Posts with the tag: sin

Did Christ Advocate Self-Amputation in Mark 9:43-47?

Let’s read the passage in question: 43“If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. [44] b 45And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to […]

Should Church Leaders Be Corrected Privately or Publicly?

Since the Word of Truth is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 2:15 & 3:16), let’s see what it says on this particular issue: 17The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18For Scripture says, “Do […]

How Does the Holy Spirit Convict People?

Here’s what Christ said about the Holy Ghost convicting the lost: But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will […]

Was Mighty SAMSON “Ungodly”?

Samson was called by the LORD before his mother even conceived to “begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines” (Judges 13:3-5). He led Israel for 20 years after 20 years of oppression by the Philistines (15:20), not as a king, but as a ‘judge’ in the sense of a fierce warrior […]

Can a Christian Be Perfect?

While every spiritually-reborn believer is “made complete in Christ” (Colossians 2:10), there’s no such thing as a perfect Christian in this fallen world, not in a practical sense. The Bible says point blank that every believer misses it now & then no matter how spiritually mature s/he may be: 8If we claim to be […]

When Pastors Fail to Correct Their Relatives in the Church

Have you ever experienced a situation at an assembly where the pastor refuses to genuinely correct a carnal individual because they’re related? For instance, Carol & I were part of a ministry years ago where a pathological liar ran around the church gossiping & slandering, yet was tolerated because she was related to the pastor […]

Can a Person “Sell Their Soul” to the Devil?

You’ve no doubt seen a movie or read a story about a person selling his/her soul to the devil, like Ghost Rider or Faust. In these tales the individual makes a deal with the devil (or some lesser demon) by offering his/her soul in exchange for some extraordinary benefits, but there’s always a downside and […]

What Is Spiritual Death?

Spiritual death simply means that the spirit of a person is dead to God, that is, the capacity of their spirit to unite them with God is dead because they lack eternal life. The only life they have is the temporal life inherited from the perishable seed of Adam. Christianity is all about reversing this […]

An Honest Look at the ‘M’ Word (Masturbation)

Back in the ’80s an Evangelical pastor who was popular with young people spoke frankly on the topic of masturbation and tried to be balanced. Being a controversial topic, interviewers would naturally ask him about it. He responded, “Look, I’ll answer your questions to the best of my knowledge and understanding, but I don’t want […]

What Happened to the Hebrews in the Old Testament Are WARNINGS FOR BELIEVERS

The New Testament refers to our Hebraic forefathers who escaped slavery in Egypt: Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them […]

How to Keep Yourself BLAMELESS (While Not Being SINLESS)

The apostle Paul prayed that the Philippian believers would be blameless and encouraged it: And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of […]

Why Does 1 Chronicles OMIT David’s Adultery & Murder?

When the Old Testament historical book 1 Chronicles details the era in David’s reign involving his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband (detailed in 2 Samuel 11:1–12:23) it omits these transgressions altogether, choosing instead to focus on David’s victories over the Ammonites, as shown in 1 Chronicles 20:1-3. Why? Answer: Because the historical […]

God Deals With People According to the Light They Have

The LORD deals with people according to the light they have. Once we have revelation of a certain truth we are responsible for living according to it (or living in light of it). This can be observed in a few key passages, like these: Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so […]

What Is the “AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY”?

All people born into this world since Adam & Eve were born with a sinful nature (Romans 5:17), which explains why David said “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). The “age of accountability” addresses the age that God begins holding people accountable to their sin. […]

Understanding the Fear of the LORD

The “fear of the LORD” isn’t talked about much in Christian circles today, including sermons. Why? Likely because the Mighty LORD has been essentially reduced to a cuddly teddy bear in the sky or perhaps a genial genie. The idea that the Almighty Sovereign God — the Creator of all things in Heaven, Earth & […]

Handling Personal Offenses vs. Handling Criminal Acts

There’s a huge difference between dealing with personal offenses as opposed to dealing with severe criminal acts. The former is a matter of peace between people in the Church, as well as society (relatives, co-workers, neighbors, etc.), whereas the latter is a matter of acquiring justice and protecting the populace from wicked thugs.

What Is “BACKSLIDING”?

You’ll notice that God said “they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts.” So this is a commentary on the condition of the hearts of these particular Israelites and doesn’t mean that every person’s heart on earth is evil, which is a myth often heard in sermons.