It’s been said that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. As April 15th rolls around this week, perhaps we should once again give careful consideration to our obligations toward government. Matthew 22:15-22 records an ingenious (or so they thought) test contrived by the Pharisees to discredit the Savior in the eyes of…
“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18). Jesus declared that His mission on earth was to, “restore sight to the blind” (Luke 4:18). The Master Teacher made sure that those who were spiritually blind had an opportunity to see, and the vision He gave them was life-changing. Just like the blind man…
Baptism is a subject of much contention in the religious world these days. Many who claim to be Christians deny that baptism has any part in the salvation process. Let’s examine some passages dealing with baptism that will give us a clearer picture of God’s will on this matter. John 3:5 — “Except a man be…
Over the course of the past century, our culture has witnessed a fundamental shift in its thinking from a theocentric (God-centered) point of view to an anthropocentric (man-centered) system of philosophy. The existence of an all-powerful and all-loving Creator is no longer the basis of morality for our society. Said another way, right now our…
Perhaps the most beautiful concept revealed in the Bible is the grace of God. Paul explained the foundation of grace this way: “God manifests His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).” Because of sin, all men deserve punishment in hell (cf. Romans 6:23), and…
I met a man recently who asked what I do for a living. Upon hearing that I am a gospel preacher, he began to talk about the differences in teachings from one religious organization to the next. At the conclusion of our conversation, he startled me by saying, “Well, there are just so many different…
Atheism most commonly objects to the idea of God on the basis of the following argument: if God is both omnibenevolent (all-good) and omnipotent (all-powerful), then how can He allow suffering and pain (what they call, “evil”) to exist in this world? This seeming dilemma has confounded many a Christian, and every time a hurricane,…
These days it seems many are down on the church. Many who witnessed churches of Christ grow in great numbers in the 1950’s and 60’s are today lamenting that few seem genuinely interested in spiritual things. The Lord’s church also faces vicious attacks from within; men and women from our own ranks who ought to…
Question: Is God still interested in the righteousness of nations today? Answer: Absolutely. God’s judgment is multi-faceted. Scriptures speak of a great Day of Judgment when all who have ever lived will be forced to meet their Maker and give an account for how they have invested their lives (2 Cor. 5:9-10). However, before and…
Mel Gibson is one of the most famous actors and directors in Hollywood these days. His latest movie, The Passion of the Christ, has sparked interest, enthusiasm, and even controversy in many circles. Gibson, a conservative Roman Catholic, has reportedly portrayed the trial and execution of Jesus in a surprisingly stark and violent manner, and he undoubtedly…