in our place. After receiving this gift, we have the choice to invest our...

Is It A or B?

Is It A or B?

People often struggle with the blatant simplicity of the free gift of eternal life. It is a gift without cost given freely through God's grace. But at the same time, Jesus calls us to pay the price of following Him. Can this apparent contradiction be reconciled? The...

Once You’re In, You’re In

Once You’re In, You’re In

Some people make salvation harder to get than it really is. And similarly, some people insist salvation is harder to keep than it really is. Can salvation, once received, ever be lost? If so, how? If salvation is a free gift, does the recipient get charged after the...

Faith Plus Nothing

Faith Plus Nothing

When you take a close look at grace you might be overwhelmed with the generosity of God or disgusted by its simplicity. God offers salvation as a free gift received by belief. We are declared righteous (justified) before God apart from any promise, commitment or...

Easy Does It

Easy Does It

No questions are more important in life than, "What is the Gospel?" and "How do you get it?" Unfortunately, for many, the message of salvation and the path for obtaining it have become shrouded in a confusing fog. Some of the most ardent warnings in Scripture revolve...