What is the Unforgiveable Sin?

April 20, 2011 By 20 Comments
worried_sick

I have heard of people who lived their entire lives thinking that they were cursed because they, or their parents, had committed the “unforgiveable sin.” It was partly this conviction that made Søren Kirkegaard the gloomy Dane. If you sincerely believed that you were utterly beyond redemption and without hope, you would be gloomy too. One of the greatest sources of anxiety among believers is confusion over issues of sin and forgiveness. Tell a confused Christian that there is an unforgiveable sin and it’s like throwing petrol on a fire. So is there an unforgiveable sin and, if so, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blood of Jesus, dead religion, forgiveness, grace vs law, Holy Spirit, sin, works of the flesh Tagged With: , , , ,

Taking Communion in an Unworthy Manner

April 10, 2011 By 39 Comments
communion

I remember as a 10 year old boy watching in terror as the communion plate came closer and closer. Why was I afraid? Because there was unresolved sin in my life – I had argued with my sister before church! I knew that those who took communion in an unworthy manner risked condemnation, even death, for the Bible told me so: 1Co 11:26  For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 1Co 11:27  Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blood of Jesus, communion, healing, living under grace Tagged With: , , , , ,

1 Peter 4:17 – It’s Judgment Time!

February 24, 2011 By 23 Comments
Order in the courtroom

“For it is time for judgment to begin with the house of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Pet 4:17) Here’s a passage that seems to come up whenever something bad happens to Christians. If a pastor stumbles in sin and his church splits, it’s God judging His house. If an earthquake wipes out a city and some of those who die happen to be Christians, it’s God judging His house. Some people seem to take perverse delight in threatening others with the sword of God’s judgment. They seem to forget Jesus’ warning in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blood of Jesus, church, grace vs law, judgment, Peter, works of the flesh Tagged With: , , ,

What Keeps Christians Weak and Unproductive?

December 20, 2010 By 46 Comments
where_are_my_sins?

If you were the devil and you wanted to keep Christians barren, sick and ineffective, there is one simple thing that you could do: you would hide or distort the revelation that we have been totally and eternally forgiven. Show me any Christian who is making a mark for God today, and I’ll show you someone who knows they have been forgiven. Complete and unconditional forgiveness is the foundation of our faith. It is what separates Christianity from all the man-made religions of the world. Yet many sincere believers do not know for sure whether they are forgiven. And if you’re not sure … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blood of Jesus, confession, forgiveness, grace basics, the cross Tagged With: , , , ,

By Which Gospel Are You Saved? The Gospel of Grace!

August 11, 2010 By 15 Comments
Amazing Grace

Read the New Testament and you might come away with the idea that there is more than one gospel. For example, the very first words of the New Testament in the King James Bible are, “The Gospel According to Matthew.” Read on and you will also find the gospels according to Mark, Luke and John. Keep reading and you will come across Paul telling the Romans about “my gospel” before warning the Corinthians to hold firm to the gospel that “I preached to you.” Read all the way to the end and you will also encounter the “gospel of your salvation” (Eph 1:13), the “gospel of peace” … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blood of Jesus, goodness of God, gospel, gospel of grace, works of faith

Two Religions: Works and Blood

July 5, 2010 By 29 Comments
Jesus' blood

Travel around the world and you would be forgiven for thinking there are thousands of religions and belief-systems. But in reality there are only two religions: 1.    religion based on works 2.    religion based on the blood of Jesus People waste years studying different religions trying to figure out which one is best. But when you strip away all the packaging it's actually a fairly simple choice: it's either your works or his blood. Still, dealing with simple choices has never been humanity's strong point. Just look at the history of religion... The dummies' guide to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blood of Jesus, Cain and Abel, dead religion, grace vs law, the cross Tagged With: , , ,

Nothing but the Blood of Jesus: Five Reasons to Thank Him

July 1, 2010 By 10 Comments
communion cup

The gospel of grace is underwritten by the most precious commodity in the universe – the blood of Jesus. Some have lost sight of an important truth, possibly the most important truth, which is this: no blood means no salvation. And no redemption, no forgiveness, no sanctification, and no future. Without the blood, the gospel is no gospel and the cross is nothing more than two beams of wood. As the song-writer wrote, our cleansing, our wholeness, our pardon, our hope, our peace, our righteousness, our overcoming, are all based on nothing but the blood of Jesus. On the night before he … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blood of Jesus, communion, forgiveness, sanctification, the cross Tagged With: , , ,