All Resources

The only obedience that is necessary for salvation is yielding to the requirements of the gospel (John 3:16, Acts 16:30,31). 

I am a newer believer and sometimes get frustrated over all of the different doctrines in various churches. Can you help me sort these out?  

I’ll begin with some important prefacing remarks. I am absolutely committed to the centrality of local churches in God’s kingdom agenda. 

In my opinion it would be unwise to not recognize that everyone, including you and me, has vested interests. 

This is a dilemma, and I think we should ask God to give us faith to believe Him, and skeptical only of some people’s claims, but not of God’s power or the fact that He sometimes miraculously intervenes. We need discernment, but not skepticism and certainly not cynicism.

Wolfe has raised some valid observations about the American religious environment; many of which true Christian believers should carefully take note. I do not agree with his conclusion that evangelical Christianity is not much of a threat to secularists.

I think there will be clothes on the New Earth, first because those in Heaven are depicted as wearing robes (e.g. the martyrs in Revelation 6:9).

I think what Randy is addressing in the article is the inevitable outcome of a philosophy taken to its logical conclusions. 

What about the different “dwelling places” believers will have in heaven (Luke 16:4,9)? What about the treasures Christ commanded us to store up “for ourselves” in heaven (Matthew 6:20)? 

It’s true that the ascension is a neglected doctrine. It was considered more important to earlier generations of Christians than it is today.
 One remarkable thing about the ascension is that it affirms Christ’s physical body went into Heaven following his resurrection. This is what the creeds call his “self-same body,” stating that likewise our self-same bodies will be restored in our resurrection.  

If you are a believer in Christ, once you leave this life in death or at Christ’s return, you will never suffer from the curse, death or suffering or any disease, including diabetes.

Christ did, in deed, pay the penalty for sin; and, the extent of that payment could sufficiently cover every person that ever lived, is living, or will live on the earth. 

You’re right that my belief in the ultimate authority of Scripture is based not on specific statement, but on the cumulative power of countless passages. (The same is true of the doctrine of the trinity and other major truths.) Among those passages are these:

There are different views of the restrainer of 2 Thess. 2, and a case can be made for two at least.