What Does Freedom Mean In The Bible?
In Jude 1:4 the Bible states: "For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ." Many people think that once they become Christians, they can act in any way that they so choose because they now have obtained freedom. Such thinking is a delusion and not true freedom at all. It is the freedom to want to live in the boundaries that God has set forth because He knows what is best for all of us. Christian freedom is worth more and cost more than any other freedom.
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How Do We Defeat The Devil?
The Bible clearly teaches that Satan is a serious adversary who desires to devour our soul (1 Peter 5:8,9). While the devil is a fearful foe, the good news is we can and must defeat him. Here are three ways to defeat Satan:
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If A Brother/Sister Sins Against You, But Does Not Repent, Are You Automatically Obligated To Forgive Him/Her?
This question stems from this context in Luke 17:1-4: "Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,' you shall forgive him."
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Are We Adding To The Finished Work of Christ On The Cross When We Tell Others That They Must Be Baptized For The Remission of Sins?
There are several denominations that assert that if you teach a non-Christian that he/she must be immersed in water for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16) you are actually adding to the finished work of Christ on the cross.
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Does Luke 17:34 Endorse Homosexual Behavior?
There are people who will make attempts to justify their own sinful behavior by using the Scriptures. Many people who practice homosexual behavior refuse to receive the love of the truth that they might be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:11,12). Instead of repenting of their wickedness (this is true also of many fornicators and adulterers), they would rather suppress the truth that can set them free from sin (Romans 1:18; John 8:31,32).
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Will God Judge Those Who Have Never Heard The Gospel?
First, all accountable people have sinned against God (Romans 3:23). Sin is the PROBLEM that separates all accountable persons from God and will lead to a person's soul and body dwelling in hell forever - if not remedied (Matthew 10:28; Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23; Revelation 21:8).
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What Does James 4:5 Mean?
This text is difficult and needs to be handled carefully. As one can see from the variety of translations mentioned above, it is difficult to translate from Greek into English. There are certain questions that arise when trying to understand this text:
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Is it Wrong to Judge Sin?
There is a prevalent idea in American culture that it is wrong for people to judge other people [which is a hypocritical idea in and of itself because such people are judging that you should not judge]. Usually, the verse that is used to support this false idea is Matthew 7:1, which is usually twisted totally out of its context (2 Peter 3:16).
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Is It Ever Too Late For The Non-Christian To Respond To The Invitation of Jesus?
Jesus Christ desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). Only two events would cause the non-Christian's response to be too late:
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Did Cornelius Receive the Holy Spirit without Baptism?
The answer is no. A common argument used against the essentiality of water immersion in its connection to salvation is the case of Cornelius and his household from Acts 10 and 11. This argument is not sound in the least, yet the argument may be constructed as follows:
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Is Investing In The Stock Market A Form of Gambling?
The common factor that the stock market and gambling have together is risk. Yet risk, in and of itself, does not constitute gambling. How do we know this?
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Should We Preach Christ From Selfish Ambition and Envy?
Philippians 1:15
Some take Philippians 1:15-18 out of context and believe that just because Paul mentions some brethren preaching Christ from envy and strife that somehow it is not a sin to do so. If this were true, Paul would not have stated in Philippians 2:3, 4 states: " Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit ..." Paul urges Christians to take upon the mind of Christ - have a heart of a servant (Philippians 2:5-11). May none of us be guilty of a fleshly mind by preaching Christ from envy and strife!
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Does The Bible Teach Everlasting Conscious Torment?
First, in Revelation 20:10, it states: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
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Does God Hear The Prayers Of Alien Sinners?
We must define the terms “hear” and “alien sinners”.
First, we will define alien sinners from the Scriptures. An alien sinner is a person who is amenable to the law of Christ (this would not include the unaccountable, such as, infants and the mentally retarded).
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Does Deuteronomy 14:26 Justify Social Drinking?
We must be honest and fair with this text. There are many verses such as Isaiah 28:7 and Micah 2:11 that prohibit the use of alcoholic beverages since they destroy the influential example of a Christian (Matthew 5:16; Romans 14:21; 1 Timothy 5:23), impair the mind (Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35), and would prevent a soul from entering into God's everlasting kingdom (Galatians 5:19-21).
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If “The Law” In 1 Corinthians 15:56 Is In Reference To The Law of Moses, Does This Mean That “Covenant Eschatology” Is True?
This question can be broken down into two questions. The first question is: “Is ‘the law’ in 1 Corinthians 15:56 a reference to the law of Moses?” The second question is: “Does this mean that covenant eschatology is true?”
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How Ought A Faithful Christian Spouse Treat An Unfaithful Spouse Who Has Been Withdrawn By The Congregation?
In the context of this question, the “unfaithful spouse” is referring to the Christian who is persisting in a sin habitually, that is known publicly by the members of the church, and refuses to repent of it. The Christian has received numerous opportunities to hear what the Bible teaches on that certain sin (by the eldership, the preacher, or some brethren), correction from the eldership (or the brethren), reproof from the eldership (or the brethren), the outpouring of love from the eldership (or the brethren) to repent of their sin, and the special, abiding fellowship that they have had in the past that can no longer be sustained if this Christian persists in their sin (2 Timothy 3:16,17). We are not necessarily referring to the sin of fornication or adultery in this context (Matthew 5:31,32; 19:1-12) because we understand in the nature of this case that the innocent spouse would have the Divine right to put that guilty mate away for that reason (although it would be best if the couple could work it out through repentance and a restoration of the marriage). How should a faithful Christian spouse treat an unfaithful spouse who has been withdrawn from by the congregation?
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