“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” Romans 9:13 by John Ellis Over the last few years, the phenomenon of deconversion stories from once celebrity “Christians” has swept the social imaginary of conservative evangelicals. And it’s not just celebrity “Christians” who have embraced rebellion. Few evangelicals have been spared from watching family and close friends … Continue reading Thoughts on Deconversion Stories From Someone Who Never Wanted to Become a Christian
Tag: Soteriology
Rules Do Not a Good Boy Make: My Year as a Sixth-Grade Terrorist
by John Ellis Spelling is not a forte of mine. As a writer, red squiggly lines are my friend. Words like “Wednesday,” “indubitably,” and “cornucopia” are beyond my ability to remember how to spell correctly. One word I’ll never misspell, though, is obedience. The spelling of that word was drilled into me via multiple performances … Continue reading Rules Do Not a Good Boy Make: My Year as a Sixth-Grade Terrorist
The Necessity of Christ’s Active Obedience in Salvation
by John Ellis During membership interviews at my previous church, the elders ask the prospective member to briefly share the gospel. It’s not asked as a membership test; if you forget to include Jesus’ Resurrection, you don’t fail and aren’t prevented from joining the church. The question is asked because the gospel is central to … Continue reading The Necessity of Christ’s Active Obedience in Salvation
Death’s Unnatural Intrusion Into Childhood
(I wrote this in early 2016, and it remains one of my favorite articles that I've written.) by John Ellis Assuming normal physiology, humans don’t begin to taste deeply of physical death until sometime in their twenties. The day to day existence of children is punctuated by life. The brain is awakening – new sounds, … Continue reading Death’s Unnatural Intrusion Into Childhood
Being Saved versus Am Saved
by John Ellis The colloquial aphorism "saved by the skin of your teeth" was an integral part of the theological lexicon of my youth. To be clear, it wasn’t part of my personal lexicon; I wasn't saved in any capacity. It was, however, uttered on a fairly regular basis by the preachers, Bible teachers, and … Continue reading Being Saved versus Am Saved
Practically Known Theology 