In the quest for salvation, varying beliefs emerge—some emphasizing mere belief or grace, while others suggest a set of regulations for a better afterlife. The truth lies in understanding the dynamic relationship between grace, repentance, and obedience. Is obedience contrary to accepting God’s grace? Post-grace, what does God expect? Misunderstandings persist about repentance and obedience, leading to confusion about their role in salvation. When asked,…
Story Tag: Grace
Christ Our Passover cgi.org
Steven Orchard
3 years ago in Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread
This article explains why Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread are relevant to modern-day Christians, and gives helpful guidance on how to observe them. God (the Word who would become Christ) instituted the Old Testament Passover when Israel was enslaved in Egypt. The blood of lambs was the symbol by which the Israelites were protected when the angel of death “passed over”. Thus, the…
Are People Lost Because of Adam’s Sin? – Herbert Armstrong hwalibrary.com
Steven Orchard
4 years ago in Sin, Creation, Human Beings
Christian teachings concerning the “fall of man” hold that God made man complete, perfect, with an immortal spirit soul. Further, that this creation was then corrupted by Satan, forever condemning humanity to hell, and that God has ever since been trying to “save” men in a contest with Satan for these fallen souls. That’s not what the Bible says. Man is mortal. He does not…
The Last Great Day – Martin Collins bibletools.org
Steven Orchard
4 years ago in Judgement, Last Great Day
The Last Great Day is the 7th and final Holy Day in God’s annual calendar. It looks forward to a time after the return of Jesus Christ, and after the 1,000 year period in which Christ rules over the Earth with peace and prosperity, when everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected to physical life and given a chance to know Christ, to have…
Original Sin – Sam Sweat ucg.org
Steven Orchard
4 years ago in Sin, Creation, Human Beings
Original Sin is a cornerstone of popular Christianity that claims human beings are born evil; i.e. Adam transmitted guilt for his sin to each of us by virtue of simple heredity. This is a fundamentally wrong premise with far reaching bad consequences throughout modern history for both Christians and non-Christians. The doctrine was championed by St. Augustine, who was a Gnostic blending paganism and Greek…
Fulfillment of the Law – Tim Vail thefatherscall.org
Brian Orchard
4 years ago in Law, Law Done Away, Days of Unleavened Bread
Do all the laws of the Old Testament end with Christ’s death? Many believe that the 10 commandments as well as the statutes based on those laws are not binding on man today. This belief is supported by Jesus’ role as High Priest fulfilling many of the rituals observed by the ancient Israelites, such as animal sacrifices. So indeed, some Old Testament practices did end…
Day of Atonement & the Jubilee Year – Nathan Albright ucg.org
John Grabara
4 years ago in Economics, Jubilee, Bible
God’s character is revealed by His law. So it is worth noting the practical effects of His Sabbath laws, particularly as it relates to the relationship between the Jubilee and the Day of Atonement. The seventh day weekly Sabbath pictures restoration and freedom. Among its many benefits, the Sabbath limits exploitation of the poor by employers. The seventh year land Sabbath, when all debts were…
Acts 10: Did Peter’s Vision Abolish Unclean Meats? – Ralph Levy lifehopeandtruth.com
Steven Orchard
4 years ago in Law
God’s law on the avoidance of unclean meats is a common theme throughout the bible, and in Leviticus 11:1-47 and Deuteronomy 14:3-20 he clearly establishes the criteria for clean and unclean meats. However, Acts 10:9-16 tends to cause much confusion on this topic. In these verses, Peter receives a vision from God discussing symbolic clean and unclean animals. One might view this vision as the…
Should You Recite the "Sinner’s Prayer"? – Gerald E. Weston tomorrowsworld.org
Amanda Stiver
4 years ago in Sin
The “sinner’s prayer”—a short confession of belief in the Lord Jesus and admission of sin—is often referenced and encouraged by media evangelists. Can a short confession of sin serve as an easy solution to expunging wrong behavior? Without a solid definition of sin, such a confession has little meaning. The bible definition of sin in 1 John 3:4 is straightforward, sin is the transgression of…
Clean and Unclean Meat – Charles Haughee lifehopeandtruth.com
Steven Orchard
4 years ago in Law
This link offers a series of articles on the Biblical food laws. The meats God defines as clean and unclean are differentiated in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. Most nominal Christians consider the food laws regressive legalism and mistakenly conflate Orthodox Jewish Kosher rules with what the Bible actually says. The scriptures they cite to dismiss the Old Testament instruction are taken out of context….
What Is the Grace of God? – Florante Siopan, John Foster lifehopeandtruth.com
Ryan Welsh
4 years ago in Grace
Grace is not just something given by God but is a part of His very character. God is a gracious God, referenced throughout scripture. This is fortunate because all mankind has sinned, and the wages of sin is death. Death is the byproduct of sin which brings us to Christ’s sacrifice. In order to be gracious or show favor to us, Jesus, living a sinless…
Whiter Than Snow – Jeremy Lallier sabbaththoughts.com
Julie Modad
5 years ago in Grace, Sin, Repentance
King David’s story is a case study in the peaks and valleys of dedicated obedience to God and the brutal realities of sin. Being willing to face his sins was one of his strengths. He acknowledged his disobedience and repented, but he also understood grace, the path to complete forgiveness which leads to a right relationship with God.
What is Repentance? – Darris McNeely ucg.org
Julie Modad
5 years ago in Repentance, Days of Unleavened Bread
What is true repentance? Is it feeling badly about what you’ve done wrong? Is it just a matter of saying you’re sorry? What does God really say about repentance? Yes, it is an acknowledgement of wrong doing, but it takes the next step which is a commitment to not repeat the mistake, to not repeat the offense. With a committed turn to right living, a…