Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

What must I do to be saved?

It is the most important question ever asked: "What must I do to be saved?” 

The Philippian jailer posed the question to the apostle Paul when he discovered his prisoners had been freed by a divine earthquake. Paul answered his question in Acts 16:31-34: "'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.' Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household."   

Once Paul told him that belief was a condition of salvation, he set about to teach the man so that he could believe. Faith does not come apart from the word of God, but by hearing it (Romans 10:17) and believing it enough to submit to its truths (Luke 6:46-49).   

Faith, you see, is more than just a mental assent to a series of facts. Faith is a trust and loyalty that cause the believer to be converted from his old ways in order to walk in newness of life. The jailer's faith was not idle, but working, for faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26). He showed his change of heart by washing the bruises of the apostles that hours before he had cared not about. Indeed, repentance of sins is a prerequisite to having them forgiven, as Peter taught on Pentecost (Acts 2:38).

Saving faith is no more silent than it is idle. Some in Jesus's day believed in him, but refused to confess him because they would lose their position in society (John 12:42). Paul taught that an oral confession of faith preceded salvation; thus it was a condition of the remission of sins (Romans 10:9).

None of these acts of submissive faith earns a man his salvation, for grace, by definition is unmerited and no matter what we do, God will not be placed in the debt of a sinner (Luke 17:10).

As much as these acts precede salvation, so does immersion in water. Jesus taught that "he who believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16) and Peter said that immersion was for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38-41) and to save you (First Peter 3:20-21). Paul taught that baptism is what places a person into Christ (Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 3:27). Out of that water, a man then must strive to live faithfully (Revelation 2:10). 

 

 

 

Who is Jesus Christ? 

It is a question that was surely oft-repeated in first century Palestine. Jesus asked it once himself: "Who do men say that I am?"

It was the bold apostle Peter who volunteered his opinion that Jesus was the Messiah, the son of the living God. He was a prophet like Elijah, but not just a prophet. He was a teacher like John, but not just a teacher. In fact, he was waiting to become a priest and king as well.

In short, Jesus is the answer. Okay, so what was the problem, you might wonder. The problem was and is sin, which all eventually commit and which none can successfully overcome on his own.

The very first sin ever committed by Adam and Eve occasioned the very prophecy about the incarnation of God the son in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. God cursed the serpent for tempting the couple and then promised that Eve's seed would bruise his head even as the tempter bruised his heel. This prophecy was fulfilled on the cross where Jesus's heel was bruised even as he dealt a major blow to the devil's power through the sting of death and the disease of sin. 

Sins continued to mount through the Old Testament and generations of people came and went knowing that they needed something to help them overcome. Prophets foretold the coming of a Messiah who would be their deliverer, but many who heard them assumed that the deliverance was from national bondage, not slavery to sin. They underestimated the power and impact the Messiah would have. 

Finally, Jesus was born in a body prepared for him by God but through the miraculous conception of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1). He taught a gospel of the kingdom of God that ignored national woes and promised deliverance from the tyranny of sin (Matthew 4:17, John 8:32). The devil figured like many men that Jesus would physically assume a throne and destroy his power and so he had Jesus killed. Only upon the Lord's miraculous resurrection from the tomb three days later did it become apparent that his death was the atoning work and his kingdom was spiritual. 

Jesus ascended back into Heaven where he lives to make intercession for his brethren--those who confess faith in him, put him on in baptism and strive to walk by faith each day. Jesus is the way, truth and life and no one comes to the Father except by him (John 14:6). There is no other name given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Sooner or later, everyone will have to make a decision about Jesus. 

 

 

When was the church of Christ established? 

In order to discover when the church of Christ was established, we must begin by getting on the same page about the term "church of Christ." 

As the scriptures do not use the term "church of Christ" in a denominational sense, we do not either. The phrase simply describes the assembly of redeemed people who belong to Jesus Christ. It is not parallel to terms of more modern derivation, such as "Baptist church" or "Lutheran church." It is a term used by the Holy Spirit (Romans 16:16) to designate the ownership of Christ of the collection of people he purchased from the devil with his own blood (Acts 20:28). 

In fact, Jesus told the apostles in Matthew 16:16 that he would build his church and that the gates of Hades would not prevail against his efforts. When he broke those gates at his resurrection, he was ready to follow through with the establishment of his church, the church that belongs to him, the church of Christ. 

Thus the church of Christ was established in about the year 33 A.D., on the first Pentecost after his ascension back into heaven. That day, more than 3000 souls were baptized into Christ upon their confession of sin and faith. From then on, the called-out were added to this number daily as they obeyed the gospel and put on Christ in obedient faith (Galatians 3:27). The New Testament is the history of the church of Christ. 

Neither the rise of Catholicism nor the subsequent birth of Protestantism was able to eliminate the presence of churches of Christ, for the Bible holds the seed to make Christians and the pattern for churches to follow. Records show the presence of such groups in Europe throughout the Middle Ages and in America as far back as the eighteenth century. Indeed, no human can lay claim to the establishment of the church that Christ promised to build himself.

Today, there are still thousands of local congregations which claim no other designation, but "of Christ." Such churches are not part of a larger denomination, for denominationalism was never sanctioned by Christ and was opposed by the apostle Paul (First Corinthians 1:10-13). Churches of Christ today stand behind no creed but the New Testament and participate in no form of church government beyond that of local elderships overseeing the church among them (First Peter 5:1-5). 

 

 

Is salvation by faith? 

Is salvation by faith? Yes, yes, a hundred times yes! 

Salvation is by faith, because the Holy Spirit says it is. Ephesians 2:8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that of yourselves, it is the gift of God," Paul writes. Jesus told Nicodemus that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son to die that the faithful might find life eternal (John 3:16). 

That salvation is by faith is beyond question. The controversy arises among men over whether or not salvation is by faith only. You will note that the Holy Spirit did not use the word only in relation to faith in Ephesians 2 and actually coupled it with grace instead of casting it alone. The only passage in all the Bible that employs the famous Calvinistic phrase "faith only" actually argues that justification can not be obtained by means of faith alone (James 2:24). 

Some would suggest that salvation, justification and sanctification are separate ideals and we would take no issue with that. The three principles, however, are intensely interrelated, so that no justified man could be unsaved and no unsaved man could be sanctified. 

Even the passage before us in James 2:14-24  begins with the rhetorical question: "What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can faith save him?". 

The Calvinist would be compelled by his creeds to answer affirmatively despite the obvious negative implication of the context. Faith without works is dead, but the obedience of a man makes his faith complete. 

We do not begin to suggest that salvation can be earned, for it is the gift of God and nothing man could do would put God in his debt or even pay back the debt of the cross. Yet the Holy Spirit has seen fit to distinguish between the man whose faith is nothing more than a mental assent to a series of facts and the man whose faith is defined by trust and obedience. "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves" (James 1:22). 

Jesus himself distinguished between those religious sounding and looking folks who diminished their piety with works of lawlessness and the omission of true obedience. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). 

The attachment of certain conditions to salvation like faith, confession and discipleship do not nullify the fact that God's grace is a gift, for we admit that his blessing can never be earned and offers no justification for boasting. Salvation is by faith, but no Bible writer ever claimed it was by faith alone. Jesus himself denied that untruth and recommended the effectiveness of faith,  working through love (Galatians 5:6). 

 

 

What is truth? 

When asked by Pilate if he was a king, Jesus replied, "'You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.' 

"Pilate said to him, 'What is truth?'". 

It was the great philosophical question of the time and since it is the truth that makes men free, the curiosity about truth is no less important today. What is truth? 

Simply, Truth is the redeeming revelation of Almighty God found on the pages of the 66 books in what we call The Bible. From Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, Jehovah weaves a record of humanity's rise, fall and resurrection. The tree of eternal life, lost in Eden, is regained through Christ in Heaven. Truth is the good news that hope exists, but that it exists not in worldly goods and big bank accounts, but in a humble savior who died for our redemption. 

Truth is pure, but men unwittingly corrupt it by trying to clarify it or amend it. Creeds and catechisms have been written for centuries and the net effect has been a gradual drifting away from truth. While all scripture is inspired of God and all who speak on his behalf should speak only as the oracles of God reveal, many have sought to go beyond the limits of truth to appease their own ambitions and opinions. When we burn all the creeds and go back to the bible, we will find unpolluted, unadulterated truth, the mind of God himself. 

Truth has no contradictions. The catechisms contradict the New Testament. So does the book of Mormon and the imaginations of the Watchtower Society. Truth does not deny the person of Christ. Islam, Buddhism and Confucianism do.   

The Bible contains two major divisions, an Old Testament and a New Testament. Both are truth. The Old Testament points to the coming of Christ by means of prophecy and a temporary law of Moses that showed sinful men their need for grace. The New Testament is the perfect law of liberty that lays out the gospel plan of salvation and issues an edict of righteous living and hope for all who submit to it. Truth foresees the return of Christ and a judgment of all mankind. 

Can you handle the truth? 

 

 

 

Where's the organ, piano or band? 

Some are surprised to visit the worship services of a church of Christ and discover that the building lacks a piano, bandstand, drum set and string section. "Where's the organ?" many ask. 

The organ is there; it is just hard to see and its sound is not what you might expect. 

When Christians make a decision to do all things in the name of the Lord (Colossians 3:17), that is, by his authority, they are led in certain directions and prevented from going in others. Peter said, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (First Peter 4:11). Because Jesus has all authority over the church and the New Testament contains all truth for it, we are compelled to do all that it orders and to avoid all that it does not. 

Musical worship is an important part of the New Testament pattern for the church of Jesus Christ. Despite the fact that instruments of music like the harp and flute were prominent in temple worship under the Old Testament, they are not mentioned in any context dealing with praise for Christ under his New Testament. 

Mechanical music is not alone in this regard. Animal sacrifice and incense burning were also facets of temple worship which were not renewed for the church. No matter how much a worshiper may desire any of these three activities, without scriptural approval in the New Testament, such could only be a sin of presumption (cf. Lev. 10:1-3).

The worship pattern for the church was developed by the Holy Spirit. No one can claim to be led by the Spirit who follows a different path than the one he revealed (John 14:26). 

He says: "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord..." (Ephesians 5:18-19). 

Did you see the organ contained there for New Testament worship? It is not one with pipes and pedals, but one that can submit to truth and express emotion. The heart of the worshiper is the only organ authorized in musical worship today. With it, we can form meaningful sounds and worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). 

 

 

When will the kingdom come? 

The question was on the apostles' minds on the day of Ascension. They asked Jesus, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" 

They wanted to know if their narrow hopes of seeing Israel restored to its former glory were about to be realized through a military campaign led by a glorified Messiah. Acts chapter 1 marks the beginning of the end of their shortsighted misunderstanding about the nature of the kingdom. 

The kingdom of Christ was never intended to be a Hebrew state. In order to fulfill the Seed promise to Abraham, blessing would have to redound upon all nations, not just Israel (Gen. 12:3). The Seed was the Messiah (Galatians 3:16) who brought the gospel of grace to sinners of every nation who are willing to fear God and do what is right (Acts 10:34).

Jesus taught his disciples to pray for the kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10) and even promised them that some of his generation would live to see it. "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power" (Mark 9:1) If the kingdom was not established in a reasonably short period of time, Jesus turned out to be a false prophet.

In fact, to the dismay of modern Jews who are still waiting for the first coming of a Messiah whom they missed, the kingdom was established on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles who preached Jesus to his persecutors and proclaimed that Christ was even then at the right hand of God, sitting upon the throne of David. According to Acts 2:29-33, David foresaw the coronation of Christ as his resurrection from the dead and glorious return to heaven. His soul was not left in hades, but arose and blazed the trail by which every man and woman can conquer death and hope for heaven.

The kingdom of God is not a kingdom like this world is accustomed to seeing, but is spiritual in nature, mission and governance. People are conveyed into it when they obey the gospel (Colossians 1:13, Acts 2:38-47). The kingdom of God in this present time is synonymous with the church that Christ established, for its members are heaven's citizenry (Philippians 3:20). The terms kingdom and church are used interchangeably in Matthew 16:13-18 and our Savior is now referred to as King of kings, not crown prince in exile (First Timothy 6:15). The kingdom has come! 

 

 

Do you believe in miracles? 

"Do you believe in miracles?"

That question may bring more nostalgia for Al Michaels's call of the 1980 Olympic hockey team upset of the Soviet Union than for the word of God. That, however points out the problem.

No matter how unlikely that victory was, it was not a miracle. In the word of God, nothing short of supernatural, divine intervention is described as miraculous. Hockey upsets, childbirth, and a full house at an Expos game may be unusual or amazing, but they are not miracles.

The Bible, however, is replete with records of miracles. One cannot be a Christian without believing in miracles, for to doubt the supernatural would be to deny the authenticity both of the Bible and of the Savior. Of miracles, John wrote, "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name" (20:30-31).

Jesus or his apostles healed the sick, spoke in unstudied tongues, read minds, and even raised the dead. The greatest miracle of all was the resurrection of Christ from the tomb after three days. One who rejects the validity of miracles cannot even be a Christian. If there are no miracles, then there was no resurrection, for it was a most supernatural event. If Christ is not risen, the preaching of the Bible is only vain and all men remain in their sins (First Corinthians 15:12-19). Faith becomes empty and futile without miracles.

Do miracles persist even today? Miracles were never intended to be a permanent feature of the New Testament church. Mark describes their purpose as "confirming the word" (16:20), not drawing an audience or pumping in funds. When the New Testament words were all revealed and confirmed, the purpose of miracles was likewise fulfilled and satisfied. Paul looked forward to the time in which we live, when God's law of liberty would be perfected and his prophecy for mankind would be delivered once for all (James 1:25, Jude 3). Then, he says, prophecies, tongues and miraculous insight could cease as the church matured from infancy to adulthood.

Miracles were genuine in the Bible, but have since ceased. 

 

 

Should I tithe or not?

The law of Moses regulated the giving aspect of Hebrew worship with the tithe. A strict ten percent offering of certain animals and produce was mandated, leaving little personal consideration to the worshiper himself. He could obey or disobey, but the amount he was supposed to give was etched in stone.

To many modern preachers and worshipers, this sounds like the perfect system and yet even Old Testament experience shows that humanity can mar it. Malachi wrote, "And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the  lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably" (Malachi. 1:8)?

The Jews imagined a loophole in their worship, by which they could offer to God their refuse and expect his approval. Their hearts were disconnected from their worship and they were simply going through the motions in the least expensive way imaginable (cf. Isaiah. 1:10-20). God was not pleased.

Jesus could have reformed the tithe and instituted it for his new covenant after the cross. Things that were lawful and approved prior to the cross were not necessarily added to the new testament of Jesus Christ. Animal sacrifice was left behind, as was incense burning, the Sabbath and instrumental music in worship. The apostle Paul described this transition as the abolition of "the law of commandments, contained in ordinances" which formerly separated Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:14-22). A parallel passage says the old law was taken out of the way and figuratively nailed to Christ's cross with him (Colossians 2:11-15). If we make an attempt to justify our actions or our worship choices with the law of Moses, we fall from God's grace (Galatians 5:4).

So, while numerous passages regulate the tithe for Israel under the Old Testament, a different and incompatible form of giving is prescribed in the New Testament. The tithe does not fit in the church because God did not put it there.

The practice of the first century church was that each member laid something aside on the first day of the week, forming the treasury of the local congregation, from which it funded its evangelism, edification and benevolence work (First Corinthians 16:1-4, cf. Philippians 4:15-16, Acts 4:32-37).

In regulating this offering, no apostle ever demanded anyone earmark 10 percent of his funds as the mandatory gift. Instead, the saint was commanded to "give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (Second Corinthians 9:7). The purpose in one's heart must also reflect the degree to which God has prospered him (First Corinthians 16:2).

Is that more, less or the same as ten percent? Some still would prefer a number mandated for them, instead of this act of worship being left up to their discretion. Sorry, the new covenant is a law written on the heart and it requires the involvement and development of your own selflessness and  participation. "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully" (Second Corinthians 9:6).

Because it is the first day of the week on which the saints made their offering, it is reasonable to conclude that this was part of their weekly assembly for worship, fellowship and communion (Acts 20:7). For this reason, the collection plate is passed every Sunday and only on Sunday in churches of Christ, so that each church's members can fund the work of God in that place.

The worshiper is set free from the restrictions of the tithe and liberated to purpose in his own heart what he will give. Give liberally and lovingly and remember that everything you contribute is simply returning to God a portion of what he entrusted to you (James 1:17). 

 

 

What happened to Christian holidays?

"My King James Version mentions Easter, but my New King James does not. Have Christian holidays be abolished?"

Not exactly abolished; they never existed biblically to begin with. 

Under the law of Moses, the nation of Israel was to observe a number of feasts and special days as a mandatory part of their worship. God knew how to authorize such holidays and he did so. Since that law was only for Israel and the kingdom of Christ spans the globe, the law of Moses was fulfilled by Jesus at the cross and taken out of the way (Matthew 5:17-20, Ephesians 2, Colossians 2, Acts 10, Hebrews 8:13). Instead, we live under the new covenant today, sometimes called the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25), the law of faith (Romans 3:27), the law of the Spirit (Romans 8:2) or the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

When we read through our New Testaments, we see absolutely no authority for "Christian holidays." The disciples never celebrated Christmas, Easter, St. Patrick's Day or Halloween. In fact, each of these "holidays" was added by the Roman Pope as he attempted to conquer heathen lands by merging their pagan observances into Christianity. Rather than demand that heathen converts cease their idolatrous days, he persuaded them to alter their days into something "Christian." A celebration of the sun became a celebration of the son. Ishtar became Easter. And so on.

Used in the King James Version of Acts 12:4, "Easter" is actually an intentional mistranslation of the word "Passover," which appears in later translations. The Jews in Jerusalem were not hiding Easter eggs and munching chocolate bunnies; they did not even believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They were still marking the passover from Old Testament times.

God proved in the Old Testament that he knew how to authorize religious holidays, but he chose to keep the emphasis on a first day of the week communion with Christ in the New Testament (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 11). We invade his throne when we attempt to impose our holidays upon his faith, fulfilling a sad prophecy in Matthew 15:1-9 and a grave warning in Galatians 4:8-11.

If such days can be observed secularly, without imposing them upon God as religious holidays, they may be rendered harmless, but when inserted on to a church calendar and thrust upon the Lord, they are unauthorized and insulting.

 

 

Is December 25 Christ's birthday? 

Where does the Bible say that December 25 is Christ's birthday?

If it is, God neglected to tell us about it. Although the Bible makes reference to his place of birth, his parentage, and the supernatural occurrences that preceded and followed, it nowhere says anything about the actual date. Even if it did, the Bible does not issue a command to celebrate Christ's birth, once a year or at all.

Judging from the chronology of the birth of his cousin, John the immerser, it becomes more likely that Mary actually conceived Jesus in December and bore him the following year in the early autumn months. The celebration of Christmas is not of apostolic or divine origin, for more than 60 years of Bible history follow in the New Testament after Christ's death and there is no mention anywhere of a celebration of his birth.

Instead, Christmas is another in a long line of observances created by Romanism to assuage the idolaters whom they were trying to convert. Rather than condemn their annual observances of certain false deities outright, the missionaries simply mixed that holiday with something Christian and permitted it to continue. Thus a December day honoring the sun god, Saturn, becomes "Christ Mass," to honor the son instead.

Although it may seem harmless to throw a surprise party for Jesus that he never requested, it ventures into territory that is beyond the authority of God. In principle, Jesus condemned such presumption: "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men'" (Matthew 15:8-9). Christmas is a precept of man which has ended up in the creed books and practices of billions of people, but there is no New Testament command or example to validate it.

The Bible does command us to honor the life of Christ, but not in an annual gift-giving exercise. We are to partake of his body and blood in the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week, to proclaim his death until he returns (First Corinthians 11:23-34). 

 

 

Are there Church of Christ apostles? 

Can you name the apostles of the church of Christ?

It is a question that has befuddled generations of Bible class students, causing them to spend endless hours memorizing names that are both familiar and obscure. But the question begs another: when those original apostles died, did any others take their office?

Luke gives his list in Acts 1:13, consisting of Peter, James, John and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; Jams the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. The careful reader will quickly note that only 11 names are given because Judas Iscariot had committed suicide about a month earlier following his betrayal of Christ. The apostolic company, however, did not begin the church age shorthanded. One of them took note of an ancient prophecy in the book of Psalms: “’Let his dwelling place be desolate, and let no one live in it’ and ‘Let another take his office.’”

Candidates who could testify that the risen Christ was the same Jesus they had seen during his ministry were narrowed to two and Matthias was selected by Christ through casting lots.

More apostles died, however, as the New Testament progressed, but there is no record of any of their offices being refilled. Only that of Iscariot was vacated by disloyalty and before Pentecost and only his was authorized by prophecy to be refilled. Herod killed James with the sword (Acts 12:2) before the gathering of apostles and elders at Jerusalem and yet we do not see the process of apostolic succession there or anywhere.

The filling of Iscariot’s office was done under limited authority for that office in particular and does not establish apostolic succession for any of their offices. The church of Christ is blessed to be built on a foundation of apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20) given by the Lord (Ephesians 4:11), but the New Testament simply does not authorize the process of apostolic succession so popular in Catholicism and Mormonism. Apostles were required to give eyewitness testimony about Christ before and after his death (Acts 1:21-22) and no man since the second century has been so qualified.

 

 

Is the Genesis creation account accurate?

In this age of deified, but oddly atheistic science, can the account of creation reported by Moses in Genesis be perceived as accurate?

The scriptural account proclaims without reservation “In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth.” Over a period of six days, Jehovah is credited with speaking light and life into existence through his own miraculous power. On the sixth day, it is stated that God created both animals and human beings, a grouping which would include our most ancient ancestors and the dinosaurs that once wore the bones that are regularly found in west Texas and on every continent. Yet modern science, which is supposed to be based on observation, hypothesizes forcefully that man and dinosaur never coexisted and that the Earth is billions of years older than it could possibly be through the most liberal computation of Bible dating.

Most religious people in America have bent their understanding of the Bible to obey the edicts of scientists, even though the scientific estimate of the Earth’s age is constantly evolving. The children of Christians are regularly taught that the Earth is billions of years old and that man and dinosaur lived millions of years apart. The creation account of Genesis 1 is considered “flat Earth” dogma in our schools, in spite of the fact that a belief in atheistic evolution requires at least as much “faith” as believing in creation. Faith in man, that is.

If Genesis conflicts with the assumptions of science, which should prevail? Many brethren suggest reinterpreting the scripture so that it bends to scientific estimates. The six day creation week is padded with million year nights or the days themselves are reconstituted as eras. Some cry that such a process commits no foul, but at the very least, it suggests a surrender of Truth to the world.

Miracles themselves are rejected by science and yet one cannot be a Christian without believing in them (First Corinthians 15:12-13, John 20:30-31). If God could create Adam with the appearance of an adult on his birthday, could he not mold the Earth the same way, giving it an appearance of advanced age so that it would function for its inhabitants immediately?

Those of firm faith will never reject the foundation of God’s relationship with mankind just to make nice with the world.

 

 

What is faith?

It is an abstract term that seems to defy easy definition. Many ask, “What is faith?”

The Bible actually answers this important query very succinctly in Hebrews 11:1-2: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Christian faith is a confidence in God that his promises are reliable and his testimony is true. Without actually seeing God himself, we recognize him through the deeds of providence, his fingerprints on creation and his witness through the inspired word.

John began to close his account of Christ’s life by suggesting that the record of the Lord’s miracles is evidence enough to believe in him (John 20:30-31). He was commenting upon the Lord’s gentle rebuke of “doubting” Thomas: “Blessed are those have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Those miraculous works of Christ ceased with the death of the last apostle, but the providential care of God never ends. In our lives, we can see and sense the concern of God as he answers prayer and gives blessing.

Even many secular scientists are coming to the conclusion that the universe shows evidence of design. That is because the fingerprints of a creator are all over the world. To believe that the solar system and the human body are mere cosmic accidents would require an immensely ungodly faith in statistical absurdities. Paul warned, “For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). It is the fool who has no faith and says there is no God when the world around him shouts that there is (Psalm 14:1). Indeed, the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1).

Moreover, the preservation of the Bible testifies to the sovereignty of Almighty God. Although its ink was supplied by dozens of writers over many centuries, the Bible is without contradiction and its prophecies are without fail. It is a message that testifies to its own inspiration and divine plan. Bible faith is confident in God’s will without doubting (James 2). 

 

 

Is the resurrection real? 

We live in a world that has deified science to the point that even certain hypotheses cannot be questioned without a charge of heresy being leveled. Certainly, the miracles of the Bible and the Genesis creation account defy scientific approval, but the issue of resurrection is at least as difficult. Modernists even among theologians are suggesting that this doctrine is impossible and unnecessary. Is the resurrection real?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ soon after his death and the eventual resurrection to judgment of all mankind is a central tenet of Christianity. It cannot be abandoned without destroying the faith.

First, the prophet Jesus predicted his resurrection: “I lay down my life that I may take it again … I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again” (John 10:17-18). Speaking of the temple of his body, Jesus challenged the Jews: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19-21). If his resurrection did not occur, Jesus is a false prophet and deserving of no adoration or audience (Deuteronomy 18:22).

Second, the king Jesus only sits upon the throne of David by virtue of a bodily resurrection and ascension into Heaven. The establishment of his kingdom, the church, was predicated upon his breaking through the prison bars of Hades (Matthew 16:16). Peter testified after seeing the risen Christ that death could not hold him in its power (Acts 2:24), but that God raised him from the tomb before his flesh suffered decay (Acts 2:31-33). If Jesus rotted in the cave of Joseph, he is not our king as the Bible states (First Timothy 6:15).

Third, the high priest Jesus mediates for us in Heaven because he is worthy, having lived a perfect life, died an atoning sacrifice and been raised to enter the holy place which is God’s throne room (Hebrews 9:11-15, 10:10-13). There he is our advocate with the Father (First John 2:1), ever living to make intercession for his brethren (Hebrews 7:25).

Belief in our future resurrection is also integral to our faith. If Christ is not raised, our faith is vain, preaching is useless and the dead are all doomed. “If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied” (First Corinthians 15:12-19). 

 

 

Why are there no women preachers? 

Because it seems like a vestige from a time before the nineteenth amendment to the Constitution, some wonder about the churches of Christ, “Why are there no women preachers?”

It is not because women are untalented, second-class Christians, or because the men have consistently voted them down. It is not because we are simply slow in catching up with societal trends, Juanita Bynum and Marilyn Hickey. I would suggest that you will never see a woman preacher in a church of Christ, and that if you do, the church is no longer Christ’s.

Although the New Testament takes note of female prophets (Acts 21:9) and many honorable women who served the kingdom in various ways (Romans 16:1, Philippians 4:2-3), it offers no precedent for female preachers. The roster of New Testament preachers is entirely male (e.g., Timothy, Titus, Epaphras, Barnabas, Philip, etc.).

Just as importantly, the New Testament explicitly forbids women from taking spiritual authority over men or teaching over them. “”Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence” (First Timothy 2:11-12). Paul then offers God’s reasoning, but never retreats from his stance that women must not take on the role of preacher, lest they usurp the role of both man and God (First Corinthians 11:3).

A similar passage in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 says, “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive as the law also says … for it is shameful for women to speak in church.” Women who have cultivated a meek and quiet spirit will respect the authority of God to create her role; such women will also excel in that role and do magnificent things in the kingdom. She will teach children (Second Timothy 1:5), other women (Titus 2:4) and serve the congregation and other ministers (First Corinthians 16:19). Like Priscilla, she will share the gospel with everyone and like Dorcas, she will be appreciated and beloved. 

 

 

What about abortion, euthanasia and capital punishment? 

Matters of life and death are always important and even controversial in our nation, so what does the Bible say about abortion, euthanasia and capital punishment?

To define our terms: Abortion is the intentional disruption of the development of an unborn human being, resulting in a termination of life. Euthanasia is the intentional termination of life, often of the elderly or seriously infirm, so as to prevent further suffering. Capital punishment is the intentional termination of life, as decreed by a governing authority, for one convicted of a serious criminal offense, such as murder or treason.

In all three situations, the end result is the termination of life, less politely known as death. In abortion, a completely innocent unborn child is prevented the opportunity to live and pursue liberty and happiness. In euthanasia, a person becomes guilty of the sin of suicide or a victim of the sin of murder. In capital punishment, a person duly convicted of a crime is denied life according to lawful judgment. In all of scripture, God only approves of one of these scenarios, and it is capital punishment.

God recognizes life in the womb (Psalm 139:13-16) and protects the vulnerable ones (Exodus 21:22). Suicidal euthanasia, while committed many times in scripture, is playing God by taking time in one’s own hands. Practiced by Saul, Iscariot and others, suicide is the murder of self. Practiced by accomplices, it is homicide. Capital punishment, however, is approved of God for serious crimes in both testaments (Exodus 21:23, Romans 13:1-7). In this last dispensation, God has entrusted that delegated authority to governing authorities, which do not bear the sword in vain.

Is it inconsistent to favor capital punishment, but not abortion rights? Hardly. God allows for the execution of the guilty but judges the execution of innocent to be an act of great injustice. 

 

 

Do you believe in the Old Testament?

Part of rightly dividing the Bible is recognizing the distinction made between the old and new testaments. Because the Old Testament has been taken out of the way as a source of authority, many ask, “Do you believe in the Old Testament?”

Every word of God is both inspired and useful to his children: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (Second Timothy 3:16-17). Without an appreciation and knowledge of the Old Testament, any child of God is incompletely prepared to prove the will of Christ. The law that Moses gave was inscribed in stone by the finger of God and the prophecies came as “holy men from God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (Second Peter 1:21).

The mission of Christ, however, was to fulfill the Law and Prophets (Matthew 5:17) and to replace the Old Testament system because it lacked a component of grace that would redeem sinners from death (Hebrews 9:11-22). He accomplished this feat of atonement on the cross and the old covenant became obsolete as a pattern of authority (Hebrews 8:13). The “law of commandments contained in ordinances” was abolished (Ephesians 2:15) by being nailed to the cross with Jesus (Colossians 2:14). The law was changed (Hebrews 7:12) so that all men could become a party to the new covenant of mercy.

If the Old Testament is no longer in effect, this means that the 10 commandments have also been done away with (Second Corinthians 3:7-18). Nine of them, though, were renewed as part of the New Testament; only the Sabbath was not (Acts 20:7).

What value, then, is the Old Testament? It still contains timeless wisdom that will guide our choices and steady reminders of the goodness and severity of God. “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning” (Romans 15:4, cf. 1 Corinthians 10:1-13).

 

 

Should I call my preacher “Reverend”?

You might have noticed that preachers in churches of Christ are a little touchy about someone calling them “Reverend.” Why not call the preacher by the title, “Reverend” or “Father”?

The fact of the matter is that he does not deserve either title, nor does any religious minister who currently accepts it. The word, “Reverend,” is used only once in the entire Bible and is applied there to Jehovah God, not any man. Psalm 111:9 says, “Holy and reverend is His name.” “Reverend” conveys the idea of a sacred character (Vine) and is only applied in scripture to the name of God, which men are forbidden to use in vain (Exodus 20:7, Matthew 5:33-37). While ministers should partake of the divine nature and exhibit holy character, it goes too far to elevate their names to the level of Jehovah’s.

Billions of people refer to their religious leaders as “Father.” As a biological or metaphorical description, “father” is certainly harmless. Boanerges was the father of James and John and Paul was a father in the faith to Timothy in that he raised him up in the gospel. Neither of these examples, however causes the word “father” to become a clergy title such as is popular today.

In fact, the practice of making a clery/laity distinction through special vestments, titles and privileges is openly condemned in Scripture. In Matthew 23, Jesus spoke out against the hypocrisy of the clergy of his day, the Pharisees and scribes, who arrogantly sat in Moses’ seat. They exaggerated their authority by enlarging the borders of their garments and by demanding special greetings from others. Jesus outlawed this practice in his kingdom: “But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on Earth your father, for one is your father, He who is in heaven” (8-9).

We reject all clerical titles based on this kingdom principle, intended to prevent pride among those who would minister to others.

 

 

What is the difference between a pastor and a preacher?

When I said, “Good morning, Pastor,” to the speaker this morning, he told me that he was a preacher, not a pastor. What’s the difference?

In the New Testament, the work of “pastoring” deals more with the oversight of a local congregation, whereas “preaching” is the work of proclaiming the gospel. There is a distinction between the “offices” and their functions, and relatively few men serve in both of them simultaneously.

The word “pastor” is used only in Ephesians 4:11 and is a rather poor translation from the Greek than a much simpler word, “shepherd.” In that passage, it is used as a noun, but the same root is used as a verb in Acts 20 and it is there that we truly discover the identity of the pastors.

In Acts 20:17, Paul summoned the elders of the church in Ephesus to visit him and he commanded them to “shepherd the church of God” where they were its overseers (verse 20). Pastoring, then, is a work given to the elders of the congregation, not its preacher. These older and wiser men are chosen to feed the flock and tend to each sheep as precious in God’s sight.

The qualifications to serve as an elder are revealed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and it is vitally important that every congregation seek to appoint a plurality of them as soon worthy men who desire the office can be identified.

Timothy, on the other hand, was a younger man as he interacted with the apostle and is never referred to as a pastor. Likewise, Titus is enlisted to appoint elders on Crete, but is not referred to as a pastor.

In fact, five New Testament words have reference to this same office. They are bishop (Titus 1:5,7), elder, overseer, presbyter (First Timothy 4:14) and pastor (Acts 20:17,28). The words all derive from three Greek terms and are used interchangeably by inspired writers to emphasize certain aspects of their work. Ephesians 4:11 shows them to be distinct from other offices in the church.

 

 

Protestant, Catholic or Jew?

Years ago, it was a common question at hospitals and military induction centers – “Protestant, Catholic or Jew?”

Would you believe the best answer is “None of the above”? To most, that would either imply atheism or some less common religion in America like Islam, Buddhism or New Age-ism. There is another option, however, that is not mentioned in any of these many options. “Christian.”

Of Protestant, Catholic and Jew, only the last is an option advanced at all in scripture and its physical element does nothing to preclude a Jew from being also a Protestant, Catholic, Christian or whatever. If it is merely a matter of being a Jew inwardly and metaphorically, circumcised in the heart, we would raise no objection (Romans 2:25-29). The Jewish religion today continues to reject Jesus as the Christ, however.

A Protestant is properly one whose faith is founded on the principles of the Reformation, which include biblical inerrancy, justification by faith alone and the universal priesthood of believers. Protestants tend to adhere to the theologies of Calvin, Luther or Zwingli; their “protest” is against the Roman Catholic Church. If it were instead a protest against all unscriptural innovations (Matthew 15:1-9), we would raise no objection to it, but instead, Protestantism has only created a new form of the system it was built to oppose. Witness their clergy, holidays and creeds.

Roman Catholics serve the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope John Paul II and contend that tradition is just as authoritative as scripture. Their system of salvation tends more to works, icons and indulgences. The word “catholic” literally means “universal” and we make no objection to the existence of a universal church of Christ (Matthew 16:16, Ephesians 1:22-23). We choose not to be “Roman Catholic,” however, because of the abandonment of scripture as sole authority (Matthew 28:18-20) and the host of practices that have developed as a result.

Christian seems the best choice, since it was the Holy Spirit’s (Acts 11:26, 26:28, 1 Peter 4:16). 

 

 

Why do the righteous suffer?

Why do the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper?

The question is an exaggerated generalization, for many righteous people prosper while many wicked also suffer. Still, the question presumes that good people should live the life of the rich man while wicked people should live on Earth as Lazarus did. Yet, especially in their experiences, those prospects were exactly reversed. The rich man fared sumptuously each day as Lazarus begged at his gate. When death called for both, justice was sorted out and their roles were exchanged. Suddenly, we find Lazarus in the paradise of Abraham’s bosom while the rich man enters into torment (Luke 16:19-31).

The more you look at the question, the less relevant it seems, because both prosperity and poverty on Earth are so temporal and fleeting. God’s eternal justice in the last day promises that the truly righteous in Christ will be rewarded forever and those who did not know him or did not obey the gospel will face fiery retribution (Second Thessalonians 1:1-10). Peter, James and Paul all warn that righteous people will suffer persecution, threats and the same temptations and hardships common to all men (First Peter 3:13-17, James 1:2-3, 2 Timothy 3:12).

In reality, the question itself betrays a lingering carnality in the curious, a discontentment with eternal promise and an inordinate emphasis upon this shallow life (Romans 8:5-11). The overwhelming weight of future glory eclipses every trifle in tragedy man faces today.

All this is not to belittle the suffering that righteous men endure. God, however, is not the author of misery (James 1:16-17). Satan, with the cooperation of Adam and his offspring have corrupted the Earth so that disease, pain and disappointment are incurable maladies. The righteous suffer for the same reason that the wicked suffer. Sin. And rejecting God because he does not treat us like puppets or transform Earth into Eden II is the surest way to assign oneself to an eternity of wondering why suffering is so pervasive. The answer to such wretchedness is in Christ and in time.

 

 

When is Jesus coming back?

For those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, there is no sweeter thought than being reunited with him. In every generation, millions wonder, “When is Jesus coming back?”

At his ascension, “two men stood by [the disciples] and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:10-11).

Yes, but when?! The question resonated throughout the New Testament. The church at Thessalonica become so convinced that Christ’s return --  his parousia – was imminent that they forsook the elements of daily life simply to wait. And they waited and waited while less impulsive brethren felt compelled to feed and provide for them. Finally, the apostle Paul wrote and disabused them of the notion that Christ’s return was definitely imminent. As Jesus predicted, his second coming would be “as a thief in the night” (First Thessalonians 5:2), without the kind of warning events that preceded the fall of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:1-35).

In a second epistle, Paul confessed that the Lord Jesus would be revealed from heaven on the Day of Judgment (1:3-10), but only after “the man of sin is revealed” (2:3-4). The day of Christ had not yet come (2:2); therefore, those idle, hopeful saints needed to get back to work (3:6-15).

When Jesus commented on his eventual return, he contrasted its circumstances with those of the fall of Jerusalem. In the case of his return, there would be no signs, for “of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my father only” (Matthew 24:36). The wars and rumors of wars and other signs all occurred in the seventh decade of the first century and pointed to the coming Roman desolation of Jerusalem. They have nothing to do with the second coming.

While Scripture sets no date and offers no signs, certain things did have to occur before the second coming even became possible. Essentially, the prophets foresaw a great widespread apostasy, evidenced by a man of sin who is served as if he were God and the presence of antichrist teaching in the church (First John 2:18-19). Such apostasy is clearly in the world already and antichrist teaching is present likewise.

We sometimes sing, “Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon” but in reality we have no indication at all that he is coming soon. The Watchtower folks and other Premillennial thinkers have pretty much given up on trying to set the date after so many notable failures. Their predecessors were off in 1874, the Watchtower missed out on 1914 and dozens of preachers were disappointed by Y2K.

We simply cannot know when Jesus will return. The result is that we must always be prepared to meet him in the clouds (Matthew 25, 2 Corinthians 5:9-11).

 

 

Should I still remember the Sabbath?

Exodus 20:8-10 reads: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work.” The Sabbath was an important part of the old law and one that first century Jews clung to sentimentally and avidly. Some today continue to ask, “Should I still remember the Sabbath?”

First, the Sabbath was an integral part, but only a part, of a larger code of law, the Law of Moses. That code was given solely to the nation of Israel and her proselytes in the pre-Christian covenant, which they failed to keep (Exodus 31:13-17). It was a perpetual covenant, but only with one nation and only so long as it remained in force (Exodus 31:16-17). The Aaronic priesthood was also to be perpetual, but was terminated in favor of the Christian priesthood when the covenant was fulfilled (Exodus 40:15, Hebrews 7:11-13, 1 Peter 2:9-10).

After Israel’s failure, the entire covenant, including those 10 commandments that were engraved on stones, lost its glory (Second Corinthians 3:7-11) and was abolished at the cross of Christ (Ephesians 2:14-15, Colossians 2:13-14). The obsolescence of the old law, including the Hebrews’ Sabbath observance, became clearer in the decades that followed the cross, as converts were made from Gentile families (Hebrews 8:13). The Sabbath of the old law was never enjoined upon them. Paul wrote, “So let no one judge you in food or drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16).

Modern Sabbatarians keep the Sabbath in name only; that is, they worship on Saturdays, but they do not obey the tenets of the Sabbath from the Law of Moses. For example, in Numbers 28:1-10, God enjoined animal sacrifice upon Israel as part of her Sabbath observance. All work on the Sabbath was strictly forbidden and those who did work were to be stoned to death (Exodus 35:13, Numbers 15:32-36). Modern Sabbatarians only worship on Saturdays; they do not make animal sacrifices or stone offenders and therefore, they do not literally keep the Sabbath at all.

Nine of the 10 commandments are reissued as part of the New Testament; only the Sabbath is not. Instead, the first day of the week is set aside as a day of worship because it was the day on which Jesus rose from the dead (Matthew 28, Acts 20). It is not the Christian Sabbath, but the Lord’s Day and it is from God.

 

 

What is the purpose of baptism?

Ask this question and the world will give you conflicting answers: What is the purpose of baptism?

Some say it is an outward sign of an inwardly felt grace while others contend it is just a symbolic church ritual in which parents dedicate their babies to God. The problem with such responses is that they lack any scriptural foundation. No Scripture relegates baptism to mere ritual. Furthermore, there is no evidence that babies were ever sprinkled, poured or immersed into an unwitting, unwilling relationship with God.

Let the Scriptures speak for themselves: What is the purpose of baptism?

• To make one a disciple: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
• To seek salvation: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).
• To gain forgiveness of sins: “Repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38).
• To call for cleansing: “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16).
• To be united with Christ: “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3).
• To put on Christ: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27).
• To save us: “There is also an antitype which now saves us – baptism” (First Peter 3:21).

When the creeds and prejudices that result are stripped away, it becomes clear what the Bible answers on the purpose of water baptism.

 

 

What do you do for young people?

It is a question frequently asked on the telephone. Someone calls the meetinghouse and begs, “What do you do for the young people? What kind of programs do you offer them, etc.?”

Personally, I feed, love, teach and chasten two young people -- my children. But if you have in mind what the church here does for young people, we must first wonder what the church is supposed to do for them, especially if that is something different than it does for other people.

The mission of the church is to evangelize the lost, to build up those are already safe in Christ, and to gather and distribute benevolent funds for needy members. We know this because we recognize the first century church as a model for our imitation, and those churches were either commanded to do such things, or provide an example or implication of them. The early church spread the gospel (Philippians 4:14-20), edified the saved (Hebrews 10:24-25), and shared with one another (Acts 4:32-35). 

What, specifically, did the early church do differently for the young people? One would be hard-pressed to identify anything. Today, churches lure young people in by promising them dodgeball and video games in place of “boring” Bible classes and church-sponsored weenie roasts and amusement park excursions to break the monotony or sweeten the pot. Some churches sponsor Boy Scout troops and do practically anything to entice them inside the building. What do we do for young people?

We provide them with a stable, safe place in which to learn about the gospel, without introducing the distractions of the world around them into this haven of faith. Bible classes are provided twice each week, in which capable, caring teachers will guide them, year-by-year, to prepare themselves to relate to God. These classes supplement the training they ought to be receiving at home (Ephesians 6:1-4). Because the Bible pattern indicates nothing about church-sponsored recreation and entertainment, either as enticements or excursions from the mundane, we do not either. Moreover, they are always in the midst of our worship. Yet truly, young people find wholesome social interaction outside the promotion of the church, as it is supposed to be (First Corinthians 11:33-34, 1 Timothy 4:8).

 

 

Can I be saved with all my sins?

I believe in Jesus and I understand what I must do to be saved, but I have sinned so much in my life. Can I be saved with all my sins?

It is humbling and sometimes discouraging to consider one’s record of sin, especially in light of the goodness of God and his hope for us. The Law of Moses was designed, in part, to alert soft-hearted people to the problem of sin (Romans 7:7) and the teaching of the New Testament has an even greater ability to prick the consciences of men who yearn for mercy (Acts 2:36-37). 

Sometimes, however, a person has lived such a sin-filled life that he  imagines himself somehow beyond the scope of God’s grace. Perhaps sins such as fornication, alcoholism, drug abuse, profanity, murder and more seem to be so heinous as to warrant permanent divine abandonment in this life. Thankfully, that is not the case at all. God’s grace is always bigger than your sin and if you are willing to trade iniquity for truth, even you can be saved.

An early disciple formerly known as Saul of Tarsus illustrates the awesome power of  God’s mercy. He was approached by Christ, converted to belief and even made the most prolific writer of New Testament Scripture after persecuting the church and standing by at the martyrdom of Stephen. The apostle we know as Paul wrote, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (First Timothy 1:15).

So maybe you feel like your sins have promoted you to chief or that either God or the church won’t accept you even if you do repent. Think again. The congregation in Corinth numbered among its members those who had reformed from fornication, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, theft and drunkenness (First Corinthians 6:9-11). They were washed, sanctified and justified because the message of God’s mercy was powerful enough even for them.

No matter the infamy of your transgression, God’s grace is big enough to take it away, if you are willing to let go of it and put your faith in him. Sometimes all this is just an excuse for staying in sin and doing nothing. Well, you can’t be saved with your sins if you intend on keeping them close by. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the say of salvation.”