As soon as we believe in Christ, we are no longer the same. In fact, we cannot encounter Christ and continue to remain as we were, for both the entire world looks different to us, and we have an entirely different relationship to it. Therefore,
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9 The above two verses of Scripture make it crystal clear that our faith in Christ
What does it mean to believe? “Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” I always took issue with the position that believing in Jesus, accepting him as your personal savior, which I assume means acknowledging that he is who he says
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. — John 3:16 This is still the best of all the Christian credos ever written. It cuts away customs and
In the gospel of John there is a shift, as I see it, from how the word belief is understood and used as compared with the synoptic gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke. These two contrasting uses of the word belief are: 1) Belief in
I have noticed that many people who are Christians seem preoccupied with making sure that everyone knows. You know what I’m talking about: “Christian” music; “Christian” schools, “Christian” bookstores, and the like. The person who, upon first meeting, emphatically states, “I am a Christian” as
Inclusivity and religion, in this day and age, are often diametrically opposed ideas. Creeds and belief systems of every sort and type compete for the souls of humankind, and often the competition results in building high fences and excluding those of other creeds. It’s almost
Religion. Why do we even bother? So much evil has been perpetrated in the name of religion. Humans have an amazing capability of ascribing to God all their worst impulses. In the Middle East, peace is just a dream as Palestinians and Jews alike use
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” -John 6:37 The Taliban took the Muslim religion and twisted it into its own projection of God’s justice. They took their own
Paranoia. That’s the first thing that struck me when I got my registration letter from Focus on the Family for Love Won Out — their “dynamic one-day conference… promoting the truth that homosexuality is preventable and treatable.” The letter informed me that “for security purposes”