Many people seem to assume Christians are not to judge because Jesus said not to.
This is a common misconception, and quite frankly, Jesus didn’t forbid judging. Scripture teaches that Jesus said, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” John 7:24. We should understand that none of us are capable of walking through life without making some type of judgment.
This applies to what we eat, where we choose to go, our choice of friends, etc. This is why when Jesus refers to the term, he says “judge,” but do it righteously. We can do this by seeking counsel from God and what He has revealed to us in the Bible. God has already divulged what activities are good and those that are sinful.
If we are to be faithful to what God states is good and what is a sin, we as Christians can rightfully call out actions like lying, stealing, unfaithfulness to our spouse, and many others as sins.
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, it was spoken about multiple times about His leaving and returning (Matt. 16:27; 24:44; Mark 13:26-36; 14:62; Luke 12:40) and other passages as well. Finally, about 6 weeks after Christ was crucified, the resurrected Christ gathered the disciples one more time, explaining they must go out to all nations and preach the gospel. It was then that they saw Jesus rise into heaven. We see from this moment that angels said, “Men of Galilee…why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go (Acts 1:11).
All those who believe in Jesus and what he has done for us patiently wait for Christ to return. For there will “come an hour when neither of us expects him” (Matt. 24:44). While we eagerly wait, we must trust in him and obey what he has taught. Jesus states, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29). Are we not called to trust and believe what the Gospels have revealed about Jesus? We know from scripture that he was and is the eternal Son of God, fully God and fully human. He was the only one ever to live a perfect and sinless life. The type of life that none of us humans could ever live. Jesus willingly offered his own life as a payment for the sins that we have committed against God. We deserve the punishment of death, but instead, he took our place. Through what he has done for us, we are granted forgiveness and eternity in heaven for all those who put their faith in his finished work. When we put our trust in the name of Jesus, we are given “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
This is a common mistake most people make when it comes to God. Indeed, if God exists, He will show Himself to the world to prove His existence. Many of us will only come to believe in God if He presents Himself in a way, we can see him. The issue with this is even if those individuals saw Him, would they honestly believe it? Mark 16:10-13 states, “Mary Magdelene went and told those who had been with him and were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. Afterward, Jesus appeared in a different form to the two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.”
We must understand that God did come to earth in the person of Jesus, raised from the dead, healed many, gave vision to the blind, and ultimately ended up being rejected and crucified on the cross. God has revealed Himself to us through Christ, and He knows that His appearance to man will not change their hearts. He has provided more than enough evidence for His existence for all who desire to know Him (Psalm 19:1-4, Acts 14:17). We all have a choice to either accept Him or reject Him. No matter which route you take, when the Day of Judgement comes, all will stand before the Creator and be held accountable for what you believed and how you lived your life. Standing before God with the intention of saying that there was no sufficient evidence of His existence will not be enough.
As Dr. Norman Geisler and Frank Turek once said, “God has provided enough evidence in this life to convince anyone willing to believe, yet he has also left some ambiguity so as not to compel the unwilling. In this way, God gives us the opportunity to either love Him or Reject Him without violating our freedom.”
How can we trust the Bible, seeing that man wrote it?
If you genuinely believe this, one question you could ask yourself is, have you taken the time actually to read the Bible? Were any readings from other sources (books or articles) that influenced you to reject the Bible? If you believe that the Bible can’t be trusted because it was written by man, then by your own logic, nothing you’ve read is trustworthy.
The assumption that because the Bible was written by man, therefore cannot be trusted creates a problem. We, as humans, are fully capable of communicating the truth. The books of the Bible exist because God has revealed Himself to those like (Moses, Peter, and Paul) who documented not only what they heard but saw. I have complete confidence in the reliability of scripture.
What is the importance of evangelism? In what ways can evangelism be effective, and what does this look like? We all must evangelize because that is what we’re called to do as Christians. Evangelism shows our love for God and the love we have for our fellow man.
Theology revolves around trying to understand God and God’s relation to the world. Once we truly start to understand who God is, what he has done for us, and his purpose for us, we can begin to see that theology and evangelism go hand and hand. God’s word should and does lay out the foundation for which we should follow regarding evangelism. Some people may look at evangelizing as simple as knocking on someone’s door. Still, I prefer to take it further, employing prayer, telling a story of God, Jesus, the nature of falling man, and repentance while doing it the way the Bible tells us.
I tend to view evangelism in a more “God-Centered” way than any other. With this direction, it is a means of evangelizing to others with God in mind vs. ourselves in mind. When sharing the gospel with someone else, we sometimes tend to insert our feelings and thoughts on who God is and what we think God wants for them, instead of what the Word of God says.
In the book called “Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God,” Packer states that, “Human responsibility is a fact, and when we share what the gospel is and offer Jesus to those who are sinful, it is a task of ours to emphasize over and over that they are held responsible to God for the way in which they react to the good news of his grace.”[1] As stated, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19).” With this being a command, it is an excellent foundation in understanding why evangelism is so important. We’re instructed to share the gospel with all so we may not only know Christ but make Him known as well.
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[1] J.I Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove: IVP, 2012) 30-31
In Eastern Religions, meditation and yoga are two of the primary ways of achieving “salvation.” To them, salvation is defined as breaking free from the numerous unpleasant cycles of reincarnation. Both yoga and meditation are practices (physically and mentally) that came about as a way to reduce the impact of one’s karma-which is the attachment to the physical world and ourselves. For us, Christianity says that salvation is a free gift from God through His love and grace for all willing to accept it. Within the eastern religions, salvation is based on what a person continuously does (works) to attain due to their own attempt.
Many religions focus on one doing good deeds in order to obtain their goal. However, as Christians, we understand that there is nothing we can do apart from the grace of God that will allow us to spend eternity in heaven. Yes, we are to love our neighbors, give to one another, and live a life that is faithful to what scripture teaches, but the good deeds result from being saved, not what saves us. It is by grace alone through faith alone that humans can be saved and not on the account of our own actions.
Some people often wonder what it means when someone says that Jesus is “the Christ” and “the Son.” We must understand that Jesus was much more than a preacher, prophet and even a teacher who was wise. Understanding who Jesus is, one must understand what he taught, all that he said, and how he lived life. Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He is not only that but he is also the “bread of life” (John 6:35) and the “light of the world” (John 8:12).
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men (John 1:1-4).
His message was clear that “The time has come….The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15
His reason for coming was “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17).
Just wanted to let you all know that I have started a new website. It is now up and running but I still will be making some minor changes as time go along. I also added a youtube link to my new website which will have my first video uploaded by next weekend. Please feel free to stop over at my new site and subscribe. The “coming soon” link on my page is just a brief on my book that will be ready later this year. Sorry I haven’t been on much lately, just been very busy with work and writing the book. God bless you all!
We all experience the loss of a loved one, and the pain of this makes it difficult to focus on the end destination. One of the major concerns is what happened to my loved one? Are they in heaven or cease to exist?
Some information still remains unrevealed, but we do know this:
Our life and future are secure in God’s hands (Ps. 34:6; 91:4; Is. 25:4; Rom. 8:37-39. We are assured that believers will enjoy God’s presence (1 John 3:2-3; Rev. 21:22). Ultimately, when God renews all things, we will dwell together in the new heavens and the new earth (Rev. 21-22).
On Friday the 13th of May, I graduated with my Masters’s degree in Christian Leadership & Philosophical Apologetics. I have been truly blessed throughout the last year and a half. Now, a new journey begins, and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me.
Once Confined to Darkness "NOW" Walking In Faith! 