Understanding Christianity

Sean's wife Dawn Cole was one of the keynote speakers at the Emmanuel Baptist Church Women's Conference. You get to hear from Sean all the time, so we thought we would bless our women listeners with a gospel centered talk from 1 Timothy on growing in godliness.

You can experience eternal life through a saving knowledge of the one true God.

Does the parable of the wedding banquet in Matthew 22:1-14 teach the distinction between an external call of the gospel that goes out to all people and the inward or internal call that sovereignlly and infallibly brings the elect to salvation? Dr. Sean Cole addresses this issue and how a Reformed understanding of this passage differs from the Traditionalist SBC or Arminian position.

The Fourth Commandment addresses the Sabbath. Dr. Sean Cole explores what the Sabbath meant for the Old Testament people of God and demonstrates how Jesus transformed it into the Lord's Day. How do we understand and prepare for honoring the Lord's Day as holy?

In Jesus' High Priestly prayer, He had ultimate confidence in God’s sovereign plan to elect or predestine His people for salvation. You can have both comfort and confidence in God’s sovereignty because He planned your salvation in eternity past.

The Third Commandment addresses three issues. (1) What does it mean to misuse or lift up the LORD's name in vain? (2) What is the punishment for blaspheme? (3) Why is the name of the LORD worthy of the highest honor and glory? Dr. Sean Cole addresses these issues as well as gives contemporary examples of how the Third Commandment is broken today. www.seancole.net

In His High Priestly prayer, Jesus has an unwavering, red-hot passion for God's glory in the cross. Jesus as our high priest makes intercession for us right before He makes a definite atonement for us. Here's the link to the video: https://vimeo.com/234216555

I had conversations with non-Calvinistic, Traditional SBC pastors this week that were edifying. This podcasts interacts with statements made by Dr. Richard Land at the Connect316 luncheon this past summer. He gives some straw men against Calvinism and paints with a broad brush on some issues such as the decline of evangelism and baptisms in the SBC as a result of the rise of Calvinism. www.seancole.net

In this session, Dr. Sean Cole begins by giving some practical implications of the First Commandment and then transitions into the Second Commandment from Exodus 20. The First Commandment forbids worshipping a false god; the Second Commandment forbids worshipping the true God in a false manner. You can watch the Facebook Live Video here: https://www.facebook.com/sean.cole.16144/videos/10212666419349917/

The Bible teaches that because of Adam's sin all people are born totally depraved and unable to come to Christ without sovereign regeneration. Traditional Southern Baptists argue that Calvinists affirm that people are born judicially hardened. Reformed Theology makes a distinction between total depravity/inability and judicial hardening. In this podcast, Dr. Sean Cole addresses the distinction from a Reformed perspective and clears up some of the confusion. www.seancole.net

Exodus 20 starts with gospel before law. God reminds us that He is the LORD--the self-existent God who has entered into covenant with His people. The Lord has also delivered us from spiritual bondage through the blood of Christ. With God's identity and redemption as the preface to the Ten Commandments, Dr. Sean Cole explores the First Commandment to love, fear, and trust God above all so called false gods. www.seancole.net

Do you have a category in your mind where God actually expresses a hot hatred toward sin? Proverbs 6 lists seven sins the Lord hates. Yet, in the gospel, God loved us so much to send Jesus to take the wrath of that sin HE hates so much. www.seancole.net

In this introductory session, Dr. Sean Cole teaches on Exodus 19 as the context for understanding the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. He also explains the three types of law: 1) civil 2) ceremonial, and 3) moral as well as the three uses of the law: 1) general equity, 2) pedagogical use to show us our desperate sinfulness, and 3) as a rule for Christian living. He discusses that the motivation to obey is our love for Jesus. Not so that Jesus will love us back, but because He has ALREADY loved us in the gospel and given us the Holy Spirit to indwell and empower us to obey.

You can experience a solid assurance in Christ because of His death, burial and resurrection. Jesus assures us in three ways. He gives us indestructible joy, intimate access, and immeasurable peace because He has overcome the world. www.seancole.net

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is "What happens when someone dies?" In this podcast, I address the reality of death and dying, the intermediate state, and the final resurrection for both the believer and the unbeliever. www.seancole.net

What is the Gospel? Walter Marshall gives this wisdom: “That we may receive life and strength whereby we are enabled for immediate performance, we must meditate believing on Christ’s saving benefits, as they are discovered in the gospel.” Would you never get over beauty, glory, and unsearchable riches of the gospel? Would you make it a passionate priority to meditate on the majesty of Christ’s saving benefits as they are fully discovered in the gospel! Dr. Sean Cole addresses the beauty of the gospel in this podcast. www.seancole.net

How does God convert a sinner? Is there a preparatory work that needs to be done in order for a lost person to come to Christ? What role does the Holy Spirit play in effectual calling? Sovereign regeneration? Are repentance and faith actual gifts that God grants us in order to come to faith? What is total inability? Dr. Sean Cole answers these questions and more in this episode. www.seancole.net

This is an excellent 29 minute presentation of the gospel. One of the best I've heard in a long time. If you're not a believer in Jesus, please take the time to consider listening to this. It will explain Christianity, the gospel, and how you can have a right relationship with God in a very clear and compelling way. www.seancole.net

In Acts 13:48, Luke provides a theological explanation of what happened after Paul preached in the synagogue and the Gentiles came to faith in Christ: "And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed." Does this verse teach sovereign election or does it teach something different? Were the God-fearing Gentiles somehow predisposed to believe or did God unconditionally choose them to eternal life and the fruit of that election was their belief? Dr. Sean Cole explores this topic in detail. www.seancole.net

The Holy Spirit convicts a lost world of its overwhelming sin in three areas: 1. He convicts lost people that they are guilty sinners by nature, 2. He convicts lost people that they cannot trust in their own righteousness to save them and 3. He convicts lost people that there is certain judgment to come. www.seancole.net