Posts Tagged ‘salvation’
Is 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…
Read MoreSalvation Is Neither Deserved nor Earned
by Doy Moyer Salvation cannot be earned for the simple reasons that: If deserved, it isn’t salvation. We deserve what we are saved from, not what we are saved to. If deserved, it isn’t grace. Grace grants something good that we don’t deserve. Sin makes it impossible to earn or deserve salvation (Romans 3:23; 6:23),…
Read MoreI know that there are bad people in churches and being in church won’t save them, but why does God threaten to punish the good people who don’t worship Him?
Question: I am a religious Catholic, who has never been swayed by any sort of religious persecution or negative commentary, whatsoever. I believe that we should not judge other people because that is not our job to do. We are taught to live as good people on this Earth, no matter how ill many people…
Read MoreI want to know God and feel Jesus’ love, but I don’t know how
Question: Am I worthy of God’s grace? If so, why is it that I am lost and can’t control my sins? My whole childhood was a mess during my parents’ divorce. I guess never having a father around made me blame everything on my mother. Getting older I followed what everyone else was doing. I got…
Read MoreThe Redemption in Christ: An Examination of Romans 3:19-5:21
by Sean P. Cavender Paul indicted all people, both Jew and Gentile, as guilty of sin before God (Romans 3:19). It is due to man’s ungodliness that the wrath of God is revealed, and He will judge all sin as worthy of death (Romans 1:18,32). The reality of sin is frightening and condemning. What is…
Read MoreYour article on why water baptism is necessary for salvation helped me in a discussion with some Bereans
Question: Mr. Dvorak, I wish to thank you for this excellent summation of why water baptism is necessary for salvation! I could have looked all the Scriptures up of course, but this was concise and perfect. You see, sir, I began to feel the need to explain what my beliefs were on Facebook. I have several dear…
Read MoreCould I go to heaven after committing all these sins?
Question: I have a bunch of questions, but please answer them. If you Have sex before you are married, Drink, smoke, or do drugs, Use God’s name frivolously, Steal, and Tell people that you hate going to church and it’s a big waste of time will you go to hell, or at least go to spiritual jail?…
Read MoreThe Remission of Sins
by J. W. McGarvey Sermons by McGarvey, p. 56-57. The same word in Greek is translated remission that is translated forgiveness. The two English words, remission and forgiveness, are used interchangeably, and they mean the same thing. So then, if you are ever again in any confusion of thought about that somewhat unusual expression, remission…
Read MoreWhy didn’t you tell the girl with the Muslim father that she could be saved without baptism?
Question: Hello, I just discovered your website’s “questions and answers” page and felt that of the few that I read, the answers were extremely factual and reliable, though I must admit, with one exception! I just finished reading the one from a girl whose father is a Muslim, though she states she is a Christian and though she believes she is supposed to be baptized, she doesn’t know…
Read MoreWas the blood of Jesus limited only to the washing away of our sins?
Question: Please, was the blood of Jesus limited only to the washing away of our sins? Answer: For the forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His…
Read MoreThe girl I’ve been sexually involved with wants to be a Christian. What do I do?
Question: I am a Christian and she is not. We are in a relationship for three months, and we have had sex. I plan to live life fully with her. She even wants to believe in Christ after the preaching I did to her. I told her not to believe because of me. I said…
Read MoreA Savior Who Cares
by Steven Harper When was the last time you took a good look at the night sky and tried to count the stars? Can you still do that? If you live in the city, you most likely are not able to see the night lights as well because of the street lights or reflected light from…
Read MoreI am old and have been away from the Lord for a long time. Can I ever reach heaven now?
Question: Hello, I am troubled and need advice. I am in my late seventies. I want to go to heaven when I die, but due to my past, I am not sure this will happen. I was raised and baptized in the church. I have always believed that God and Jesus were real but during…
Read MoreHow can we be given grace without repentance?
Question: What does this mean? Does this mean that we are giving grace without repentance? I’m looking at a church and I looked up their beliefs, this was one of them. “That God has given us all a measure of grace according to our gifts: Ephesians 4:7 “But to each one of us grace was given…
Read MoreTerms of Membership
by Irven Lee Truth Magazine – January 3, 1980 The Lord built His church and paid for it with His blood. He is its head and has all authority in it. It is not my church, your church, or our church. It is not ours to plan its mission or work, nor do we enter it…
Read MoreDo you have to believe in Jesus to be saved from your sins?
Question: Do you have to believe in Jesus to be saved from your sins? I mean, what if you were really trying to love your neighbor and do your best but you just kept looking at Christianity (very open-mindedly) and just kept thinking it must not be true? Could an all fair, all-loving God really…
Read MoreDo you need to be baptized in order to go to heaven?
Question: Hello, I have a couple of questions, but I hope I am not bothering you in any way. Do you need to be baptized in order to go to heaven? If so, what other things must you do? Do you need to be baptized to be a Christian? Can you be a Christian if…
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