There are a few key reasons why some people reject Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, according to the Bible: Lack of understanding Many people simply do not understand who Jesus is or what He accomplished through His life, death, and resurrection. The apostle Paul wrote, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians…
Author: Matt Primack
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Tsar Nicholas II, the last monarch of Russia, and gained considerable influence in late imperial Russia. Rasputin’s influence over the tsar and tsarina helped discredit the tsarist government and contributed to the fall of the Romanov dynasty in 1917. Rasputin was born in 1869 into a peasant family in Siberia. As a young man, he joined a religious sect known as the Khlysty and displayed behaviors that some considered shocking and scandalous, including claims of divine visions, healings, and spiritual powers. He eventually made…
Indulgences and plenary indulgences are concepts within the Catholic Church related to the forgiveness of sins. An indulgence is a remission of the temporal punishment for sins that have been forgiven. A plenary indulgence is a full remission of all temporal punishment due to sin. These concepts are based on the Catholic belief in purgatory and the role of the Church in forgiving sins. However, they are controversial and rejected by Protestants as unbiblical. This article will examine 9000 words on indulgences and plenary indulgences and evaluate whether they align with Scripture. Understanding Indulgences In Catholic teaching, sin has two…
The verse “man shall not live by bread alone” comes from Deuteronomy 8:3 in the Bible. This verse is referring to the fact that human beings need more than just physical food to truly live and thrive. There are important spiritual dimensions to life that go beyond material needs. Here is the full verse in context from Deuteronomy 8:3 (ESV): “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives…
Spiritual apathy, or a lack of interest and passion for spiritual things, is a common struggle for many Christians. Thankfully, the Bible provides wisdom and encouragement on how to overcome this state of indifference. Examine the root causes First, spend time in self-reflection and prayer, asking God to reveal any underlying issues contributing to your apathy. Are you distracted by the cares of this world? Have you allowed sin or bitterness into your heart? Are you failing to regularly read God’s Word and spend time with Him? Identifying core issues is an important starting point in overcoming apathy. Prioritize time…
The Bible has a good amount to say about inheritance and leaving an inheritance for one’s children. There are various passages throughout Scripture that discuss inheritance practices, provide examples of inheritances being passed down, and offer principles regarding inheritances that can guide Christians today. When studied comprehensively, we get a reasonably clear picture of the biblical perspective on this topic. In the Old Testament, inheritance and the passing on of generational blessings was a very common practice. The Promised Land itself was divided up among the 12 tribes of Israel as their inheritance from the Lord (Numbers 26:52-56). Fathers were…
Humanity’s need for a Savior originates from the Fall of mankind recorded in Genesis 3. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command and ate the forbidden fruit, sin entered the world and corrupted all of creation (Romans 5:12). As a result, every human being since has been born with a sinful nature and is in need of salvation (Psalm 51:5). The Bible teaches that the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). Because God is perfectly holy and just, He cannot allow sin to go unpunished. But God in His great love and mercy provided a way of salvation through…
In Leviticus 10:16-20, God gives instructions regarding the sin offering that Aaron and his sons were required to make. However, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu disobeyed and burned the offering rather than eating it as prescribed. This was a serious offense before God for several reasons: 1. It was a violation of God’s direct command God had given explicit instructions that the sin offering was to be eaten by the priests in a holy place (Leviticus 6:24-30). By burning the offering instead, Aaron’s sons directly disobeyed the Lord’s command. Sinning against direct commands always brings judgment. 2. It profaned what…
The verse in Proverbs 23:7 that states “as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” is a profound truth about the power of our thoughts and how they shape who we are. This principle teaches us that our thoughts directly influence our character, attitudes, behaviors, and essentially our entire life. Let’s explore the meaning behind this verse more deeply. The Origin and Context of the Verse Proverbs 23:7 falls within the larger section of Proverbs chapters 10-24 which contains various wise sayings and observations about life. More specifically, chapter 23 addresses themes of acting wisely when interacting with…
The Old Testament canon refers to the set of books that were eventually recognized by Judaism and Christianity as authoritative scripture. The process of deciding which books belonged in the Old Testament canon was a complex one that took place over several centuries. The foundations for the Old Testament canon were laid in the time of Ezra in the 5th century BC. The Torah, or Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), was accepted as authoritative scripture by this time. However, there was still debate over which other books should be considered scripture. The Sadducees only accepted the Torah,…