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Theology

In Blog, Reformed Theology, Theology on
October 11, 2021

The Five Solas

There are so many false gospels out there today that are unfortunately very popular amongst some who claim to be Christians. The prosperity gospel teaches that one will be healthy and wealthy when they come to Jesus. The self-love gospel is hyper-focused on loving the self and doesn’t place much emphasis on sin or repentance. The social justice gospel preaches that Jesus came to stop oppression rather than to save sinners. Some believe that Jesus isn’t the only way to salvation. Others believe you have to do good works to earn your salvation. And those with a progressive view of Christianity spout ideas like the Bible isn’t the Word of God, homosexuality isn’t a sin, and hell doesn’t really exist.

Knowing and preaching the true gospel is important for many reasons. The Bible tells us that those who teach are held to a higher standard and will be judged with greater strictness (James 3:1). God’s Word also tells us that those who preach a gospel that differs from what’s written in it is cursed or, as the New Living Translation puts it, condemned to hell (Galatians 1:9). They will be judged and condemned because they are essentially leading people to eternal spiritual death, and Jesus once said that it would be better for these false teachers to have a millstone tied around their neck and drowned (Matthew 18:5-6).

These may seem like harsh words, but they highlight the extreme importance of having a proper view of the gospel. It is only when we know and understand the foundations of our faith that we can share the true gospel with others. You may be wondering, Well, what are the foundations of our faith, of Christianity, of the gospel? You don’t have to figure them out on your own. Thankfully, the Reformers formulated five phrases based on the truths of Scripture to describe the pillars of the gospel, and they all begin with the Latin word for alone – sola.

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In Attributes of God, Blog, Theology on
September 27, 2021

He is True

Do you believe in absolute truth? Do you believe that something can be true no matter what? If you do, you’re in the minority! According to a 2020 Barna Group research study, 58% of American adults believe that truth depends on the individual, and that even includes people who claim to be born-again Christians.[1] The majority of Americans believe that moral truth is relative. They believe there are no absolute truths, which is ironic because by saying there are no absolute truths, one is admitting that there actually is at least one. We, as Christians, should believe that there are absolute moral truths because we have the Source of absolute truth-

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In Blog, Common Questions, Theology on
September 13, 2021

What is God’s Will for My Life?

Discerning the will of God is something I think every Christian has attempted to do at one point or another. It’s definitely something I’ve prayed for and longed for and tried to figure out. I’ve often asked that God would reveal His will to me about different decisions or situations, but most of the time I never get a clear, solid answer. Honestly, I sometimes wish I could be like Gideon and put out a fleece to get some answers from God (please, do not do this the next time you need to make a decision).

God’s will can be a tricky thing to understand. We’re told that nothing happens outside of God’s will. But does that mean it’s God will for a family member to be diagnosed with cancer? Is it God’s will for a friend to get in a serious car accident? Is it God’s will for a child to tragically die at a young age? And how are we to understand His will well enough to make decisions that won’t fall outside of it?

All these questions stem from a misunderstanding of God’s will. There are actually three aspects of the will of God: His sovereign will, His moral will, and His personal will.

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In Attributes of God, Blog, Theology on
August 30, 2021

He is Sovereign

Human beings do not like to be controlled. We’re born with a tendency to resist what we’re told to do. And if we’re told we can’t have something, we immediately want it. We want to be in charge of our own lives and blaze our own trails! We want to be kings and queens in our own little kingdoms. This tendency goes all the way back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). The reality is we’re not kings or queens, and there’s very little in this world that we can control one hundred percent of the time. We’re not in charge of this universe. The One who truly is in charge is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and only He is sovereign (1 Timothy 6:15). Our God is sovereign!

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In Blog, Feelings, Theology on
August 16, 2021

My Feelings are Valid, or Are They?

My feelings are valid!

If you’ve followed any female influencer who prioritizes self-love and self-care for any length of time, you’ve probably heard this phrase before. Or perhaps you’ve even used it yourself. We live in a culture that highly prizes, validates, and affirms one’s feelings, whether they be good or bad. And this culture is even trying to train us to always speak in a way that will never leave anyone out, offend anyone, or hurt anyone’s feelings. Rene Descartes, a French philosopher who lived in the seventeenth century, once said, “I think, therefore I am.”[1] But is appears our culture has changed this to, “I feel, therefore I am.”

Many people today find their identity in how they feel, so they want their feelings to be validated because that then validates their identity – who they are as a person. But the problem with this phrase is that not all feelings are valid. Therefore, as believers, we cannot and should not affirm those feelings which are in fact invalid.

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