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?
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.
Paul answers the question: “So if the Law multiplies our sin, is the Law sinful?”
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?”
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.
By end of Romans 4, Paul made case for why justification by faith. In Romans 5, he answers the question “so what?
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.
Can I resist the working of God’s grace in my life to the point where I am no longer saved?
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.
Fights and quarrels among believers are symptoms of a deeper problem of leaning on earthly wisdom rather than seeking God’s wisdom.
Krisan Marotta is a Bible teacher and host of Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.