Quick Answer: How do I say “no” to sin? We believers say “no” to sin by recognizing sinful thoughts do not come from us and that sin has no power over us (Romans 6:11-12). When sinful thoughts or temptations come our way, we can make the conscious decision to count ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. In this way, we express our genuine self (the new self) and we express Jesus at the same time. Diving Deeper: Saying “no”... Read more
Quick Answer: What does “take every thought captive” mean? There are many false teachings that go against the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24). In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, we’re told to combat these false teachings by taking every thought captive. We’re invited to make every thought obedient to Christ. This means we make the conscious decision to reject lies and embrace the truth of God’s grace. This keeps the finished work of Christ in focus in our attitudes and belief systems. Diving... Read more
Quick Answer: “Are you in God’s will? Are you making sure to stay in God’s will? You don’t want to fall out of God’s will!” It’s this sort of teaching that can really paralyze a person. What is God’s will for your life? Scripture actually tells us! God’s will is that we give thanks, talk to our Heavenly Father, and bear the fruit of the Spirit. In short, God’s will is knowing and expressing Jesus. And there’s no falling in and... Read more
Quick Answer: How can you hear from God? While some claim to hear audibly from God, the New Testament never says we’ll hear from Him in this way. Instead, it encourages us that we are in union with Christ and can walk by faith in Him (1 Corinthians 6:17; Galatians 2:20). God’s Spirit communicates with us through the new, obedient heart and new spirit He has given us (2 Peter 1:3-4; Hebrews 8:8-12; John 4:24). Diving Deeper: In the Old Testament,... Read more
Quick Answer: What does it mean to continue or endure? What if we don’t continue in the faith? Will we lose our salvation? Passages that speak of the need to “continue” or “hold fast” are addressed to those who are not yet saved and still need to continue hearing and believing until they take in the whole message of the Gospel. At some point, if they do continue, each will be born again. Once saved, we can do nothing to maintain... Read more
Quick Answer: Why does James 2 say we’re justified by works? While many believe James 2 teaches salvation by doing good works, this is not what the passage means. James is actually saying we’re saved by a living faith that involves the one-time decision to open the door of our lives to Jesus Christ (just like Rahab opened the door for the spies) and to offer ourselves to God (just like Abraham offered Isaac). This “living faith” that saves is... Read more
Quick Answer: Does a person need to be water baptized to be saved? What exactly is the purpose of baptism? While some teach that water baptism is necessary for salvation, Scripture makes the opposite claim – that it is not water baptism but spiritual baptism into the resurrection of Christ that actually saves (1 Peter 3:23). Furthermore, the Apostle Paul states that Christ did not send him to baptize but to preach the Gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17) – an odd statement... Read more
Quick Answer: If Jesus died for everyone, is everyone saved? Scripture is clear that those who reject the Gospel (unbelievers) are not saved and remain unforgiven and unrighteous in God’s eyes. Diving Deeper: The idea that the whole world is saved (universal salvation) is popular today, but Scripture does not support it. Below are a few examples from the Bible where we see that a certain group (unbelievers) will perish, be punished, or never experience life with God. 2 Corinthians 2:15-16... Read more
Quick Answer: How do you become a Christian? The word “Christian” was first used in Acts 11:26, and it refers to people who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for forgiveness and eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:1; Romans 10:13). We become Christians by believing the same message about Jesus Christ and receiving Him into our lives. Diving Deeper: The word “Christian” has been hijacked, so the term means different things to different people.... Read more
Quick Answer: Why did Jesus Christ have to die? To understand why Christ died, we don’t need to look further than the Law which states, “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). Jesus’ death was required for our forgiveness, and His death brought perfect forgiveness to all who believe (Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 10:14). Diving Deeper: The precise meaning of Christ’s death has been debated for over 2,000 years. What exactly did Christ accomplish, and how did... Read more
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