Posts Tagged ‘salvation’
Will I get to heaven if I continue to struggle against porn?
Question: Good morning, I am writing to tell you I have been struggling watching porn and to masturbate for a long time now. I have a wife, but I still do those types of things. I’ve tried to get away from it all, but I keep going back to all my old ways. I am…
Read MoreCan I be saved after selling my soul?
Question: I read the article about selling your soul. It makes me feel better but I am concerned still. As a child, I was saved. But I signed a contract in blood denouncing Christ forever almost a year ago. I was a dedicated Satanist. I was angry at God for my parents’ behavior (alcoholism and promiscuity).…
Read MoreMy husband is changing, but it seems he is getting away with his sins
Question: I have a complicated question. My husband is a preacher. I cannot possibly tell you our life stories, but suffice it to say that we did not have normal upbringings and both became Christians when we were young adults. The first several years of our marriage were filled with much anger, resentment, abuse, and…
Read MoreThe Gospel
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Gospel.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 2:1-11 I. The word “gospel” translates a Greek word that means “good news” A. The gospel is a message that is to be heralded to all the world – Mark 16:15 B. It is a message that brings hope to those who hear it – Colossians 1:23 C. It is a…
Read MoreWhat sends you to hell?
Question: My question is: What sends you to hell? I know that’s a dumb question, but I’ve heard so many different things. I believe in Jesus and that he can save me, but I always have this doubt. I feel Satan has put it there because I’ve never doubted the Lord before. I can’t get…
Read MoreShould I date a man who doesn’t believe baptism is essential to salvation?
Question: Hello, I am so grateful for your advice. Maybe you can help me with something that I have been trying to figure out. I have a friend I met in college last year and remained friends after I moved with my family about three hours away. We talked about God and life and what…
Read MoreIs salvation is a state or process?
Question: Is salvation is a state or process? Because I do struggle with sin pretty badly! Answer: Salvation is a state. “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you–not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience–through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (I Peter 3:21). But it is…
Read MoreI don’t know what else to do. If my boyfriend doesn’t come back, I think I will kill myself
Question: I am 22 years and am a final year college student. I don’t know much about this site and when I googled I got this link. I am writing this email seeking help. First I am a Hindu, but I believe in Christ. I want something that convinces me and makes me believe that…
Read MoreGod’s Plan for His People
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/2014Fall3GodsPlanForHisPeople.mp3 by Mike Waters The Good Life
Read MoreAfter accepting Christ, do you have to be baptized to get to the next level in heaven?
Question: After accepting Christ, do you have to be baptized to get to the next level in heaven? Answer: First, there is no mention of different levels in heaven in the Bible. There is some indication that what each person has in heaven may not be exactly the same. See: Are there degrees of rewards and…
Read MoreI don’t know if my feelings were genuine when I received Christ
Question: You may not know me, but I have seen what you wrote and you seem wise. I ask that you give me a genuine answer. Here goes pouring out my heart’s doubts: I am not sure that I have received Christ. I don’t know if my feeling was genuine and God was touching me,…
Read MoreWould God condemn every member of the church whose candlestick was removed?
Question: Dear Brother Hamilton, Is there a point in time when a church has become so disobedient to the commands of the Lord they are considered “apostate” and rejected by God? And would this mean that all members in that church are condemned, even though they may not even believe all the teachings presented by…
Read MoreNotes on Works
We are not saved by the things that we do. God’s grace saves us and not works in which we could boast – Ephesians 2:8-9 Works of the Old Testament Law cannot save, by themselves, because the Law brings the knowledge of sin – Romans 3:20 We are justified by faith apart from works of…
Read MoreWhat happens if I die before I am baptized?
Question: I recently turned my life to God. I’m on your website all the time learning what things to do and not do. I’m also reading the Bible. I don’t know everything in the Bible, so I’m currently educating myself. I’ve come to be a bit confused since I have a hard time understanding many…
Read MoreCan you be saved on your death bed?
Question: I have a question! Can you be saved on your death bed? I know you must be baptized, and I’m trying to teach my aunt. She said that you don’t have to be baptized and that her grandad was saved on his death bed but was not baptized! Is that OK? If you can’t…
Read MoreIs justification through faith? Is a sinner forgiven when he prays?
Question: Dear Mr. Hamilton, I was reading your article on the NIV and I found it very informative! I just want to start off by saying thank you I had no idea there were a few discrepancies I needed to be aware of. With regards to this, I had a question. I completely agree with the point…
Read MoreIs Salvation Assured?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IsSalvationAssured.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I John 2:15-25 I. During the Reformation, a man named John Calvin came up with a system of belief that has impacted a large portion of the denominational world. A. The ideas were not original with Calvin. He based his work on many that preceded him. B. What Calvin did was…
Read MoreWhat can I do to find joy in Christ?
Question: Hi, I’m a young, desperate man (I am 15 years old). In my country most people are Catholic. I hold Protestant views and even though my father visits the Catholic service, I go to the Protestant service on Sunday. Since I have been saved last fall, there is a lot of struggle going on…
Read MoreDo I have to be perfect to go to heaven?
Question: So in order to go to heaven, I must not commit sin or else have repented of all sins I have committed. But doesn’t this require perfect behavior and a perfect understanding of the Scriptures? Where is freedom and liberty in this? Where is there room for growth in this? How is this not…
Read MoreSalvation 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 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 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 MoreDoes fornication mean my salvation is lost permanently?
Question: Good evening, I was wondering if you could help me with a question that has been haunting me for some time. My current husband and I partook in premarital sex for about a year and a half before we finally got married. We were both Christians at the time but fell prey to our…
Read MoreCan a person go to heaven who doesn’t accept God but believes He exists and is good?
Question: Do you think a person who doesn’t accept God but believes He exists can go to heaven if he is a good guy and help others? Answer: You are asking if a person partially obeys God, picking which commands he would like to follow while ignoring the rest of what God said, can he…
Read MoreI Met Him at the Cross
by Forest D. Moyer via Mind Your Faith In the heart of every person, there is a longing for a Supreme Being. Men who do not know Jehovah have manufactured various gods and rendered their service to the gods of human minds. Those who have diligently sought truth have come to realize that the Bible is…
Read MoreCan someone live a holy life without undergoing baptism?
Question: I kindly wanted to ask: Can someone live a holy life without undergoing baptism? Answer: Can someone claim to be holy while disobeying God’s command? “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,…
Read MoreI was baptized, but I seem more lost than I was before
Question: Hello I read a post that a young boy was sad about sinning and kept returning to the sin that he hates doing. I was baptized as an adult several years ago, but after that, it seems that I’m lost even more than before being baptized. I would like to get up one day…
Read MoreHow does an atheist or a person of another religion know it is God calling them?
Question: If so how does one know that it’s God calling them if they’re a part of another religion, or if they are atheists? How do they decline the ‘invite’? Answer: Too often people hear a phrase and make assumptions without intending to do so. People talk about God’s calling and forget to ask: How…
Read MoreRestore Such a One
by H. E. Phillips Those who have very little concern for the lost will not make much effort to restore them to the Lord. Those who love the lost and are concerned about their eternal destiny will work and pray for the salvation of their souls. The difference between these two groups is the difference…
Read MoreSince I blamed God for my miserable childhood and left God, is it possible to return and be saved?
Question: I’ve had a lot of anger toward God. When I was a child I was molested by a family member who lived in our house. My father was an alcoholic (he got help when I was in high school) who would abuse my mother, threaten to kill her and try to kill my mother…
Read MoreDoes the Holy Spirit come to us at our baptism?
Question: Jeffrey, Thank you for your wonderful work in teaching the Bible and for your web site. I have become much stronger in the faith as a result of your help. I have come upon a statement that I am not sure is correct: “At baptism God sends His Spirit to dwell in us. He…
Read MoreWhat do you mean by “Ultimately, these sins will cause you to lose your salvation”?
Question: What do you mean by “Ultimately, these sins will cause you to lose your salvation”? Once saved, always saved. Answer: See: Once Saved, Always Saved. Question: Without eternal security then the whole concept of being a ‘born again’ Christian is meaningless. A person would never know if they are going to heaven or hell. I’m…
Read MoreI believe I am saved, but I haven’t been baptized yet. What happens if I die before I am baptized?
Question: I recently turned my life to God. I’m on your website all the time learning about what things to do and not do. I’m also reading the Bible. I don’t know everything in the Bible, so I’m currently educating myself. I’ve come to be a bit confused since I have a hard time understanding…
Read MoreI keep promising God to do good, but I always fail. How can I not let God down anymore?
Question: I have made many promises to God. I have said this is enough I will do good from now on no more bad, but every time I fall back. I feel as if God is tired of me and is done. I don’t feel good enough or worthy enough to be a Christian. When…
Read MoreThe Sinner’s Prayer
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SinnersPrayer.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 9:1-19 I. A key feature of salvation in many denominations is the praying of the sinner’s prayer. A. It is generally presented at the end of a service to tell people how they may be saved. B. Each “Sinner’s Prayer” varies in detail, but generally carry the same theme: that…
Read MoreI deceived myself into thinking I was saved when I was lost
Question: Dear Minister, I have been in a state of utter despair for the past 1.5 years. I feel like I am in a horrific state of having rejected the gift of Jesus and now finding myself with no place for repentance. I had deceived myself into thinking that I was saved when I was…
Read MoreHow do I gain the various crowns?
Question: Is it possible to still be good for God while in the military and get the eternal rewards of the crowns? I know what the crowns are: the crown of righteousness incorruptible crown crown of life crown of rejoicing crown of glory What does each one of those mean? I know what some of…
Read MoreHow can sins keep you from getting to heaven if you are saved?
Question: Hi, I’m confused with the passage I Corinthians 6:9-10. Because if these things send a person to hell, then wouldn’t that go against what the churches teach today when they say you just have to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you are going to Heaven? Answer: “Do you not know that…
Read MoreNo one can live righteously, so am I lost?
Question: Hello, I want to love God with all my mind, heart, and soul. I respect God and by God, I mean YHWH, Yeshua, and the Holy Spirit. God is indeed good and has blessed me and my family much. I have been and am still living quite a sinful life. I recognize my sin…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between seeking and striving to enter the narrow gate?
Question: I know in the Bible if say many shall seek but only a few shall find then it says to strive. So what’s the difference between seeking and striving? What’s the definition Bible-wise. Can give me an example? And the example can be about anything between a seeking person and striving. I ask because…
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