What Is Love?
Philosophers have written tomes on the reasons for love. Poets have filled manuscripts with the imagery and emotions of love. Musicians have sung songs about the joys and pains of love. But all have really been asking the same big question—“What is love?” Love cannot be defined as a culmination of feelings and emotions. Love cannot be defined as situations, events, or outcomes in life. Love cannot be defined as the perceptions and actions of other people. Love cannot be defined as itself (i.e. “love is love”). Love can only be defined by God. In fact, love can only be defined through God, because God is love (1 John 4:8).
WHAT IS APOLOGETICS: AN INTRODUCTION TO APOLOGETIC METHODOLOGY
The word apologetics is derived from the Greek ἀπολογία (apologia), meaning “to give a reasoned defense.” We see the concept of apologetics in 1 Peter 3:15.
“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”
Law, Law What Is It Good For?
We can better understand Paul as saying that the Law tells us what is right before God, but it is grace alone that makes us right before God. The Law teaches us what we need to do, while grace gives us the power to do it. Now let us arrive at the pivotal verse of Romans 6:14, where we see the whole verse saying, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
When God Isn’t Good…
If you were to listen to the way some Christians speak about God, you’d have to wonder if He really were good all the time. Perhaps you have heard someone say, “God has been good to me today!” When someone says that (most likely out of ignorance) it begs the question — when hasn’t God been good? Does God have some quota of goodness to meet before it can be defined as good?
Why Does Corporate Singing Matter?
God has made His people a singing people. We are hard-wired to sing. From the Song of Moses (Deut. 32) to the Seven Hymns of Revelation (Rev. 4,5,7), the Bible is filled with the songs of God’s people. Three books of the Old Testament—Psalms, Song of Solomon, and Lamentations—are collections of songs. In fact, music not only plays a vital role throughout Scripture, but is one of the few activities that we know creation carries out on earth, as well as in heaven.
Which Bible Translation Should I Choose?
So many bible translations, so little time... Where do we begin in sorting through which bible translation(s) to choose? There are over 100 million bibles sold or distributed each year, many of them in a variety of different translations. Most of these bibles are incredibly similar in style and substance, but there are some which have taken great liberties with the original texts.
A Critique of Bill Johnson's "The Way of Life"
I had heard much about Bill Johnson and Bethel Church over the years. From what I observed, I knew that there were numerous doctrinal differences that I had with him and his church. Bill Johnson really began to come onto my radar after watching the testimony of Lindsey Davis and the film “American Gospel: Christ Alone” However, I had never read anything written by Bill Johnson prior to reading “The Way of Life.” I had read much about Johnson but had never read anything by Johnson. That all changed when I promised a local pastor (who is friendly with Johnson and Bethel Church) that I would read and discuss the book with him. He graciously purchased the book for me and I kept our promise to meet.
Coronavirus and The Word of Faith Movement
There is a saying in the political realm that says, “never let a crisis go to waste.” Usually, this refers to how politicians abuse their power to gain from an unfortunate event. However, this statement is true in all aspects of life as men often hunger for power. This is most certainly true of the Word of Faith movement.
What is Worship: Worship in Truth
What exactly is worshipping in truth and why is it so important? In our desire to focus in on this topic, let’s journey together to the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John. The setting of the narrative is that Jesus is passing through Samaria. During his travel, he stops to speak to a woman at a well. Being a Jew, Jesus should not have been speaking with her according to the norms of the day.
Virtual Church: An Oxymoron For Our Times
However, a church, although it can offer some of what it does online, can not be defined virtually. That is because a church is defined by what it is and not just what it does. A church has an innate and organic reality that is different than restaurants, businesses, schools, or government agencies. Therefore, the concept of virtual church is an oxymoron.
Soli Deo Gloria
We have here another Latin phrase, Soli Deo Gloria, which means, “Glory to God Alone.” While this seems obvious, it is often in practice and not a profession where it is denied. This phrase was often emphasized during the Reformation because the Roman Catholic church believed that the system of sacraments was to dispense grace to those who attended Mass.
Why Does the Resurrection Matter Today?
Those of us who proudly wear the badge of “historically orthodox Christian” love to proclaim the truths of Good Friday and its staggering implications for all of mankind. But in our desire to keep the cross at the forefront of our faith, have we pushed the empty tomb to the background?
Why Was The Cross Necessary?
There are many reasons why the Cross was necessary, but we will focus in and hone in on one particular reason. Both Jesus and the Apostles said, that Christ was to die to fulfill the Scriptures (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-24; 20:17-19; 26:54 and their parallel passages through the Synoptic gospels; John 12:20-34, Acts 3:18; Acts 17:2-3; 1 Cor 15:1-5). While we see that Jesus was supposed to die, we seem ultimately that He was supposed to die in a specific way.
Can Theology Be For The Young?
It seems that in today’s western Church, the word “theology” has become taboo for many. Some Christians hear the word and think of a lofty system of teaching reserved only for seminary students. Some hear the word theology and think of that Bible trivia jerk they once encountered in a bible study or Sunday school class. Still, others hear the word and find it to be nothing more than an accolade. They falsely conclude by then saying, “I don’t need theology, I just need Jesus.” It seems that those who would identify with one of these false statements are operating with a poor definition of theology.
The Immutability of God
So, is Heraclitus, correct? Is the only constant in life change? No, there is a much more and sure constancy. One of God’s attributes, which is foundational to His nature, is His immutability. This means that God does not change. This doctrine is much more important than you might think. How is it that God does not change?
JESUS: THE GREATER DANIEL
God sent a willing Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar to be a mediator and redeemer of his people. God had also given to Daniel all that was needed to appease the wrath of the king. Jesus was sent by God the Father (John 3:16, Romans 8:3) to do for his people what his people could not do on their own (obey God’s commands and satisfy His wrath). Unlike Adam, Jesus fully obeyed God’s law and fulfilled all righteousness. He stood in his people’s place and satisfied the wrath of God the King perfectly. (1 John 2:2, 2 Corinthians 5:21) He saves completely so that his people can go free and are no longer condemned. (Romans 8:1)
WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
The church is a building. Perhaps you are envisioning a grand cathedral, a quaint chapel, a location in a strip mall, or a school auditorium. While these are just a few of the many places that the church gathers, this is not the sort of building pictured throughout Scripture. In fact, it is ironic that when you ask most people about the church they attend they usually identify a physical building. Yet we see that Romans 16:5 says
SOLA GRATIA
Sola gratia is the Latin term meaning “grace alone.” While the doctrine comes from the Scriptures, the terminology of sola gratia (grace alone) comes from a movement known as the Protestant Reformation. This movement began on October 31st, 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg Germany. The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century Church movement that served in many ways as a revolt against the corruption and unbiblical practices of the Church in Rome (The Roman Catholic Church).
SOLA FIDE
Sola Fide is the Latin phrase for “faith alone.” This phrase was the motto of the Protestant Reformation. “Faith alone” was a phrase coined to answer the question, “By what means are sinners justified before a Holy God?” This was considered the material cause of the Reformation and was of such vital importance that it was argued to be “the doctrine by which the church stands or falls.” While the phrase arose during the Reformation, it was certainly not a doctrine that was invented during this time.
WHAT IS THE TRINITY?
The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most significant doctrines found in all of Scripture and foundational to the Christian Church. Knowing and having some understanding of the Trinity is therefore important to knowing God and how we are to relate to Him. The great challenge lies in how to effectively communicate this spiritual truth in a clear manner. There is nothing in our natural world that remotely compares to the Trinity and any attempt to draw from nature or human experience as a way of such comparison falls woefully short.