First John 2:16 lists three categories of sin: “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” These are ways Satan tempts men to sin against God (Gen. 3; Mt. 4), but the Bible also speaks of another category of sin—sins of ignorance. Many have sinned against God in ignorance without being motivated by selfish desires of the flesh, lust of the eyes, or the pride of life. Even so, ignorance does not excuse disobedience to God, so the saying, “Ignorance is bliss” is not a Biblical concept.… Read more
Two Men on an Island
Two men on a deserted island know nothing about religion or the multitudes of churches that exist today. An airplane drops a box full of Bibles onto the island, they read the Bible, and they do what the Bible says to be saved through Christ.
If you asked them which church they are in, what would they say? Would they be in a denomination? If they only know the Bible and only follow the Bible, they cannot be in the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, etc.,… Read more
Majoring in Minors
After all that God has done for us, He deserves all our love and dedication, but is that what we give Him? It is so easy to become distracted by the things of this world and completely focus on things that are not as important as eternity. Do we have our priorities straight? Are we focused on less important things in life more than the most important things? Are we majoring in minors?
- Are we knowledgeable and passionate about politics but lack interest in God’s Word and eternal matters?
You Are Blessed
If you are a faithful child of God, you are blessed in the greatest ways possible! Here are some of those tremendous blessings:
- Amazing grace and mercy we all so desperately need, realized in Christ: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7; cf. 1:3; Titus 2:11-12).
- Having assurance that all past sins were forgiven when you were immersed into Christ: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22; cf.
Do You Have the Mind of Christ, or the Mind of Satan?
None of us are perpetually flawless, and, because we have all sinned against God, none of us deserve Heaven, but if we call ourselves CHRISTians and want to be where He is, we must do our best to aim for sinless perfection and truly repent when we sin. If you are turned off whenever a Christian or a Christian preacher mentions something about the necessity of obedience to God, I lovingly encourage you to study more about this in the Bible and honestly ask yourself why you have a negative attitude toward obedience.… Read more
Body Members Out of Control
Christ is the Head of His body, His church (Col. 1:18). Christians are described as members of His body, such as hands, feet, etc. (1 Cor. 12:12-27). If we consider ourselves members of Christ’s body, are we doing what the Head of the body commands? What if your body members refused to do what your head (your brain) told them to do?
- What if, whenever you wanted to go somewhere, your feet always moved in the opposite direction of where you wanted to go?
False Doctrine Going Under the Radar
Many Bible believers know not to steal, kill, etc., but false doctrine often goes under the radar and gets them (false plans of salvation, false ways of worship, false doctrines about Christ or His second coming, etc.), because, sadly, many do not know God’s Word well enough to recognize error (Mt. 22:29). Many sincere believers in Jesus have no idea that false doctrine caused believers in Jesus to be lost, such as Hymenaeus, Philetus, many Galatians, and others.… Read more
“I Know In My Heart That I’m Saved”
I once asked a woman working in a convenience store if she believed the Bible and if she believed in Heaven and Hell. She nodded her head and said she did. I then asked if she could tell me what I would need to do to go to Heaven if I had never become a Christian. Before she could answer, her female co-worker spoke up rather loudly and said, “Get down on your knees and pray.” … Read more
Did Christ Do ALL the Work on the Cross?
Christ finished His main mission on earth by giving His life on the cross, saying, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30), but today some are twisting His statement into a false doctrine. They claim that since Christ said, “It is finished” on the cross, there are no “works” (no actions) men can do today that will have any effect on their salvation. This has led some to the conclusion that baptism cannot be essential, and that once a person is saved, there is no work he is required to do.… Read more
Questions About the Thief on the Cross
If you believe the account of the penitent thief on the cross being forgiven proves that people do not have to be baptized today to become saved, here are a few questions to consider:
1. Can it be proven that the thief had never been baptized to have his past sins forgiven? (see Matthew 3:2, 5-6; Mark 1:4; John 4:1-2).
2. Is it possible to sin after baptism? (see Acts 8:12-ff).
3. Is it possible to be forgiven of sins committed after baptism?… Read more
Your Greatest Happiness: In the Past or the Future?
Is your greatest happiness in the past, or in the future? If we live our lives always looking back, it’s like running backwards in a race we desperately need to win. That will only slow us down and make it very difficult to reach the goal. We cannot go back to the so-called “good old days,” but we can go somewhere even better. We are getting farther and farther from the past and our youth, but if we are faithful Christians, we are getting closer and closer to Heaven!… Read more
Have Ye Not Read?
Did Jesus emphasize reading God’s Word? The following is from Matthew’s Gospel account:
“Have ye not read…?” (12:3).
“Or have ye not read…?” (12:5).
“Have ye not read…?” (19:4).
“Yea; have ye never read…?” (21:16).
“Did ye never read in the Scriptures…?” (21:42).
“…have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God…?” (22:31).
If we do not know the Scriptures well, we will be easily deceived and may even deceive ourselves into thinking we are saved when we are not.… Read more
The Quran is Not the Word of God
The Bible is the Word of God.
If the Bible is the Word of God, the Quran is not the Word of God, because the Quran contradicts many fundamental concepts found throughout the Bible.
If the Bible is NOT the Word of God, the Quran is not the Word of God, because the Quran claims that the original words of the Bible came from Heaven (Quran 2:87, 136; 3:3; 4:163; 5:46), and that words from Heaven cannot be altered or corrupted (Quran 6:34; 6:115; 10:64).… Read more
Time Does Not Wash Away Sin
Time does not wash away sin. Twenty years or more may pass after a sin is committed, and men’s memories may fade, but God’s memory does not. Children of God can deceive themselves into thinking they are fine or someone they love is fine, even when repentance has not occurred, but the blood of Christ is the only thing that can wash away sin, and simply waiting a certain length of time does not make one contact the blood.… Read more
Would You Dare Pull Someone Away from Christ?
How often have faithful members of the Lord’s church begun teaching a lost person, only to have someone else convince the potential convert that he does not need to listen? How often has someone been baptized into Christ, only to have friends or family convince him to leave Christ’s church and become a part of some group that is not in the Bible and not truly following the Bible? Statements or questions like the following are often posed to the person being pulled away: “Who told you that you had to be baptized to be saved?… Read more