Salvation by Grace (Cope)
by James R. Cope via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 12, October, 1952. In Titus 2:11-13 we read: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and…
Read MoreWisdom from Above
by Jefferson David Tant “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable (easy to be entreated” ASV), full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy” (James 3:17, NASB). Wisdom should be a much-desired quality. We remember when Solomon ascended the throne following his father David, God asked what he would want.…
Read MoreThe Scheme of Redemption in Prophecy
by Bryan Vinson via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, Nos. 2,3,4,5. The Almighty in purposing the redemption of man not only gave expression to that purpose in the form of a promise but subsequently enlarged on it in the form of prophecy. A substantial and highly instructive portion of the Old Testament Scriptures is devoted to this…
Read MoreWill God hold a vow I made against me?
Question: Hi, I am a Christian. If you can answer this question for me, I would be very thankful. When I was a child I had an obsessive-compulsive disorder. In my thoughts, I would say things that I didn’t mean and sometimes things that I meant, but I could not control them. Now I am…
Read MoreWhile engaged, I slept with a former girlfriend, who is now pregnant. What do I do?
Question: Dear sir, Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please I want to seek your advice in this regard. I met a lady after my youth service corps, and we started dating each other, but later I discovered that I couldn’t marry her because she was not the kind of…
Read MoreCan a brother committing fornication be used in church worship?
Question: Good day, Brother Jeffrey, I need your help on this. There is a brother committing fornication. He stopped worshiping. The reason why he doesn’t want to wed is that his sister, who is living abroad promised him to help him work abroad. If he gets married, he may not have a chance to work…
Read MoreIf Christ put us under one law, why wasn’t it the Law of Moses?
Question: From your web page Do Jews and Christians both follow the teachings of the Old Testament?: “This law ended with the death of Jesus Christ, allowing both Jews and Gentiles to come under one new law.” So there is one law, right? Why does a huge part of the Old Testament say to Israel that…
Read MoreHow do I deal with the sudden death of my grandmother?
Question: I was wondering how you deal with death. My grandma died last night and the wake is tomorrow and the funeral is the day after. I’ve never been to one before and I’m scared. I don’t even know what I’m feeling, I kind of feel numb. We were really close. She had cancer and…
Read MoreI left God and have not been a faithful wife. How do I get baptized?
Question: I have known about God all my life. I used to go to church with my parents. It has been a long time since I have been to church. I forgot about Him for a while; I lost faith and stopped praying. I got married two years ago. A couple of weeks ago I…
Read MoreHas science proven that homosexuality is caused in the womb?
Question: My English class began writing persuasive speeches on contemporary issues. We were allowed to pick our own topics. I choose homosexuality – and how it is not a choice – because of my passion for the topic. So I began my research and came across “Scientific Facts Regarding Homosexuality & Marriage Equality” I found it…
Read MoreShould I stay with my husband or give my children a safe and stable home?
Question: Hello, I am in need of advice. My husband and I have been married for two years. We have two sons together and I have an older son from a previous relationship. My husband is my first husband and I’m his first wife. He has been addicted to crack for years now. The day…
Read MoreShould I marry the non-Christian I’m living with?
Question: Hello, I am having a few issues. I fell in love with a non-Christian and planned to marry her. I fully believed that God would save her and she would become Christian. I love her but after my pastor kept pushing me not to marry her because she was not a Christian and we…
Read MoreCan female nurses touch a man’s genitals?
Question: Deuteronomy 25:11-12 says “This is what you must do when two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from the man who is beating him. If she tries to stop the fight by grabbing the other man’s genitals, cut off her hand. Have no pity on…
Read MoreWe just can’t agree about religion and the wedding is at the end of the year
Question: Hello, I am in a relationship. We are planning to get married. The greatest hurdle we have is that my boyfriend is Catholic. Though I was raised Catholic, I converted to a protestant church. He wants me to convert back to Catholicism for the children’s sake, which I understand as we don’t want to…
Read MoreWe’ve done pretty much everything but actual sex. How do we stop?
Question: My boyfriend and I are both Christians. We have been dating for about a year and a half now. For a while now we have been committing sexual sin. We have had oral sex and pretty much everything except for actual sex. It tears us both up. We both agree that we need to…
Read MoreI ended up pregnant by a former boyfriend who is now married. What do I do?
Question: Hello, My college boyfriend and I had an on and off-again relationship that included sex. I am not confident that there was ever a point that I was not sharing him. He left the country for a year. Before he left he told me he was about to ask someone he wasn’t in love…
Read MoreThe Christian and Business
The Christian and Business – Part 1The Christian and Business – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 12:15-21 I. I saw an article where the author railed against a business A. The gist was that the corporation was “bad” because it was large and successful 1. The author assumed that its success must have come…
Read MoreStillness and Joy
by Gary Henry “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10). Nowadays, one reason we know so little about joy is that we know so little about stillness. In this age of the world, most of us are busy with a myriad of priorities and projects. And we pride ourselves in it. The…
Read MoreSubjective Spirit Leading
by Terry Wane Benton Subjective “Spirit Leading” is when one is moved by imagined nudging and impulses, then attributes that imagination to the “leading of the Spirit.” It often never is in complete harmony with the Spirit’s “revelation” in the Bible. It is sometimes outright contrary to Spirit guidance through “revelation” (Ephesians 3:3-5). It is…
Read MoreThe Origin of the Sinner’s Prayer
by Ryan Hasty No method of conversion has gained such popularity amongst mainstream denominations in the last century than that of the “Sinner’s Prayer.” It has been said that thousands of people utter this prayer daily in response to altar calls and one-on-one conversations between friends, relatives, co-workers, and schoolmates. To find the origin of…
Read MoreDid the skins for the first clothing come from a sacrifice?
Question: Where did the “skins” come from that God used to cloth Adam and Eve? Genesis 3:20-21. Did this skin come from an animal? Wouldn’t this action by God be considered the “first” sacrifice? Please clarify. Thank you. Answer: After God issued the punishments to Adam and Eve for their sin, he took animal skins and made…
Read MoreDoes Psalms 139:16 mean our days are predetermined?
Question: I have been participating in a women’s Bible study that touches on the sovereignty of God. One of the verses that have been cited is Psalm 139:16. This verse has been interpreted in a way that assures us that the days of our lives were planned out by God before we were even born.…
Read MoreIf many people know that someone was looking at pornography, is that a public sin?
Question: I am a member of the Lord’s church. Would, or could, the sin of viewing pornography be considered a public sin if the person who was guilty was another gospel preacher who had done so over the entire period he served at his congregation, and others in that congregation, as well as others in…
Read MoreHow do you avoid an abortion and when an abortion takes place, who is guilty of the murder?
Question: Good afternoon, I am a member of the Lord’s church. I read one of your articles on abortion and taught our brethren over here. It raised a lot of questions. My questions are: Since abortion is a sin, a sister who is pregnant but doesn’t want to abort her child and at the same time she…
Read MoreConcerning the Jews excusing David’s eating of the showbread, what are your sources?
Question: I read an article in the Q&A section of your website in reference to I Samuel 21:1-6 and Matthew 12:1-5. Within the article you made this statement: “They (Jews) found ways to excuse the fact that David clearly violated the law of God by eating the bread from the table of showbread.” Can you give me…
Read MoreWhy shouldn’t “only in the Lord” mean only marry a Christian?
Question: I want to thank you for the lesson Because of the Present Distress. My concern is that of the widow’s decision in I Corinthians 7:39-40. If Paul was not categorical about the term “only in the Lord” as to marrying only a Christian, contrasting your earlier lesson on marriage where you took to the…
Read MoreI was told I would marry the perfect lady, now I’ve been kicked out of my own flat
Question: Hi Jeffrey, Many years ago God told me at a revival that I’d meet my wife — a perfect lady — and that I would have a very good future. I was a young man in my twenties and that was 10 years ago. Several years ago I met my wife at a church…
Read MoreWhat authority do you have to teach on the Internet?
Question: If every example of preaching in the first century was done in person by mouth to those that could hear, and the direct command was to go and preach, where is your Bible authority to preach on the Internet? Answer: Here is an example of artificially restricting a command. Communicating by writing is a form of…
Read MoreI’m in a mess. My girlfriend is threatening to abort our child if I don’t marry her
Question: I came across this site as I was browsing the web looking for answers and a way out of my mess. I am a 28-year-old male. I am currently studying for a master’s degree and out of a job. I have been in a relationship with this girl since 2012. We agreed to be…
Read MoreHow can one know if he is a reprobate?
Question: I was wondering how one would know they are reprobate? I turned to a life of homosexuality for nearly ten years, but recently had a couple of nightmares that scared me into coming back to God. During the time in which I lived in that lifestyle, I attempted to convince myself with Scripture that…
Read MoreWhat about the claim that camels were not used during Abraham’s time?
Question: All these links keep popping up on my Facebook feed due to atheistic friends. Could you explain this one to me as well? It’s got me stumped, not enough to discredit the Bible or anything, but another to make me feel confused. Carbon Dating on Camel Bones Contradicts Bible’s Accuracy Thanks. Answer: The claim…
Read MoreShould I get married now or wait until I’m financially stable?
Question: I am 21 years and have never been in a relationship before because I wanted to commit myself to achieve my objectives in life especially about having a solid financial and educational background. I took this decision because I come from a poor background and had always wished to come out from that situation…
Read MoreWhoever wrote the “eis” article on your website did an excellent job of presenting the material.
Question: Whoever wrote the “eis” article on your website did an excellent job of presenting the material. Answer: Thank you.
Read MoreI thought I would not have sex until I was married, but I’ve broken that promise three times already
Question: I feel very terrible for what I have done, I feel like I am trapped in a world of sin and I can’t seem to find my way out. I took an oath last year in our church youth meetings to never engage in sexual acts until I was married, but ever since, I…
Read MoreMy boyfriend wants to move in before we get married
Question: Dear friend, I am super confused now, and it seems like I am in a dilemma. I do not know what I am supposed to do. Please help me. My boyfriend wants to live with me. We are going to rent a two-bedroom apartment. We are seriously in love and plan to marry later…
Read MoreMy life has no meaning, so why shouldn’t I take it?
Question: Hello Mr. Hamilton I am an 18-year-old male. I write to you because I am feeling extremely depressed and confused, almost suicidal, and have done for about a year or so. First of all, I would like to mention that I’m an atheist. I used to be a Christian, but even if I still…
Read MoreWhat Scripture says we have a personal relationship with Christ?
Question: Our preacher says he is about a relationship with Christ instead of rules. I read and liked your article, Shouldn’t we emphasize a relationship with Jesus instead of rules?, but I really can’t find scripture that gives examples of a personal relationship with Christ. Answer: “Relationship” is a broad word. Jesus is my Lord…
Read MoreImagined Sins
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ImaginedSins.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 30:5-6 I. Certain ideas get repeated in the religious world, often enough that people accept them as truth without stopping to ask if this is really in the Bible or not A. “You are saved by faith alone” – despite James 2:24 B. “Baptism is an outward sign of an…
Read MoreMy wife has refused to have sex with me for years and I’m weakening
Question: Hello, I feel very ashamed to even write this, but I’ve been doing Google searches and scouring the Internet for answers. I would normally just ask a pastor from church, but I have a learning disorder or mental disability and everyone just writes me off as strange or stupid. Even pastors don’t want to take the time to…
Read MoreIs it wrong to bow to elders or at the graves of those who had died?
Question: Hello, I have a few questions, I hope you don’t mind. In East Asian countries, it is customary to bow to elders and those older than you. Is this not allowed? Also, it is customary to bow to ancestors who’ve passed away at their graves. Is this not allowed as well? Thanks! Answer: In…
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