Jesus came to earth and died on the cross in order to make salvation possible. But how can we take advantage of His sacrifice and be saved? The New Testament shows how this can be done.
So what is the plan of salvation? Let us consider four points in this article.Continue Reading
“No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12).
John spent much of his first epistle writing on the topic of love. One of the ideas he discussed was about love being perfected. To be perfected means to be completed, accomplished, or fulfilled (Strong’s).
What does perfect love look like? Let us notice four points made by John in his epistle.Continue Reading
Throughout the book of Hebrews, a comparison is made between the new covenant and the old covenant. In every way, the new covenant in Christ is far superior to the old covenant. Because the new way is better, we should respond to it in a certain way. Notice what the author of Hebrews wrote:
“Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us…” (Hebrews 10:19-22).
Following that statement, the Hebrew said, “Let us” do certain things. In the subsequent verses, we find three things we are to do now that we are a part of the “new and living way” in Christ. In this article, we will consider each of these.Continue Reading
When Paul was on trial before King Agrippa, he used the opportunity to preach the gospel (Acts 26:19-23). One of the apostle’s goals was to persuade the king to become a Christian. Agrippa recognized this because he stated, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28).
We are trying to do the same thing today that Paul was doing on that occasion – trying to persuade people to become a Christian. However, if we are going to persuade them to become a Christian, we need to know what a Christian is. Also, they need to understand what a Christian is before they can be persuaded to become one.
So how can we determine if one is a Christian? How can one determine if he/she is a Christian or not? We can consult the Scriptures to find an answer.Continue Reading
“Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1-2).
Persecution against the church began with the death of Stephen (Acts 8:1). Saul continued this persecution with a plan to go to Damascus to arrest disciples and bring them back to Jerusalem. The ones who were targeted for persecution were those who were “belonging to the Way.” We will discuss the idea of persecution in the next lesson.
However, before these individuals were targeted, they first had to belong to “the Way.” In this lesson, we are going to see what the Scriptures teach about “belonging to the Way” – how to become a part of this group and remain in it.Continue Reading
Often when a sermon is being concluded, the preacher will make an invitation that includes a call for Christians to make a public confession of sin. This is typically done for sins that are public in nature. Sometimes this is simply mentioned in passing. Other times a Bible passage will be cited, but often is not read or explained.
Because we hear this so often, this sort of public confession of sin is often assumed by brethren to be necessary without giving it much thought. But is it necessary? Is it authorized? Is it expedient? In this article, I would like for us to consider the practice of Christians publicly confessing sins.Continue Reading
One of the topics James discussed in his letter was the connection between faith and works. Many people have difficulty understanding this subject. The reason is not really that it is difficult; rather, they have simply been taught differently from what the Bible teaches. James used the example of Abraham to show how we can be justified by works.
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:21-24).
This is an important passage for us to understand – both for putting it into practice and also to be able to explain it to others.Continue Reading
Peter issued this challenge to all Christians: “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15). However, many Christians feel unprepared to do this; therefore, many conversations that could potentially lead people to the truth never get started.
This book will help equip all Christians to start engaging in spiritual conversations with those around them by providing simple answers to some basic Bible questions. Being ready to give an answer does not mean having an answer to every possible question at the drop of a hat. Instead, it means being able to give a ready answer to questions that are fundamental to our faith that can open the door to further discussions and studies with those who are interested. By studying the material in this book and becoming familiar with the Scriptures cited in each answer, Christians will be better prepared and have more confidence when they discuss their faith with others.
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