Posts Tagged ‘salvation’
Stand 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 (Bassford 2)
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 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 MoreSalvation
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Salvation.mp3 Text: Romans 2:1-11 I. A classic comic skit is to have two people engaged in a conversation. He thinks he is talking about one topic. She thinks the conversation is about an entirely different matter. Yet, the statements said make perfectly good sense to both parties. A. I realized I was having one of those…
Read MoreFrom What Are We Saved?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/FromWhatAreWeSaved.mp3 by Gary Wells
Read MoreWill having sex outside of marriage keep me out of heaven?
Question: Hello Minister, My question is regarding sex before marriage. I want to be clear that I know it is against God’s Word to partake in such activities. I am 21 and have been a virgin all my life, avoiding temptations wherever I go. Last week my mates and I drank too much. By the…
Read MoreRemember Lot’s Wife (Hamilton)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RememberLotsWife.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 17:22-37 I. In speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus reminds his disciples of God’s past judgments on the wicked. A. In particular, he warns them not to look back when the time approaches – Luke 17:31 B. To emphasis his point he asks them to remember Lot’s wife -…
Read MoreHealing in His Wings
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/HealingInHisWings.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 8:4-22 I. I was reading a letter years ago from someone who tried to introduce false doctrine into the church and then left after they failed. A. The author discussed how pleased she was that these members had left. 1. She said their leaving was a sign of courage 2. That…
Read MoreDid Christ Die in Vain?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DidChristDieInVain.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I. Most, if not all, of us put hard work into various projects, be it a project at work, the raising of children, or implementing a favorite hobby. A. After hours of hard work, it is devastating to find it destroyed or never used. B. I remembered being asked to add…
Read MoreThe Book of Life
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/BookOfLife.mp3 Text: Exodus 32:15-35 I. There are songs we sing over and over. Perhaps too often because we don’t give enough thought to what we are saying to one another. A. There is a song in our books, number 418, that is titled “Lord, I Care Not for Riches” 1. It expresses what ought to be important in…
Read MoreI am so afraid of losing my salvation that everything is going wrong
Question: Hello, Thank you for the opportunity to write you. I like your site because some of the information is really good and helped me to find out that I have a little bit of religious OCD. Even if my situation was worse, I found out that I am mentally ill. What a great start.…
Read MoreHow can all who call on the Lord be saved when Jesus said that not all who call his name will be saved?
Question: Recently someone said they found a contradiction in the New Testament. They said Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 say that all who call in the name of the Lord will be saved. Then Matthew 7:21 says that not all who call upon him will be saved. Then in Acts 2:39, it says that only…
Read MoreWhen Was Cornelius Saved?
When Was Cornelius Saved? — His PastWhen Was Cornelius Saved? — A Man of PrayerWhen Was Cornelius Saved? — Cornelius Experienced MiraclesWhen Was Cornelius Saved? — Cornelius Received the Holy SpiritWhen Was Cornelius Saved — We are Saved in the Same Manner by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 11:5-18 I. Sometimes is it useful to…
Read MoreWhen Is a Person Lost?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/WhenIsAPersonLost.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jude 3-10 I. I sometimes find myself in a quandary A. I will present the biblical evidence for salvation and then I’ll be asked “Do you think my mother is lost?” B. The first thing that comes to mind is that even Michael would not condemn Satan in Jude 9 1. The…
Read MoreThe Conversion of Saul (Miller)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ConversionOfSaulMiller.mp3 by Rob Miller
Read MoreHow can we not be saved by works of righteousness but are saved by baptism?
Question: I know that our faith is justified by works and that the faith of the Bible is obedient faith. Therefore, faith encompasses baptism and it isn’t a meritorious work. However, if we are obedient in our faith wouldn’t it be counted to us as righteousness as it was Abraham? If so, why would Titus…
Read MoreWhy Would God Save Me?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/WhyWouldGodSaveMe.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 2:1-7 I. God wants people saved – I Timothy 2:3-4 A. He doesn’t want to see even the wicked destroyed – Ezekiel 33:11 B. Why? 1. You are His child – Acts 17:28-29 2. He made you – Genesis 1:26-27 3. He bought you – I Peter 1:18-19 4. He chose you -…
Read MoreA Pardon Refused
by Steve Hamilton In 1829, two men robbed a United States mail carrier in Pennsylvania. The men were tried on six indictments that included robbery and murder. George Wilson and James Porter were found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. However, a petition for pardon was made on George Wilson’s behalf by some of…
Read MoreI broke a promise upon my salvation. Does that mean I can’t be saved?
Question: I made a promise to God on my salvation and broke it. I accepted Jesus back, but did I lose my salvation because I broke my promise? I made my promise in my mind, so I don’t know whether I meant it or not, so please answer if I meant it and did I…
Read MoreWas Cornelius Saved Before Water Baptism?
by Fred B. Walker in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 11, September 1952. One of the strongest arguments that can be made on the theory that one is saved before and without water baptism is based upon the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10 in the light of what Jesus taught in Jno. 14:17. This…
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