'salvation' Tagged Posts
It’s Time to Celebrate
Celebration is an incredibly significant part of our society. There is something about celebration that we long for! Today, I want to challenge us: what are we doing to celebrate the salvation that we have been given through Jesus? Shouldn’t we be “praising God with a loud voice” constantly, giving Him thanks for all that he’s done for us?
Ruler and Redeemer
In Acts Chapter 7, Stephen stands before the Jewish council and delivers an address which encapsulates a whopping 52 verses – a full deck of cards. After weaving throughout different events in Hebrew history, Stephen finally reaches the aces at the bottom of the deck in the climactic conclusion in Verses 51-53. It is there that he boldly confronts the actions of his Jewish contemporaries. Just as their fathers rejected Moses and the other prophets, so also they have rejected,…
THE BLESSING OF SEALING
One Christmas four wealthy brothers bought extravagant gifts for their elderly mother. One brother bought her a big house. Another installed a movie theater in that house. A third brother bought her a new Mercedes. But the fourth brother knew that their mother loved to read the Bible but couldn’t due to her poor eyesight. So, he found out about a parrot that had memorized the entire Bible and could recite every passage when instructed. That parrot, which took 12…
Emergency Alert
On Saturday, January 13, 2018, around 8:10 AM, residents and visitors of the state of Hawaii errantly received an emergency alert notification on their mobile phones which read, “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” Thirty-eight minutes later a follow-up message, canceling the original message, was finally sent which said, “There is no missile threat or danger to the State of Hawaii. Repeat. False Alarm.” Apparently, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency was conducting…
Faith and Works
Do you realize how often we give and receive contrasting pieces of wisdom? Several popular proverbs in our culture are diametrical. For example, some people say that “birds of a feather flock together,” but others claim that “opposites attract.” One saying contends that similarities bring people together, while the other alleges that differences bring people together. It has been said that “actions speak louder than words,” but it has also been said that “the pen is mightier than the sword.”…
THE PATH TO GLORY – PART FOUR
In the world of sports, the phrase “respect the process” is often used to remind people that there is no “magic wand” or “easy button” that can create a winning team. It takes hard work, discipline, and lots of “behind-the-scenes” effort to be successful, and anyone who thinks otherwise is most likely nothing more than a “consumer” with a lack of understanding about the dynamics and inner workings of these organizations. The process is important. The process is the path…
WHY DID MY SAVIOR COME TO EARTH? (PART 2)
The Roman playwright Horace, who lived and wrote in the days of Julius Caesar, criticized the other poets and playwrights of his day because every time they presented a problem, in the plot line of their stories, they utilized one of the many Roman gods to resolve it. In regards to their propensity to interject such gods, Horace said, ”Do not bring a god onto the stage unless the problem is one that deserves a god to solve it.” Horace’s…
THE WHY SERIES – WHY DO CHURCHES OF CHRIST PLACE LIMITATIONS ON THE ROLE OF WOMEN?
Another distinctive characteristic of the Churches of Christ is the absence of women in leadership roles in relation to the worship assembly or church governance. Is such a practice an act of discrimination or is there a biblical precedence for it? The absence of women in speaking or leadership roles in congregations associated with the Churches of Christ is not the result of gender discrimination but the result of adherence to God’s Word. Scripture places limitations on the roles of…
THE WHY SERIES – WHY DOES THE CHURCH OF CHRIST BELIEVE THAT SALVATION CAN BE LOST?
The Bible indicates that salvation is received when one confesses his or her belief in Jesus as the risen Son of God (Mark 16:16; Romans 10:9-10), repents of the sins that he or she has committed (Acts 2:38; 2 Corinthians 7:10), and submits to baptism so that he or she reenacts Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and, thereby, comes in contact with God’s grace through Christ’s blood which removes all sin (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-4; 1 Peter 3:18-22).…
THE WHY SERIES – WHY DOES THE CHURCH OF CHRIST BELIEVE THAT BAPTISM IS ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION?
Nearly every religious body associated with Christianity administers baptism in some fashion. Some believe it is an act of obedience that symbolizes a believer’s faith in Christ and death to sin. Others believe that baptism is simply the means by which a believer becomes a member of the church body. But the congregations associated with the Church of Christ are known for their insistence that baptism is an essential part of salvation. On what is this belief based? This belief…