Tag: salvation (Page 1 of 4)

Supposed Bible Contradictions – Who is With and Against Jesus? (Lk 9:50; 11:23)

49 Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.” (Lk. 9:49,50)

“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” (Lk. 11:23)

Shortly after the familiar apostolic debate – ‘which one of us is the greatest?’ (Lk. 9:46) – and shortly after Jesus perceived the thoughts of His disciples and gave them an illustration, along with some instruction, about true greatness (vs.47-48), John, for whatever reason, called Jesus’ attention to something he and the others had seen at some earlier time; namely, a man who wasn’t among them but was casting out demons in Jesus’ name (vs.49). A quick glance at the verse reminds us that this guy was being used in this way. This was not a case like in the book of Acts where the seven sons of Sceva tried to cast out a demon in the name of “Jesus whom Paul preaches” and it didn’t work (Acts 19:13b). Here, the guy was actually casting out demons in Jesus’ name. So all we know about this man, which is very little, suggests that he believed in Jesus and was being used by God to advance the kingdom of God.

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Supposed Bible Contradictions – Was Abraham Justified by Faith or by Works? (Rom. 4:2; Jas. 2:21)

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (Rom. 4:2-3)

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? (Jas 2:21)

If someone isolates these verses outside of their context they could understandably say, ‘It looks like the Bible is saying in one place that Abraham was not justified by works and in another place that Abraham was justified by works.’ As is the case with many of these alleged discrepancies the issue concerns isolating Bible verses and setting them against each other as opposed to realizing that sentences fit within paragraphs, paragraphs fit within chapters, chapters fit within books, and when contexts are examined verses like the ones above are seen to be complementary not contradictory.

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What Following Satan Looks Like (1 Tim. 5:15)

15 for some have already turned aside to follow Satan. (1 Tim. 5:15 NASB)

This verse shows why Paul’s previous instruction was so urgent (vs.14): Some younger widows had already turned aside to follow Satan. The things that Paul described in the previous verses weren’t hypothetical, they were things that were actually happening in Ephesus. In light of 1 Timothy 5:11 it would seem that they had pledges and commitments that they were breaking in disregard of Christ. Having a desire to marry, but perhaps not being able to find Christian men who wanted to marry a vow-breaker, they could have been marrying outside of Christ, turning away from the faith, engaging in immorality, and even giving heed to false teachers (cf. 2 Tim. 3:6). Additionally, they were not only idle but were engaging in slander and gossip, being busybodies in matters that didn’t concern them (1 Tim. 5:13). From the snippets we have in the passage before us we can see how the paths of their feet were not in the direction of service to Christ but of Satan.

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The “When” of Baptism

When it comes to the when of Baptism oftentimes people have this notion that baptism is akin to “Christianity 301”, and before one participates in Christianity 301 they need to have completed Christianity 101 and 201. Thus, baptism becomes something a person works up to. In other cases, someone may have such a high view of justification-by-faith-alone that they diminish baptism’s significance because it isn’t an instrument through which God grants a sinner pardon. We want to avoid both errors. We don’t want to make baptism something that a person works up to with the proper training, nor do we want to suggest that it’s something that could be put on the side till someone feels like it. The bible paints a picture that clearly suggests that baptism is part of Christianity 101. That it’s something you do immediately after believing as a foundational act of obedience.

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Five Amazing Truths Portrayed in Baptism

Is baptism an outward expression of an inward change? Yes it is. However, in our modern-day Christian culture it’s as though that has become the standard reply to the question, “What is Baptism?” While baptism is an outward expression of an inward change it represents and symbolizes so much more – Biblically speaking.

With that being said, I’m going to make an assumption – I’m going to assume that the overwhelming majority of people who are reading this have some level of familiarity with baptism. Therefore, details concerning immersion versus sprinkling, believer’s baptism versus covenant baptism, orthodox views of baptism versus heretical views of baptism, will be set aside for the moment. Instead we will consider the glorious arrow that believer’s baptism by immersion is, as it depicts the spiritual reality/ spiritual baptism that happened upon conversion.

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