Holiness Archives - Page 2 of 4

In Bible Study, Blog, Leviticus on

July 4, 2022

Do Christians Have the Freedom to Eat Pork?

Today is the Fourth of July, which means it’s America’s Independence Day. This annual holiday is such a fun one to celebrate. Everyone is dressed in bright red, crisp white, and dark navy blue. The night sky is lit up by fireworks, sparklers, and bonfires. Many spend the day at the beach or the lake. Others watch parades march down Main Street. And a large number of both children and adults engage in eating a classic American food—the glorious hot dog.

Hot dogs aren’t for everyone (I’ve seen some documentaries that have made me question the goodness of that little sausage), but they sure are popular. It’s estimated that Americans consume about 150 million hot dogs every Fourth of July!^[1] But as a Christian living in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, you may be wondering if you ought to participate in this American ritual. After all, doesn’t the Bible condemn eating pork? And since hot dogs are made out of pork (unless you buy those kosher ones made out of beef), should Christians really be eating hot dogs on the Fourth of July?

Tristany

In 1 Corinthians, Bible Study, Blog on

June 6, 2022

Was “Homosexuality” Added to the Bible?

One of the biggest arguments in the Church today surrounds the topic of homosexuality. Is it a sinful practice that ought to be repented of? Is it an innate identity that ought to be celebrated? Christians on both sides of the aisle passionately fight for what they believe is right, and the debates about this topic can get pretty heated.

As Christians, we should be getting our cues on cultural issues from the Bible, not from some activist or ideologue on Twitter or TikTok. And the Bible seems pretty clear and straightforward on where it stands. However, many “gay-affirming Christians” claim that the Bible does not prohibit homosexuality. In fact, they argue that the word “homosexuality” was actually added into Scripture. Is this true? Was “homosexuality” added to the Bible?

Tristany

2 Comments

In Apologetics, Blog, Book Reviews on

May 2, 2022

Mama Bear Apologetics

If the past two years or so have shown us anything it’s that we live in a crazy, broken world. We’re having conversations and facing situations that we would never have thought of in our wildest imaginations just a few years ago. The culture is constantly telling us that what’s wrong is right and what’s right is wrong, and they’ve even begun instilling this in our children. When I was in elementary school, I was taught reading, writing, and arithmetic. Nowadays, kids are being taught how to march in a protest, how to choose their gender, and how to reject the values and morals of their parents. They’re being trained in a postmodern worldview that is dangerous and unbiblical.

What’s a mother to do? When her children are coming home regurgitating secular ideologies they learned at school. When her children’s favorite TV shows feature characters who discuss their gender identities and sexual preferences. When her children appear to be drifting further and further from biblical Christianity. As author Nancy Pearcey once wrote, it’s a parent’s God-given responsibility to protect and educate his or her children.^[1] That means it’s time for mama bears to rise up and empower their kids to challenge the lies of the culture and live in obedience to Scripture. And how exactly can this be done? According to Hillary Morgan Ferrer, mothers must engage in apologetics.

Tristany

In Blog, Heresies, Theology on

April 3, 2022

Test the Spirits

Everyone is trying to sell us something, whether it be on YouTube ads, interstate billboards, or commercials during the nightly news. Forbes reported in 2017 that the average American is exposed to four thousand to ten thousand ads every single day.^[1] Everybody wants to convince us that their product or message will make our lives easier, better, or more enjoyable.

And this isn’t limited to secular media outlets. Even our pastors and churches feed us different messages every week. Many of these messages are rooted in the Word of God and are edifying and uplifting. However, there are also messages being delivered by “pastors” every week that are not rooted in Scripture, that are not truly edifying, and that actually lead people away from the truth of the gospel. Because of this, we must be like the Bereans, examining the Bible to see if what we are hearing lines up with God’s Word (Acts 17:11), and test the spirits (1 John 4:1).

To help you test the messages you’re hearing and discern whether what you’re being taught is biblical truth, I’ve compiled a brief list of nine heresies that originated in the early church and are still popular today and how the Bible disproves them.

Tristany

1 Comment

In Blog, Book Reviews, Sanctification on

March 20, 2022

The Hole in Our Holiness

According to Barna Research Group in 2006, only thirty-five percent of Americans believe that God call us and expects us to become holy. Less than half of self-proclaimed born-again believers agree with this.[1] And I imagine that over the last fifteen years or so, those numbers have decreased quite a bit. It’s evident that we live in a culture that doesn’t prize holiness. People today do whatever they want to do, whatever feels good and right to them. Even many Christians are throwing biblical values to the wind and doing whatever the world around them is doing: watching inappropriate movies, listening to explicit music, wearing revealing clothing, scrolling through Twitter or TikTok for hours on end, and engaging in actions that were once unheard of.

According to Kevin DeYoung, there’s a hole in our holiness, and it needs to be addressed now.

Tristany

1 Comment