Salvation Archives - Page 4 of 10

In Bible Study, Blog, Luke on

September 19, 2022

Jesus Draws Near to the Lost

Zacchaeus was a wee, little man, and a wee, little man was he. He climbed up in the sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see.

If you grew up going to Sunday School or attending a Christian school, you’ve probably heard and sung this song before. The happy tune tells the biblical story of Zacchaeus, a strangely short man who wanted to see Jesus so much that he climbed up a tree.

However, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Zacchaeus was man who was lost, ostracized in his own community, desperate for hope and spiritual healing, and Jesus met him right where he was—yes, in a sycamore tree. If we want to know Zacchaeus’s story—the whole story—we must go back to Luke 19.

Tristany

In Blog, Salvation, Theology on

September 11, 2022

The Transformation of Sanctification

I am a Christian, and I still struggle with sin.

Daily.

Like the Apostle Paul, I do sinful things that I don’t want to do, and I don’t do the things I know I ought to do (Romans 7:18-20). Such is the life of a Christian. Through the work of Christ, we’ve been made righteous in the eyes of the Father and we’ve been filled with the Holy Spirit, who gives us the desire and ability to obey God’s Word and do what is right. But all of us, even the godliest of saints, are still sinners. We still mess up and make mistakes. We hurt and offend people, and we disobey what’s written in the Scriptures. We say and do the wrong things, even if we have the best of intentions.

Thankfully, God doesn’t leave us this way. He doesn’t just save us and say sayonara, leaving us to fend for ourselves and figure out how to behave on our own until Jesus returns. No, God actively works in and through us every single day to make us more and more like Him through a process called sanctification.

Tristany

In Blog, Progressive Christianity, Theology on

July 10, 2022

Five Lies of the Progressive Gospel

Can Christianity progress? Apparently, a lot of people think so.

Over the past several years, there has been a movement of professing believers reexamining and deconstructing the Christian doctrines they have always believed in. They call themselves “progressive Christians,” though the term “Christian” is being used loosely here, as this group now holds beliefs that completely disagree with and go against nearly everything the Church has affirmed for the past 2,000 years.

There are different reasons for why someone has become a progressive Christian. Some of these folks have had bad experiences with the local church and hypocritical, abusive leaders. Some could never make sense of what the Bible teaches and were quickly dismissed whenever they tried asking questions. Others just feel like what they were taught in Sunday School growing up doesn’t match up with the loving, affirming God they believe in. These situations caused them to rethink their faith and ultimately reject the biblical gospel in favor of a progressive one.

What’s so wrong with the progressive gospel? A lot. Far more than can be covered in one little blog post. But there are five progressive Christian beliefs in particular that are absolutely untrue and antithetical to the good news of God’s Word. These five lies ought to be exposed and avoided at all costs by true, Bible-believing Christians.

Tristany

1 Comment

In Bible Study, Blog, Luke on

June 20, 2022

Jesus Draws Near to the Hopeless

For many, many years, anxiety has been my nemesis. It looks and feels different from day to day. Sometimes I get this panicky, jittery feeling in my chest or I have difficulty breathing normally. Sometimes I develop stomach aches or become very scatter-brained when I try to think through what needs to get done for the day. Sometimes I’m much more emotional about something than I might normally be. There are some days when I barely feel any anxiety at all, but they are other days when I am absolutely miserable and wish it could all just go away.

I’ve struggled with anxiety for a long time, and I’ve prayed over and over again that the Lord would take it away from me. But He never has. I know there must be a reason that God has allowed me to wrestle with these feelings and symptoms for so long. I know He is no cruel dictator and that He loves me greatly, far greater than anyone else ever could. However, at times, I just feel hopeless, like there’s no hope of ever being free and at peace.

Perhaps you feel the same way—hopeless, like you have no chance of finding any peace or relief from whatever is your greatest struggle. But these people—those who have lost all hope—are exactly the kind of people Jesus draws near to. And we can see this clearly in Jesus’ encounter with a hopeless woman in Luke 8.

Tristany

1 Comment

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