When I was a new Christian, I told another believer that I was struggling with controlling my temper. She told me that I was not a genuine Christian because if I was, I wouldn’t sin. If she is right, not only was I not a Christian then — I still am not a Christian now. When you discover two very different interpretations of the Bible, how do you decide who’s right?
grace
11 Romans 8.1-12 Deliverance from Sin
Most believers waste time trying to figure out how “to do” Christianity better. We search the Scriptures and self-help books looking for the “12 steps to faith,” “5 steps to better Christian living,” “3 keys to grace”, etc. I’ve got good news and bad news.
10 Romans 7:7-25 Law and Sin
Paul answers the question: “So if the Law multiplies our sin, is the Law sinful?”
09 Romans 6:15-7:6 Grace and the Law
If I am no longer under the threat of the Law, then I have no incentive not to sin? So if I have no threat of punishment, why can’t I “eat dessert first?”
08 Romans 6:1-14 Grace and Slavery to Sin
The promise of the gospel is not that we will have victory over every daily battle of sin in our lives right now. The promise is that ultimately, one day, we will win the war.
07 Romans 5:12-21 Grace Abounds
By end of Romans 4, Paul made case for why justification by faith. In Romans 5, he answers the question “so what?
Parables of Jesus
Parables are serious theology. But they are metaphorical theology. They teach through metaphor, simile, and dramatic action rather than through logic or reasoning.
Parable of the Vineyard Workers
This parable could be titled the “Parable of the Compassionate Employer.” No one in this parable is underpaid. The complaint is from those who are justly paid and who cannot tolerate grace being given to others.
Once a believer, always a believer?
Can I resist the working of God’s grace in my life to the point where I am no longer saved?
Do I choose God or does God choose me?
You may never have thought this question through. You may be inconsistent in how you live it out. But how you answer some basic theological questions makes a world of difference in daily life.
