Progressive sanctification refers to the ongoing process of becoming more Christlike after conversion. It is the process by which genuine believers grow in holiness over the course of their lives through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that when someone places their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, they are justified before God – their sins are forgiven and they are declared righteous in God’s sight (Romans 3:21-26). However, sanctification does not end there. Conversion is just the beginning of the sanctification process. Believers are called to increasingly grow in holiness as they live out their faith.…
Author: Kerry Baysinger
The bitter herbs mentioned in Exodus 12:8 are an important part of the Passover meal that God commanded the Israelites to eat before the Exodus from Egypt. Here is what Exodus 12:8 says: They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. (Exodus 12:8 ESV) So as part of the Passover feast, along with the roasted lamb and unleavened bread, the Israelites were commanded to eat bitter herbs. This was to commemorate their bitter slavery in Egypt, from which God was now delivering them. The bitter herbs reminded…
Sincerity is about being genuine, honest, and true in our thoughts, words, and actions. It is the opposite of hypocrisy. The Bible has a lot to say about the importance of sincerity in our relationship with God and others. According to the Bible, God desires sincerity and truth in our inner being (Psalm 51:6). As Christians, we are called to love without hypocrisy (Romans 12:9), serve God with sincerity of heart (Joshua 24:14), and do everything without grumbling or questioning (Philippians 2:14). The Bible warns against hypocrisy and putting on an outward show of religion without sincere faith. Jesus strongly…
The story of Jonah being swallowed by a great fish is one of the most well-known tales in the Bible. Yet questions remain about whether Jonah was truly swallowed by a whale as the story says. Let’s take a closer look at what the Bible tells us about this incredible event. The account is found in the short Old Testament book of Jonah. In chapter 1, God calls Jonah to go preach repentance to the wicked city of Nineveh. But instead of obeying, Jonah runs the other way, boarding a ship headed for Tarshish. God then sends a violent storm…
Theodicy refers to attempts to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering in the world with the existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good God. The term “theodicy” was coined by German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz in his 1710 work Essais de Théodicée sur la bonté de Dieu, la liberté de l’homme et l’origine du mal (Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man and the Origin of Evil). Theodicy seeks to answer the theological and philosophical problem of evil, which questions how evil and suffering can exist if God is omnipotent, omniscient, and wholly good. The Bible does…
In What Ways is Being a Christian Difficult? Being a Christian in today’s world can be challenging in many ways. Here are some of the key difficulties Christians may face: Persecution One of the most obvious hardships for Christians is persecution. Jesus told his followers that they would be hated and persecuted for his name’s sake (Matthew 10:22). Many Christians around the world today face social exclusion, discrimination, verbal abuse, physical violence, and even death because of their faith. This persecution stems from both religious and secular sources who are hostile to the message of Christ. Places where Christians face…
The Second Council of Constantinople, also known as the Fifth Ecumenical Council, was held in 553 AD. It addressed matters of Christology and helped resolve a dispute that arose from the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD. Here is an overview of what happened at the Second Council of Constantinople: Background Leading to the Council After the Council of Chalcedon affirmed that Christ had two natures, divine and human, there was still disagreement over how to understand the relationship between His divinity and humanity. Some thought His two natures were so united that there was only one divine-human nature, while…
The Knights Templar were a Catholic military order founded around 1118 AD in Jerusalem, initially to protect Christian pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. They took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and were renowned for their piety and discipline. The Templars became very influential and amassed great wealth through donations and banking. They established a banking system that allowed pilgrims to deposit assets in their home countries and withdraw funds in Jerusalem, enabling safer pilgrimages. The Knights Templar expanded rapidly throughout Europe and the Holy Land. At their peak, they had around 15,000 members. They erected churches…
The term “heavenly hosts” refers to the multitudes of heavenly beings created by God to serve and worship Him. Though the Bible does not provide an exhaustive description, it gives glimpses into the nature, purpose, and activities of these spiritual beings. Here is an overview of what the Bible reveals about the heavenly hosts: Angels The most prominent category of heavenly beings are angels. Scripture describes angels as immortal spirits created by God to be His messengers and agents accomplishing His will (Psalm 148:2, 5; Matthew 26:53; Hebrews 1:14). The Bible indicates that angels possess intelligence, emotions, and will (Luke…
Jacob’s ladder is a vision described in the Book of Genesis in which the patriarch Jacob sees a ladder or stairway stretching from earth to heaven upon which angels ascend and descend. This vision is believed to symbolize the connection between God and mankind, as well as the importance of Jacob’s descendants, the Israelites, in God’s plan. The Biblical Account The account of Jacob’s ladder is found in Genesis 28:10-22. Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, was fleeing from his brother Esau and stopping for the night. As he slept, he dreamed of a ladder/stairway resting on the earth with its…