Four times, the Bible declares, “The just shall live by faith.” Paul famously wrote to the Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). To the Romans, he stated, “we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand” (Romans 5:2). Faith, then, is the door into the halls…
Paul was on death row. The time of his departure was at hand (2 Timothy 4:6). The brethren he was leaving behind were under assault from false teaching. Hymenaeus and Philetus were overthrowing the faith of some with lies about the resurrection (2 Timothy 2:18), and others were promoting similarly profane ideas. And the damage…
Man was made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26, 1 Corinthians 11:7, and James 3:9). To what degree this is true, we cannot say, but the words in these passages seem to indicate that we resemble Him both in appearance and capacity. God has a form (Philippians 2:6), and apparently, ours bears…
Remember the children’s song about the boy who gave Jesus his “two little fish and five loaves of bread”? It closes with these words: “All that I have, All that I have, I will give Jesus all that I have.” That is a powerful promise and not one to be made lightly. And it is entirely in…
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (i.e., “the gospels”) claim to be historical records of Jesus’ life, particularly his ministry. And in their accounts, they write that Jesus said and did all the things that Christians claim for him: that he said he was the Son of God, that he performed miracles, that he rose from the dead, that he said he is the only way to God. Monumental claims. But not the sort of things one can be expected to believe without evidence.
The church that Jesus built is “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). This means it upholds the truth—the truth found in the word of God (John 17:17). The church does not do this by ignoring the truth, or by misinterpreting it. Rather, the church upholds the truth by accurately interpreting it, teaching it, and practicing it. In this way, the church ensures that the truth is held up for all—sinner and saved, alike—to behold and believe.
Jesus is coming back. His return may be sudden, but it will not be secret. It will be visible to all, audible to all, and its accompanying judgment will be final for all. And that finality is why it’s so important to be aware of the errors of the doctrine we’ve been examining. By promising two returns, the doctrine of “the Rapture” promises people a second chance—another seven years, according to LaHaye, another three and a half years, according to others—but a second chance all the same.
Do you fear, Christian? There is a place of quiet rest; it is near to the heart of God. The heart of God swells with love for you. It is this vast reservoir of love that drives Him to be jealous for you. And this love is intended to quiet you. God is rejoicing over you with gladness, with singing! Like a spouse or a child who is quieted, calmed, and made secure by the knowledge that she is loved by her spouse or parent, so God’s love is intended to quiet your fears and fill you with a sense of peace and security.
Elijah was a deeply discouraged man. He had lost hope and had lost heart. Life was no longer worth living. His was a wasted existence. There was no use in even trying anymore. What could be said or done to help this man overcome his discouragement? God shows us the way.
In May, 2017, The Gospel Message published an article entitled “The Church & Our Sisters” in which I offered what I believe to be the Bible’s answers to the following two questions: (1) What does it mean to be “in church” (1 Corinthians 14:28, 35)? and (2) What is the role of our sisters “in church”? In response to that article, as well as to public teaching on the subject before and since, several questions have consistently come up which deserve attention. In this article, I’d like to take up just a couple of those (and, perhaps, in a future article, we can address others).