The Gospel Of Repentance

When this question is asked, we are dealing with two ideas, peccability (the ability to sin), and impeccability (the inability to sin). This is a question that needs to be thought about and answered logically. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is God in the flesh (Isa 9:6; John 1:1; 8:58; 14:9; Titus 2:3; Heb 1:8-9). So as a result of being God, He is incapable of sinning. As God Jesus is perfect. Sin is against the nature of God. Think about it, if Jesus could sin, He would have been disqualified as a sacrifice for mankind’s sins. And if He could sin, He would not be God. Opponents of this view would declare “how then could the temptations of Jesus be real if He was incapable of sinning?" We can look at our own lives to answer that question. There are a multitude of things we are tempted with that we do not give into. Drunkenness, fornication, adultery, getting high, stealing, cursing, lying, et al.  Just because Jesus never sinned does not mean the temptations to sin

This title question often coincides with the statement, “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere!” That is a popular phrase these days but, is the statement true? Well, let’s analyze it for a moment. When those two Jets deliberately flew into the two trade center buildings in New York City on September 11, 2001, the terrorist group AL-QAEDA headed by Osama Bin Laden were on a suicide mission. The terrorists that hijacked those planes were sincere in their belief that Allah would grant them entrance into heaven if they completed their jihad (holy war) mission against unbelievers (the U.S.). To become a martyr in the name of Allah grants a Muslim entrance into heaven. That is why it is normal for young people in the religion to strap explosives to themselves and blow themselves and others up in the name of Allah. Mind you, that is an extreme way to be sincere, but this practice is sincerely wrong. It does matter what we believe. Just because someon

In regards to salvation, we are dealing with basically four types of people. They are: 1.       Those  who are not saved and know they are not saved 2.        Those who are not saved  but believe they are saved 3.       Those who are saved, but are not sure they are saved 4.        Those who are saved and know they are saved With the first group I recently had the opportunity to preach at a Men’s juvenile detention center. During my discussion I came across a young man who said not only was he going to hell, he wanted to go to hell! Shocking. He had no desire to go heaven. Perhaps because of the state of mind he was in which was obviously hopeless at that point, he may have regarded death as a relief from his current miserable life. He may have had so much self hatred that hell was solace for him and heaven was sheer fantasy. I don’t know. The devil was definitely after him (John 10:9-10). Nevertheless he falls into the unfortunate first category. Those in the s

The reason for the title is in regards to the atonement of Christ. It is indeed sufficient for all; meaning His death on the cross was so efficacious, that it is powerful enough to save everyone who will ever live in human history. Jesus atonement was a complete and a propitiatory sacrifice for sins.  God the Father was fully satisfied with Jesus substitutionary act. Here is the compelling question, was this the intended purpose of our Lord; to die for every last human being that will ever live or to die for some? Automatically if we say Jesus died for only some and not all God’s fairness comes into question does it not? We need to always look at the atonement from two views – biblically and logically. In the writer’s opinion these ideas are one and the same. The Bible is logical, and true logic is biblical in this area of the atonement. My endeavor is to weave these two ideas together so they present a harmonious truth. If one believes that Jesus died for those w

Crucifixion was practiced by several ancient nations as their form of capital punishment. The nations that probably practiced it the earliest may have been the Persians, Greeks and Romans. Crucifixion was a slow tortuous death by asphyxiation. This form of punishment was reserved for the worst of criminals. Prior to the actual crucifixion the accused was tied to a post and flogged with a leather whip called a Flagrum. At the end of the leather thongs are lead balls that contain nails, glass and bones. When the criminal was whipped the lead balls with the glass, nails and bone would tear off the outer flesh exposing the criminal’s bones and tissue. Some would die as a result of this beating before they were even crucified. In Psalm 22:16-17 David by inspiration of the Holy Spirit says, “For dogs have surrounded me. A band of evildoers have encompassed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones.” What is going on here is that David was predicting the cr

We have all heard this phrase, but what does it mean? Does it mean we are to let someone beat us up, become like sheep headed for slaughter? The only time this phrase is mentioned is when Jesus is teaching on the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:38 we read, “You have heard it said, an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. But I say to you do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:38-42). When Jesus mentions the phrase eye for an eye and tooth for tooth, He is making reference to the Law of Moses (Exodus 21:23-25). This law was set forth not so that someone could injure someone personally for injuring them; it was put in motion as a system of checks and balances. In other words, the law was saying the p