This morning, I found out that Sam Allberry has been disqualified from ministry by the elders of the church where he was serving due to what they called an “inappropriate relationship”. In addition to serving at this church, Allberry was a frequent contributor to The Gospel Coalition (TGC) and Desiring God (John Piper’s site). To my surprise, I found out today that Allberry was also a frequent chapel speaker at Cedarville University. Allberry is an advocate for the idea that same sex attraction (SSA) is a result of the fall of man and is therefore simply a temptation, not a sin. He taught, even on the Cedarville campus, that one could live with SSA as a faithful Christian, as long as he did not go into lustful thoughts and actions. He himself claimed that this was his testimony.
Continue reading →1 Pet 5:14 – Should we greet each other with a holy kiss?
Paul commands Christians to greet each other with a holy kiss? Is this morally binding for today?
Are Mormons Christian? Do Mormons and Christians believe the same things?
While the Mormon Church—Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or LDS Church—claims Christian roots, its beliefs significantly deviate from biblical Christianity. Mormons deny that Jesus is fully God, teach that God was once a man, and believe salvation is achieved through works, rather than grace, making it clear that Mormons are definitely not Christian.
1 Pet 4:6 – Do the unsaved dead get a second chance to hear the gospel?
Peter writes, “The gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God” (1 Pet. 4:6). Does this mean that people get to hear the gospel after they die?
Worms with Kneecaps
Recent fossil discoveries in China are being greeted by evolutionists as among the most spectacular of the century. The fossils, say evolutionists, represent some of the earliest multicelled creatures. Evolutionists are publicizing these fossils as evidence for evolution. It’s not difficult, however, to see how these fossils support creation rather than evolution.
1 Pet 3:21 – The Bible’s Teaching on Baptism: Contradictory or Complementary?
According to numerous skeptics, the Bible is inconsistent regarding whether or not water baptism is necessary (e.g., Drange, 1996; Morgan, 2003; cf. Wells, 2001). In Dennis McKinsey’s book, Biblical Errancy (2000), he lists several verses that teach the need for one to be baptized in order to be saved (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21; etc.), but then he lists four verses (John 4:2; 1 Corinthians 1:14,16,17) which allegedly teach that baptism “is not a necessity” (p. 61). According to these men, Jesus and Paul were confused regarding the purpose of baptism.
Christ’s Comprehensive Love
The Lord takes pleasure in his people. (Psalms 149:4)
1 Pet 3:20-21 – Does Water Baptism Save?
“Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:20-21).
Joshua’s Altar
In Deuteronomy 27:2-8 we read of how Moses instructed Joshua to build an altar on Mt. Ebal after the Israelites had entered the Promised Land. There, the people were to sacrifice and give thanks to the Lord.
1 Pet 3:21 – Are we saved by faith or by baptism?
Problem: Are we saved from our sins by faith or by faith and baptism? Though the Bible says that baptism is a very important part of the Christian life, it is not necessary for salvation. The truth is that we are saved by faith alone in Christ alone. Let’s take a look at the scriptures used for both sides.
Andy Stanley’s Flawed View of Scriptural Authority Leads to More Skepticism, Not Less
Every time I hear Andy Stanley talk about the Scriptures, I cringe. I get this sinking feeling of slow erosion—like watching a foundation quietly wash away under heavy rain beneath a house that still looks fine from the street.
Continue reading →1 Pet 3:21 – Can baptism save us?
This is the only passage in the NT that states the salvific value of baptism (“baptism now saves you”). Does this mean that water baptism is necessary for salvation?
Your Portable First Aid Kit
Ouch! You’ve just gotten a paper cut on your finger. What’s the first thing you do? If you’re like most people, you’ll probably put your finger in your mouth. If you think about it, you probably have no idea why you put your finger into your mouth. Actually, when a dog licks its wounds or when you put your paper cut-ravaged finger in your mouth, you are beginning medical treatment.
1 Pet 3:19-20 – Where did Jesus go during the three days in the grave?
Peter writes that Jesus “made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient” (1 Pet. 3:19-20). What does this passage mean? Does it refer to Jesus going to hell in the three days between his death and resurrection?
Response:
Christ’s Precious Wounds
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a lamb standing, as though it had been slain. (Rev 5:6)
Why should our exalted Lord appear in glory with His wounds? The wounds of Jesus are His glories, His jewels, His sacred ornaments. To the eye of the believer, Jesus is altogether lovely. We see Him as the lily of matchless purity, and as the rose crimsoned with His own blood. We behold the beauty of Christ in all His earthly pilgrimage, but there never was such matchless beauty as when He hung upon the cross. There we saw all His beauties in perfection, all His attributes developed, all His love drawn out, all His character expressed.
