Are there degrees of punishment in hell and degrees of reward in heaven? Yes. The Bible implies varying levels of punishment for the condemned. The “last state” of apostate Christians would be “worse” than it would have been should they had never been converted to begin with (2 Pet. 2:20-22; cf. 1 Pet. 4:17). Certain Galilean communities… Read More Bible Q&A: Are There Degrees of Punishment and Reward in Eternity?
When we turn to His Word and obey it, His light illuminates our lives, no matter how darkened by sin they may be (Psalm 119:105). It’s tragic that many refuse this Light because they refuse to obey God’s Word. Don’t be one of them! Accept what His Word says about receiving the salvation He offers through His grace and our confessed faith, repentance and baptism into His body which is His one and only church (Titus 2:11-12; Romans 10:9-10; John 3:16; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 4:4-6). Once you’ve come up out of the waters of baptism having obtained His gift of grace, keep it by continuing to obey His Word, penitently confessing your sins when you commit them (John 8:31-32; Hebrews 10:26-31; 1 John 1:7-9; 2 Corinthians 7:9-11).… Read More “I Am the Light of the World”
Forbearance is the putting up with the wrongs of another for a season with a view toward repentance. The person we forebear is not what he or she should be yet, but we forebear with a view toward their maturing. Forgiveness is releasing a person from their sin.… Read More “Should You Not Have Had Mercy?”
What is the “shadow of death” in Psalm 23? You read of “the valley of the shadow of death” in Psalm 23:4. Picture in your mind a dangerous valley. This valley might have a lot of trees in it, heavily forested. At night time predators could lie in wait in the shadows of these trees… Read More Bible Q&A: What is the “Shadow of Death” in Psalm 23?
Romans 5:7 says, “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die.” Is there a difference between “good” and “righteous”? “Righteous” in Romans 5:7 comes from the Greek term dikaios. By contrast, “good” in Romans 5:7 comes from the Greek term agathos. There are… Read More Bible Q&A: Is There A Difference Between “Good” and “Righteous”?
Does the Bible teach “Once Saved, Always Saved”? “Once Saved, Always Saved,” or as it’s more formally known in Calvinism as “Perseverance of the Saints,” is the idea that Christians could commit any sin from idolatry to murder and their souls would be fine (as said by Baptist preacher Sam Morris.) The Bible says something… Read More Bible Q&A: Does the Bible Teach “Once Saved, Always Saved”?
Christians are commanded in the Bible to not conform to the world (Romans 12:2a), but the temptation to do just that is very strong. The power of influence is something which cannot be overlooked. We are influenced by those around us every day in numerous ways. The clothes we wear, the way we comb our hair, the cars we drive, the food we eat…these choices and more are made by us as a result of the influence of the society around us. … Read More When You Want to Have It Both Ways
Is one sin more grievous to God than another? Is adultery, homosexuality, or murder worse than lying, stealing, or gossiping? Is there an unforgivable sin? Generally speaking, the Bible does speak of sins being greater than others. For example, in John 19:11 Jesus told Pilate that Caiaphas’s sin of delivering him over to Pilate was… Read More Bible Q&A: Are There Different Rankings of Sin?
