Welcome to the Pristine Grace Website! We hope you enjoy the discussion forum, articles, books, and scripture software that has been provided here. This website has been created to proclaim the truth to God's people. We are living in an age of self-idolatry and very few people who profess Christ truly understand the Gospel. Many believe that Jesus died for all men universally and that the difference between those who are saved and not saved is the individual's "free will" decision. There are others who are more enlightened but yet still believe in things like the doctrine of "common grace", the doctrine of "duty-faith" or the "free offer" of the Gospel. We believe these doctrines are erroneous and profane God's precious love for His elect. We prefer the word "free" or "pristine" instead of the word "common" to describe grace as the Scriptures declare God's love to be found only in God's Son, and that all of Grace is of the will of God and not corrupted or stained by the will of man, hence the adjective "pristine". Some would also cast aspersions on us because we believe in the absolute predestination of all things - that is there isn't a single event that occurs that God did not predestinate. We believe that the term hyper-calvinism is a pejorative used to discredit our writings. Nevertheless, we believe He is absolutely Sovereign! We believe He has redeemed His people from their sins (Mat 1:21) and that all of His sheep will be given the gift of faith in the Gospel of Christ at His appointed time. This website is currently edited and operated by Brandan Kraft in St. Louis Missouri. It is dedicated to all the brethren scattered abroad, but especially to the dear brothers and sisters he knows and loves in Christ. Special thanks go out to Bob Higby, Bill Parker, Jim Casey, Greg Winegar, Eileen Beckett, Scott O’Nanski, Nicolas Laurienzo, Milton Almeida, Richard Warmack, Jim Byrd, Scott Price, John Pedersen, Craig Miklosik, Stanley Phillips, Ed Vrell, James Johnson, James Guyo, Stan Terry, Tim James, Gary Shepard, Jason Smith, Ron Trabandt, John Gill, Henry Mahan, William Gadsby, Augustus Toplady, Mike Smith, John Robbins, Marc Lidgett, his bride Angie, and too many others to list here! We truly have a lot of friends in the Gospel. Brandan and his family currently attend 13th Street Baptist Church in Ashland, KY. If you are looking for Gospel Fellowship, check out our directory of recommended congregations.
 ...Introduction
I'm writing this article to address the common understanding of Adam, the imputation of sin, and who he truly represented in his fall. Please be advised that before you really dig in to this article, that I do veer strongly away from the common understanding of Adam and his relationship to us. This may challenge some of your long-standing beliefs, but I hope that you walk away with a better understanding of what I believe, and quite possibly embrace what it is I perceive to be truth.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. - Rom 4:8
Oh what a lovely passage this is! Have you ever actually stopped to think about it for a minute or two? Well take a gander at this verse and just think about wha...Brandan Kraft |
 ... The Spirit of the Lord must first reveal the gracious mind of the Lord to our spirits, and give to us faith to receive that testimony of the Spirit, and to sit down as satisfied with his testimony, before ever any work of sanctification can possibly give any evidence; but when the testimony of the Spirit of the Lord is received by faith, and the soul sits down satisfied with that testimony of the Lord, then also all the gifts of God’s Spirit do bear witness together with the Spirit of the Lord, and the faith of a believer. ...Tobias Crisp |
| ... The truth is, it is not possible that any person can truly believe his iniquities are laid upon Christ, except there be a previous act of the Lord’s laying them on him; the Lord’s act of laying must go before our act of applying it to ourselves. It is not possible for any man to act anything, but there must be an object in being, about which it is conversant. Suppose a man believe his sins are laid upon Christ, I would fain know, whether his believing be true or false; if he believe indeed, he hath a foundation for this faith of his, and what is that? He hath a grant from the Lord, that is the very being of his faith; a grant, I say, he finds out, that is a stirring up of his believing. Now suppose I am to believe the forgiveness of my sins, what must be the... Tobias Crisp |
| ... We are to walk in every way that God hath chalked out unto us; but if we think our righteousness, deep humiliation, large relents of spirits, sorrow for sin, and our confession thereof, must make our way to the bowels of Christ, take heed lest you set up a false Christ. When you bring anything to Christ, you deprive him of that which is his greatest prerogative, and give it to your fasting and humiliations; it is the prerogative of Christ alone to bring you to himself. But, you will say, all the promises of pardon run with this proviso, in case men humble themselves, and do this and that, then pardon is theirs; but otherwise it is none of theirs. Take heed of such doctrine. We have bad Arminianism exceedingly exploded among us hitherto, and there hath been much complain... Tobias Crisp |
| ... Most men think that this phrase,new creature, is a renewed, sanctified man, so as he becomes new in his own conversation, when his life is changed; I do not deny the truth of the thing, all that are in Christ, he renews them, sanctifies them, and subdues iniquity in them; but, under favour, let me tell you, the apostle's meaning here by new creature is, not that they are sanctified; but that they are new creatures, that is, they are reconciled unto God; this is his meaning; "If any man be in Christ, he is anew creature; that is, he is brought into a new condition that he was not in before; and this new condition is, he is now reconciled unto God; whereas, before, he was an alien and stranger to him.... Tobias Crisp |
 ... I'm titling this short article "God Loves Fags" as a response to the "God Hates Fags" message you have probably heard spoken of by the Westboro Baptist Church in the mainstream media. Ironically, on the surface, I agree with their statement regarding God's hatred of people. God does indeed hate people - and He hates homosexuals - some of them at least. He also hates non-homosexuals. He hates all kinds of people. But let me tell you something that they're leaving out... God also loves homosexuals.
God loves homosexuals. And He loves black people. And yes He loves white people too! You see, it has nothing to do with the person that He loves. It ...Brandan Kraft |
David Alvord |
 ... God's preachers are sent to preach the Gospel. They are not sent to preach vain, worthless issues. The Apostle Paul wrote, "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel" (1 Corinthians 9:16). Every message should define and distinguish the good news, that single message which is "the power of God unto salvation" (Rom. 1:16). Most everyone who claims to preach the Gospel will recognize the existence and growth of false gospels. The New Testament speaks of this (2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:6). Much is said concerning people worshipping false gods and following after counterfeit messiahs. This being the case, is it not binding upon true pre... |
| ... The Bible teaches us the purpose of all things in eternity, creation, providence, judgment, and salvation is to glorify the one living and true God. We could fill pages with verses of Scripture proclaiming this fact, but consider how the Apostle Paul was inspired by God the Holy Spirit to write the following acclamation of praise to God –
Romans 11 – (33) O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! (34) For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor? (35) Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto Him again? (3... |
| ... There are so many misconceptions of the Gospel truths of election and particular (or definite) redemption. These misconceptions are fostered mainly by natural prejudices and misunderstandings concerning what the Bible teaches about these blessed doctrines of grace. The goal of this article, if God be pleased to use it, is to remove the prejudices against election and particular redemption and to show the Scriptural reality of both. In most cases natural prejudices have been reinforced by perversions of these truths from the enemies of the truth. Also, natural prejudices have been reinforced by others who claim to believe these doctrines but who, because of ignorance, confuse and mistake the real issues involved in God's revelation of these tru... |
| ... The believer's relationship to the law of God has been a long debated subject and a point of division among those who claim to believe the Gospel. Some claim that God's law is the believer's rule of conduct and obedience. Their opponents accuse them of being legalists. Others deny that God's law is the believer's rule of conduct and obedience. Their opponents accuse them of being antinomians (without law). Some claim that New Testament believers are still under the Ten Commandments as a rule of conduct while others claim that New Testament believers are not under the Ten Commandments. Some say that Christ, not the law, is the believer's rule of conduct and obedience.
The controversy could be settled by right definitions of ... |
 ... Salvation is not conditioned on you believing, but on Christ dying.
You believe because God causes you to, because Christ died for you.
The ones that Christ did not die for, will never ever believe - no matter how much or long the truth is impressed upon them.
God does not desire their salvation-so He never grants them faith and repentance....James Guyo |
| ... I've noticed amongst some believers, there tends to be a great focus on the actual day one came to believe the Gospel, and that if you can't pin-point it, you may not know the Gospel. I can certainly understand how this understanding came into being, so let me help you out if you're struggling with assurance.
The simple matter of fact is it doesn't matter when you came to believe the truth. If you believe the Gospel now, you are one of God's people. And if you are one of God's people, God has always loved you, cared for you, and provided for you. You believe because you have been given the gift of faith, and you will persevere in this faith until you are taken home in glory. Our focus is not upon the ... Brandan Kraft |
 ... Supralapsarianism, for all its insistence on a certain logical order among the divine decrees, is essentially, so it seems to us, the unobjectionable view that God controls the universe purposefully. God acts with a purpose. He has an end in view and sees the end from the beginning. Every verse in Scripture that in one way or another refers to God's manifold wisdom, every statement indicating that a prior event is for the purpose of causing a subsequent event, every mention of an eternal, all-embracing plan contributes to a teleological and therefore supralapsarian view of God's control of history.
The connection between supralapsarianism and the fact that God always acts purposefully depends on the observation that th...Gordon Clark |
 ... With all of today’s divisions, debates and displays of ungraciousness characterizing those who profess to believe the gospel of the grace of God in Christ Jesus, is it any wonder there are so many instructions, reproofs, admonitions, warnings and rebukes in the epistles pertaining to these very things? God knew and knows what we are! What was present even in the early church seems to have reached epidemic proportions in it today. Is it any wonder that Paul asked the church at Corinth what must be asked today? “Is Christ divided, was ______ crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of ______?” Is it not a wonder that those who say they love Christ must be told to “love the brethren?” That those forgiven of all their sins must...Gary Shepard |
 ..."God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." - 2 Cor. 5:21
Our sins were imputed to him as to a sacrifice. Christ the just is put in the place of the unjust, to suffer for them (1 Peter 3 :18). Christ is said to bear sin, as a sacrifice bears sin (Isaiah 53:10, 12). His soul was made an offering for sin. But sin was so laid upon the victims, as that it was imputed to them in a judicial account manner according to the ceremonial law, and typically expiated by them. Christ would not have taken away our sins as Mediator, had he not borne the punishment of them. As a surety, 'He was made sin for us' (2 Corinthians 5:21), and he bore our sins, which is evident by the kind of dea...Stephen Charnock |
 ...Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. - Hebrews 2:1
None of us would dare to say that the Law of Moses is a lie. Yet we can most surely say that if a person should regard that law, apart from seeing it as a mere schoolmaster to bring us to CHRIST then such adherence is based upon a lie. This is the very error of those who use the law as a means of establishing their own righteousness or of supposedly proving their own righteousness. This is described by Paul when he spoke to the Thessalonians concerning those who were not given a love of the TRUTH. “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not ...Mike McInnis |
 ... "And the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith, and he was numbered with the transgressors." Mark 15:28.
Look up, my soul, to the cross, and behold thy Lord hanging with two thieves; yea, in the middle of them, as if the greatest malefactor of the three; and, what is the most awful part of the subject, not only was he thus considered by the Jewish rabble, but as the sinner's representative, Jesus was thus beheld in Jehovah's view; "numbered with the transgressors," and virtually, the great surety and sponsor of them all. Pause, my soul, as thou readest this scripture, and as thou beholdest it fulfilled on the cross. Will it not undeniably follow, that if Christ was so reckoned, and so numbered, then must it have been, not for himself,...Robert Hawker |
| ...But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. Galatians 2:17
The most common objection that many (well-meaning teachers who oppose the preaching of free grace) set forth is that the preaching of salvation by grace alone, will cause men to sin without restraint. The reason that they feel this way is twofold. The main one is that they do not understand the pervasive nature of sin, man’s inherent love of it and his complete inability to avoid it. The other is that they think men can be delivered from sin by the promotion of the law as either a threat or as a guideline by which to order his steps. It is this same line of thinking that ... Mike McInnis |
| ...In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. - Psalm 77:2
There are few things that are more repulsive to contemplate than a festering and oozing sore that does not respond to treatment. This is an exact illustration of the innate sin nature of all men, out of which and because of which all of man’s troubles, self centered attitudes, and wicked actions stem. All men without exception inherit this mortifying disease and there is no remedy that a man can find or devise to actually cure it.
This is a malady which causes a certain level of pain in all men, yet its true insidious and incurable nature goes undetected in the vast multitude of men. Most ... Mike McInnis |