Scripture is filled with warnings concerning our conscience. Jeremiah spoke about his people having, “forgotten how to blush” (Jer. 8:12). Further, he said that when wickedness was done in Israel, “my people love to have it so” (Jer. 5:31). Paul speaks of those who, “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” and therefore do not pay attention…
The Bible teaches clearly that, under the New Covenant, baptism (immersion) in water is necessary to receive forgiveness of sins (Mark 16:15-16; John 3:5; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3-6). One of the most common objections to this teaching is to ask, “What about the thief on the cross?” In Luke 23:42-43, Jesus had a…
Appropriate Response “Confess your sins one to another and pray for one another that you may be healed” (James 5:16). This passage has stirred much controversy over the years, giving rise to at least two false doctrines. First, some have taken this passage to refer to a “confessional” system in which Christians must confess every…
Assurance of salvation is within the grasp of every individual Christian. While an attitude of self-examination is certainly healthy (cf. 2 Cor 13:5), we also can and should be confident in our forgiven state. Paul, who called himself the “chief of all sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15), was still able to gratefully proclaim his innocence in…
Have you ever given much thought to why you do what you do as a Christian? Many Christians mistakenly think that the only acceptable reason to serve God is because we love Him (Matt. 22:37). While love for God is certainly a Biblical and worthwhile motive for service, it is far from being the only…
I’ve often marveled at the depth and profundity of many songs we find in our songbooks. I’ve also sometimes been disappointed that, for whatever reasons, some great songs seem to have faded from the church’s repertoire over the years. One such song is, “The Ninety and Nine” (number 241 in our songbook). Based upon the…
Having proper values is not always easy. Most people live and die believing that wealth, fame, and popularity are keys to success. In contrast, our Lord rightly asked, “what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul, or what would a man give in exchange for his…
Without God’s grace, it would be impossible to be saved. We can never do enough good to “undo” sin all by ourselves (cf. Rom. 4:4). Surely Adam and Eve regretted their sin in the Garden of Eden, but they also realized that God would have to take the first step in reconciliation (Gen. 3). God…
Swallowing pride is difficult for anyone. God says pride is dangerous to keep around (Prov 16:18), and if left unchecked will keep us from heaven (cf. Luke 18:10-12). Christians need to struggle in being people of humility, always recognizing our place in God’s creation and esteeming others better than ourselves (Phil 2:3) Problem is, there…
The Bible clearly teaches that every responsible person has free will. People have the ability to choose whether to obey God’s word or not. God showed His grace to all men (Titus 2:11; John 3:16; Romans 5:8) by sending His Son to die as a sacrifice for sin. However, even though God is not willing…