Posts Tagged ‘salvation’
Understanding the Guarantee of the Holy Spirit
by Matthew W. Bassford To my knowledge, this concept appears three times in Scripture, all within the body of Paul’s writings: II Corinthians 1:22, II Corinthians 5:5, and Ephesians 1:13-14. “Guarantee” is the ESV rendering of the Greek arrabōn. Other translations use “earnest” (KJV), “deposit” (NIV), “down payment” (CSB), or “pledge” (NASB). I think it’s helpful to consider the…
Read MoreCan I be forgiven of the sins that I committed after saying the sinner’s prayer?
Question: I got saved by saying a sinner’s prayers at 19. I spent most of my twenties high-handedly sinning and being agnostic or universalist – I believed all religions were partially true. I read the Bible and Quran occasionally for inspiration. Three years ago I started going to a Baptist church and had true faith…
Read MoreAre Romans 2:4 and Titus 2:11 talking about two different types of grace?
Question: Good day, Titus 2:11 speaks about the grace that brings salvation, meaning unmerited favor. Does Romans 2:4 talk about a different grace, where God cares and supplies to all human beings so that they would want the grace mentioned in Titus 2:11? Thanks. Answer: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to…
Read MoreUltimate Deliverance
by Doy Moyer What if… we actually were put to death because we are Christians? What is our attitude about this? Consider Paul’s attitude: “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that…
Read MoreThe Gift of the Holy Spirit
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/GiftOfTheHolySpirit.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 2:29-39 I. Our text – Acts 2:38-39 A. When a person repents and is baptized, two things are promised: forgiveness of sin and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. 1. This promise is for all Christians – “As many as the Lord shall call.” 2. It is also not limited…
Read MoreCan I be filled with the Spirit when I have a sinful past?
Question: Hi, good morning, I was looking for a particular topic online when I came across your page where you were giving advice about fornication, etc. However, I’m 21 years old, baptized at 11 years old, changed churches, and I’m now at my present church for several years now; anyways, I’ve been engaging in sexual…
Read MoreJesus said we can pray for anything, so why can’t we pray for salvation?
Question: Can we accept as a general statement the following: “You are saved through the blood of Jesus, and through His blood only. Because your salvation is not based on your performance, it is based on what Jesus did 2000 years ago on the cross”? I also would like to bring up Matthew 19:25-26 and…
Read MoreCan a Christian Lose Salvation?
by Matthew W. Bassford The other day, a brother sent me this link (Can a Christian lose salvation?) and asked if I had ever before addressed the topic in a blog post. I replied that I hadn’t (at least so far as I can remember), but this seemed like a wonderful opportunity to do so!…
Read MoreWhat must I confess before I am baptized?
Question: Let me start off by thanking you for all that you do in the name of Jesus Christ. A few weeks ago I prayed to God asking for guidance in finding the true church of which I can become a part of so that I may further my understanding of the gospel. I firmly…
Read MoreWhat must I confess before I am baptized?
Question: Let me start off by thanking you for all that you do in the name of Jesus Christ. A few weeks ago I had prayed to God asking for guidance in finding the true church of which I can become a part so that I may further my understanding of the gospel. I firmly…
Read MoreI was saved, but I still live with my boyfriend
Question: I was saved, and I believe and love God with all my heart. But I live with my boyfriend. I ask for forgiveness and I still go to church, but lately, when I walk into church I feel so ashamed. What do I do? Will God forgive me? Answer: “For this is the love…
Read MoreI have been involved in homosexuality. Will it affect my salvation?
Question: Hello, I’m a baptized Christian. But after I was baptized, I used to do gay sex. I never had been in a relationship but did gay sex with some guys. Now I’m really tense because my mind tells me that it will affect my salvation, and I know it will. Will I be forgiven…
Read MoreJust as I Am
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/JustAsIAm.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 51 I. “Just as I am! Without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me, and that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee, Oh Lamb of God, I come! I come!” A. When each of us come to Christ, we have no argument to offer that we deserve…
Read MoreDo you all believe the only way to be saved is through baptism?
Question: I was reading more on the La Vista Church of Christ website, and I was a little confused about something. Do you all believe the only way to be saved is through baptism? Answer: I have a question for you: Can a person be saved by ignoring what God commanded to be done? For…
Read MoreI realize now that I can be forgiven, so how do I get past the guilt?
Question: I’ve obsessed for a long time about committing the unpardonable sin, as some have called it. I have struggled with some addictions for a while (alcohol and pornography), and a few times had the thought come into my mind: “if you give in to certain temptations, you will lose the Holy Spirit.” Well, I…
Read MoreStand Still and Keep Silent
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/StandStillAndKeepSilent.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Exodus 14:5-31 I. Israel has been freed from the bondage of slavery by a series of miracles from God. A. But even as they were moving out of the Egyptian lands, Pharaoh changed his heart and came after his former slaves with an army. B. The people of Israel found themselves…
Read MoreYou May be Surprised to Learn …
by Doy Moyer Have you ever taken for granted certain things and believed them, just because that is what you have been told? Perhaps you find yourself in that situation now, believing and doing things because that is what you were told. Religious people sometimes believe and practice something because a preacher said it, or…
Read MoreThe Gift of the Holy Spirit
by Matthew W. Bassford A couple of weeks ago, I found myself chatting with a friend online about a very familiar subject to me, the meaning of the phrase “the gift of the Holy Spirit” in Acts 2:38 and 10:45. I literally spent decades arguing the point with my father, as part of our ongoing…
Read MoreToo Late
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/TooLate.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreDid Saul lose his salvation?
Question: Hey, I just read a great article you had about the account of King Saul’s death and how he committed suicide. But as I continued to read, you said he most likely went to hell because he murdered himself. My question is: What do you make of these inspired words spoken by King David after…
Read MoreTwice Adopted
by Jefferson David Tant Those familiar with Branson, Missouri’s entertainment mecca may know the musical “Twice Adopted,” featuring ten adopted children who share their singing talent with thousands. Their story touches the heart. Randy and Linda Koenig were childless until they adopted a child from Guatemala. One thing led to another, and another, and another…
Read MoreWhy I Want to Go to Heaven
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WhyIWantToGoToHeaven.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreDoes God expect us to do our part?
Question: When Simon helps carries Jesus’ cross in Mark 15:21, does it have any special meaning? I remember a pastor talking about how Jesus told Christians to deny ourselves and take up our own cross (such as in Luke 9:23), but He could not carry His own cross. Simon had to carry it for Him.…
Read MoreIs it ever too late to be forgiven?
Question: Is it too late to ever be forgiven and saved with Jesus Christ? I would love to move forward and let go, but sometimes I feel as if I’m too late because of my past. I feel like it’s just me saying this to myself and not what God says. I let my past…
Read MoreGreat Things from Acts 2
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/GreatThingsFromActs2.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreGod Doesn’t Always Get What He Wants
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/GodDoesNotAlwaysGetWhatHeWants.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreWould a person be saved if he hadn’t gotten around to being baptized before he died?
Question: If someone was a believer, repented, and followed Jesus’ teachings, and was planning on getting baptized eventually but never got around to it before they died an accidental death like a car crash, would they still be saved? Answer: That would be up to God. I can’t judge the motives, but someone saying they…
Read MoreGod Has a Plan
by Tommy Peeler Summer 2016 Trusting God The Glory and Grandeur of God Is Christianity Rules or a Relationship? The Dreadful Disaster of Sin The Death and Resurrection of Jesus How Did Christianity Survive? God, Satan, and Suffering “If Any Man Will Come After Me …”
Read MoreIs Knowing that Baptism Is Essential to Salvation Essential to Salvation?
by Gary Eubanks This question may seem a bit obscure and requires a moment’s reflection to digest, but it actually addresses a very common and familiar situation. Anyone who knows much about Evangelicalism knows that at its heart lies the concept of salvation by faith alone. For Evangelicals, salvation comes at the point of belief…
Read MoreSave Yourselves
by Terry W. Benton Only because of what Jesus did for us on the cross and only through knowledge of what He did can we engage in the activity of faith that will result in our salvation. There is a common expression these days that “there is nothing you can do, Jesus did it all…
Read MoreThe Good Confession
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/GoodConfession.mp3 Text: I Timothy 6:6-16 I. We all have heard of the five steps of salvation, even though there are really more than five steps. Five just makes it easier to remember. A. Today we are going to focus on confession. B. Exactly what is to be confessed? How is it to be confessed? When are we…
Read MoreWhat Does Baptism Have to Do with Salvation?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/WhatDoesBaptismHaveToDoWithSalvation.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Kings 5:1-14 I. Leprosy is a terrible disease. A. It is a bacterial infection that causes skin lesions and nerve damage B. It has only been curable since the early 1980’s. C. So it is no wonder that a commander in Syria’s army would go great lengths to be cured. D. Yet…
Read MoreIf we have sex one more time before our baptisms, will God forgive us?
Question: Hi, I recently converted to Christianity and so did my girlfriend. We both have been in a very sexual relationship before we found God. We have been trying hard not to do anything sexual, but we messed up once, felt horrible, and asked for forgiveness. We’re getting baptized soon, and we’re both excited. We…
Read MoreThe Sin and Guilt Offerings
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SinAndGuiltOfferings.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 13:10-16 I. The Law of Moses featured numerous sacrifices and making sense of them can be difficult A. There were five categories: Sin, trespass, burnt, meat, and peace offerings 1. But they were also grouped in another way: Firstfruits, wave, heave, vow, voluntary, and drink offerings 2. They were also divided…
Read MoreThe Lost Sheep
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/LostSheep.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 15:1-7 I. When people can’t fault a person, they will sometimes seek to find fault in the way someone does things. A. This is how the Pharisees and Scribes sought to degrade Jesus’ reputation. B. It wasn’t something they would do. In fact, they implied it there was something wrong…
Read MoreShould I wait until after I get married to be baptized?
Question: Hi, I am in the process of getting baptized and being confirmed as a Catholic. At the same time, I am engaged and my fiance and I live together. We will be getting married next year. Should I wait to be baptized after we are married? Answer: To be clear upfront, I’m not a…
Read MoreI prefer other women. Does that mean I’m not saved?
Question: I’m a Christian and a God-fearing woman. I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior and believe in His death and resurrection for the remission of our sins. My problem is that I prefer women. I know this is wrong. I have also fallen in love with another woman. I’ve never been intimate with her.…
Read MoreIs my repentance too late? Am I lost forever?
Question: I grew up going to Sunday school every now and then but never learning anything. I said the sinner’s prayer when I was 22 while in AA at the time. I decided to stick with AA. I had a hard time believing in or contacting God. I didn’t pursue church or the Bible until…
Read MoreHow can we not be saved by works, but must do the things God requires of us to be saved?
Question: Hi, I’ve studied some of your material and it is helping me understand better how to improve my relationship with God. I am unclear about three related issues. On the one hand, you say: We are not saved by the things that we do. [How can faith be combined with works?] Yet, on the other…
Read MoreYour Faith Has Made You Well
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/YourFaithHasMadeYouWell.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 18:35-43 I. In looking at some of the miracles of Jesus in order to answer a question, I noticed something that I had not seen before A. If you look at the various miracles, you soon realize that faith on the part of the person being healed is not…
Read More