Posts Tagged ‘sin’
Samson
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Samson.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 11:32-40 I. Heb 11:32-34 A. Many wonder why Samson is listed among these greats. B. True, his great strength was a wonder, but his life was not one many of us would want to imitate. C. How is it that Samson, with his many sins, has come to be listed with greats…
Read MoreIf a Christian sins, is he no longer part of the family of God?
Question: If a Christian struggles with sin in his life and broke a promise he couldn’t keep, is he not part of the family of God anymore? Is it possible to sin to such an extent that there’s no way back home — basically you lose your salvation? Is there also forgiveness for sins if…
Read MoreHow do I deal with the sins of myself and others?
Question: If “obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking” are immoral (which I agree with), then how do we as Christians, who encounter these jokes every day, continue to live a pure life, staying away from these things? How do we continue to be kind to those who do such things and steer far away from…
Read MoreWhat about ghosts, sacrificing to the dead, and sin?
Question: I have doubts about certain religions. People have asked me what I believe regarding these things and I honestly don’t know what the Bible says about it. You probably know about religions that preach about “ghosts” or “spirits.” I’ve even heard about people who sacrifice animals or other people to get something they want.…
Read MoreCuring a Headache
Curing a Headache – Part 1Curing a Headache – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: James 1:21-27 I. When you see a problem, how do you solve it? A. If you have a headache, how do you get rid of it? 1. I suppose one could get a guillotine. After all no head, no headache 2. Instead,…
Read MoreThe Cords of the Wicked
by Wayne S. Walker “The LORD is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked” (Psalm 129:4). The heading given to Psalm 129 in the New King James Version is “Song of Victory over Zion’s Enemies.” Some Bible critics have raised objections to the argument for the inspiration of the scriptures based…
Read MoreDoes God wait for me to sin?
Question: Does God wait for me to sin? Answer: Sin is something everyone ends up doing. “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none…
Read MoreWhat does it mean “there is no one who does not sin”?
Question: Please explain to me what II Chronicles 6:36 means as per the issue of sin: “for there is no one who does not sin…” What is the meaning of holiness? What happens to a Christian who sins but has yet to acknowledge, let alone repent or confess it? Answer: “When they sin against You…
Read MoreSince Christ died for our sins, do we have any responsibility to give up sins?
Question: I have been telling people that, though I fully accept that Jesus sacrificed Himself for our sake and that He also died because of our sins. People tell me that He only died for our sins, and I find this confusing because in my mind mentally, verbally, and physically tormenting someone is sin. I also…
Read MoreHow do I give up sin and develop self-control?
Question: I am a man with more sins than Saul himself. I have stolen, lied, committed adultery, told my girlfriend to get an abortion with my firstborn son, helped kill in the war in Iraq, manipulated, and probably every other thing in the book. I am addicted to the lust of the flesh and I…
Read MoreWill baptism cleanse me?
Question: I have just recently joined the church and am going to be baptized soon. I have been worried lately because I have had premarital sex (and I am not married now), and I want very desperately to find a way to cleanse myself. I feel very guilty about what I did, and I pray…
Read MoreWhen the Bible says sin brings forth death, is that talking about hell?
Question: In James 1:13-16 at the end when it says “sin when it is full-grown brings forth death” or something like that. Is the “death” referring to hell? Answer: It is referring to spiritual death, which does ultimately lead to hell. Think about it this way: The first time you sin, it bothers you greatly.…
Read MoreWhat happens if sin is not confessed immediately and the sinner dies?
Question: How does I John 2:1 work for believers? One commentator talks of consent for the advocate to succeed but sometimes believers don’t get convicted of their sins immediately, for example, David in II Samuel 11 and 12. Does this mean his advocacy will not avail them? If they die, will they go to hell?…
Read MoreWhat can you do when you are completely controlled by your sinful nature?
Question: Paul said that he did what he hated and that as long as he knew the law of God was good, that shows it’s the sin in him and not him that does it. But he also said if your sinful nature is controlling you, it leads to death. If you have God’s Spirit,…
Read MoreWho Is Responsible for Sin?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/WhoIsResponsibleForSin.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ezekiel 18:4-20 I. A number of years ago, I couldn’t find a parking space in our lot because of some school function across the street. I finally found a spot on the side of one street among many other cars and walked to the building. When I came out,…
Read MoreWhy is God holding us responsible when it is He who made us?
Question: Why does a perfect God, who knows all and sees all, create imperfect beings in the first place, then curse those people and all the people thereafter? Then we who were born into this world without a choice must obey all these things, meet every week, and if we don’t adhere to His commands,…
Read MoreMy son told me of his sins just before a car accident that looks like it will be fatal. What can I do for him?
Question: I am a father and my youngest, who just turned 16, has been in a car accident. He is in a coma, and the doctors tell me there is a very real probability he won’t come out. He is showing little brain activity and his organs have begun to shut down. The morning the…
Read MoreI keep falling into the same sin over and over. Will God forgive me?
Question: I keep falling into the same sin over and over. I never intend to do it, but it always happens. Can God help me? Will He forgive? Will you pray for me? Answer: Someone asked a similar question not long ago. See: How long does it take for God to forgive? Usually, when these things…
Read MoreCan you sell your soul?
Question: I was on my computer about a while ago trying to load a video tutorial. However, it wasn’t working well and I was getting irritated. I then thought to myself “God get this working…even Satan get this working. I would sell my soul to get this working.” Upon having that thought, I immediately got…
Read MoreI really want to be a Christian, but I keep sinning. What should I do?
Question: I find it extremely hard to be a Christian. I am 14 years old, my father and mother are in ministry. I go to church every Sunday and have done for the past 12 years. My father became a minister several years ago. I grew up in a society where there are few Christians…
Read MoreHow did Satan corrupt the world before the fall of man?
Question: Hi! May I ask a question, please? How is it that Lucifer was upon this earth in the Garden of Eden in an already fallen state as the serpent and deceiver or devil? Lucifer had already corrupted the whole earth, before his fall from grace, according to the Bible. How did he manage to…
Read MoreAm I a real Christian?
Question: Lately, something’s been really bothering me and it’s been growing and growing and I’m afraid of where it might lead. Basically, I’ve been wondering if I’m a “real or true” Christian or not. This thought has been driving me nuts, leaving me depressed, and confused. From reading online and other sources about what being…
Read MoreIf we all start out innocent, then why doesn’t everyone make good choices?
Question: God makes all people the same, right? All people start out the same as a little baby, in innocence. So why is it that some people decide to follow God and some don’t? One might draw from that question that maybe it’s because God is pushing some people more than others to follow Him.…
Read MoreThe Temple of the Lord
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/TempleOfTheLord.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Corinthians 6:14-7:1 I. What is a temple? A. In warning Christians not to bind themselves with unbelievers, Paul reminds us that we are the temple of God – II Corinthians 6:16 1. It is the place where God dwells – I Corinthians 3:16 2. Both on an individual scale as well…
Read MoreDid God want me to have sex?
Question: Hi, I just discovered this website today, and I had a question. There is this girl that I have fallen in love with. She is everything to me. I prayed all the time asking what I should do with her and where I should go with this. I’m very close to God, and whenever…
Read MoreHow can we be guilty of sin if Christ’s sacrifice is eternal?
Question: Jesus died for our sins on the cross. Jesus, being God and part of the Trinity, doesn’t look at time as us humans. Jesus is infinite and we are finite. So if Jesus died for our sins, he died for all our sins from the time we were born until the time that we…
Read MoreWhy Do We Continue in Sin?
Why Do We Continue In Sin Part 1Why Do We Continue In Sin Part 2Why Do We Continue In Sin Part 3Why Do We Continue In Sin Part 4 by PJ Anderson
Read MoreWhat Must I Do to be Saved? (Hamilton)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Listening to preachers, pastors, and priests today, one wonders if they could answer the question, “What must I do to be saved?” in a manner similar to the apostles. What Must I Do to be Saved? In the very first sermon recorded, Peter convicted the Jews of participating in the death of…
Read MoreShould everything I do be done in plain sight?
Question: I read through John recently, and John 3:20-21 stood out to me. I can’t quite make sense of how to apply it. My understanding is that I should do everything in plain sight so that everyone can observe that I’m doing nothing wrong. But I’m unsure of how far it extends. If someone were…
Read MoreSins of Ignorance!
by Russell H. Dunaway via Guardian of Truth XXVII: 12, pp. 372-373, June 16, 1983 Perhaps one of the most controversial issues among brethren today is that which arises concerning the child of God and his sins of ignorance. Some brethren teach that if a child of God sins through ignorance, that sin of ignorance will not…
Read MoreDoes the baptism of the Holy Spirit give you the power to fight sin?
Question: Hi! Does the baptism of the Holy Spirit give you the power to fight sin? Does the baptism of the Holy Spirit give you the power to overcome sin? Answer: Peter was baptized with the Holy Spirit: “Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but…
Read MoreCan you explain to me what willful sin is?
Question: How would you describe willful sin? Can you explain to me what willful sin is? Answer: Willful sin is a purposeful choice to sin, even though you know God is against it and that you should not do it. It means you are putting your will above God’s. Parents often see this in their…
Read MoreSelling Yourself
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2005/07/SellingYourself.mp3 Text: I Kings 21:1-26 I. Have you heard the old phrase that someone had sold his soul to the Devil? A. Unfortunately, it is not just some mythological idea. It has some biblical basis. B. Elijah, in I Kings 21:20, accuses Ahab of selling himself when he took possession of Naboth’s vineyard. 1. Notice though that Ahab…
Read MoreConfessing Our Faults
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ConfessingOurFaults.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 32 I. I John 1:8-10 A. Forgiveness of our sins is not automatic. God has always required action on our part to gain His forgiveness. B. In this passage we learn that God wants us to confess our faults. II. Confession has always been required by God A. In the garden, God…
Read MoreWhat is spiritual death?
Question: What exactly is spiritual death? Some say that spiritual death is a separation from God. But what exactly is being separated? A physical separation, personal separation, or soul separation after physical death? If it was a physical separation, then why did God continue to have a relationship with Adam and Eve by clothing them…
Read MoreHow could there be sin before Moses when there was no law?
Question: I need to understand Noah’s history. It says in Genesis 6:9 that Noah was a just man; that he walked with God. But what does it mean by “just?” I mean, there wasn’t a law at the time, Moses didn’t exist. The same about Cain killing Abel. God told him to do good when…
Read MoreThe Continuation of Slavery
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/SlaveryInTheBiblePart1.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 8:28-36 I. It is difficult to imagine, but slavery continues in the United States A. Oh, I know that slavery officially ended with the passing of the thirteenth amendment on December 6, 1865. B. Yet slavery continues to this day. C. Perhaps you are thinking, “I’m an American. I was born…
Read MoreWhy does my sinful ex seem to have it so good?
Question: I am truly struggling with this. I was married for 21 years now divorced due to infidelity and a horrific divorce. My ex is now with the women he committed adultery with. He continues to come around my family as well as our friends bragging about how God is now blessing him. It seems…
Read MoreCan you explain what “if we sin willfully” in Hebrews 10:26 means?
Question: I am confused at what I am reading in Hebrews 10:26-27: “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries” (ESV). I am confused because I know…
Read MoreWhat does it mean to love the world?
Question: What does it mean to love the world? Answer: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of…
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