In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his disciples “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). This metaphor contains rich meaning about the role of Jesus’ followers in the world. 1. Salt as a preservative In ancient times, salt was valued for its preservative properties. Before refrigeration, salting and drying foods was one of the main ways to preserve them from spoiling. As salt of the earth, Jesus’ disciples are to have a preserving influence on the world, stopping the spread of evil and moral decay through their godly example and proclamation of biblical truth. Jesus expects…
Author: Erin Weitzman
A bondservant, also referred to as a bond-servant or slave in some translations, is someone who voluntarily commits to serve a master for a period of time or for life. The concept originates in the Bible and refers to someone who, out of love, respect, and devotion, pledges to serve their master faithfully. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was held in bondage in Egypt before God delivered them out of slavery. After that, God commanded them not to enslave their fellow Israelites but allowed them to take slaves from the nations around them (Leviticus 25:44-46). Rules were…
I am a Buddhist. Why should I consider becoming a Christian? Introduction to Buddhism and Christianity Buddhism and Christianity are two of the world’s major religions. Buddhism originated in ancient India, founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, over 2,500 years ago. It teaches that the root cause of suffering is desire and that the path to enlightenment is through moral self-discipline, meditation, and wisdom. The ultimate goal is to escape the cycle of rebirth and attain nirvana, a state of perfect peace. Christianity emerged in the 1st century CE in the Levant region. Its founder is Jesus Christ, whom Christians…
Evangelical theology refers to the study and interpretation of the Bible according to the principles of evangelicalism. Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement that emphasizes the authority of the Bible, the need for personal conversion through faith in Jesus Christ, and sharing the gospel message. Some key aspects of evangelical theology include: Biblicism Evangelicals view the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God. They believe the Bible is trustworthy and sufficient for Christian faith and practice. Evangelical theology is centered on studying, interpreting, and applying the Bible to all areas of life. This sets it apart from…
Jesus’ cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” is found in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34. This phrase is the opening line of Psalm 22, a prophetic psalm written by King David about 1,000 years before Christ. By quoting this psalm while on the cross, Jesus was drawing a connection between himself and the suffering described by David. The context leading up to this cry is that Jesus has been illegally arrested, falsely accused, brutally beaten, and unjustly sentenced to death by crucifixion. After being nailed to the cross at 9am, darkness fell over…
Vivification refers to the process of being made alive or being brought to life. In Christian theology, it speaks specifically of the work of God in making spiritually dead sinners alive through the new birth. The concept stems from passages in Scripture that contrast spiritual death and life and describe salvation in terms of being made alive in Christ. The biblical basis for vivification begins in the early chapters of Genesis. When God created Adam, He directly formed him from the dust of the ground and “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living…
The phrase “eternal weight of glory” comes from 2 Corinthians 4:17, which says, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” This verse points to the glory that awaits believers in heaven as their ultimate reward. The “light momentary affliction” refers to the sufferings and trials that Christians face in this present life. Paul says these afflictions are “preparing” us for something greater – an incomparable “eternal weight of glory.” This glory far outweighs any hardship we experience on earth. So what exactly is this “weight of glory”? To understand it…
The verse “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” is found in Luke 6:45. In context, Jesus is teaching that a good person produces good things from the good stored up in their heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the evil stored up in their heart. The “heart” in Scripture represents the inner being, the seat of motives, thoughts, and character. What fills our heart and mind will eventually come out through our words and actions. As Proverbs 4:23 states, we must “guard our hearts, for everything you do flows from it.” Our speech…
The verse Deuteronomy 29:29 states: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” This verse comes within a broader context where Moses is addressing the Israelites before they entered into the Promised Land. He reminded them of all that God had done for them and of the covenant that they had entered into with the Lord. In this verse, Moses draws a distinction between those things that God has chosen to reveal and those things…
Fervent prayer is mentioned in James 5:16 which says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” This verse teaches us two important things about fervent prayer: 1. Fervent prayer involves confessing sins James connects fervent prayer to confessing sins “to one another.” To pray fervently, we must be willing to confess our sins openly and honestly to other believers. This creates accountability and vulnerability before God. I John 1:9 tells us that when we confess our sins,…