Our lives are built around relationships. We have relationships with our parents, siblings, spouse, children, neighbors, co-workers, and many others. Among our different kinds of relationships in the world, there are two fundamental categories: our relationship with God, and our relationship with other human beings. These two different relationships define our life in this world, […]
When we think of the word “Law” we probably think about our judicial system, the Laws that govern our land. But God also has Laws. He gave us the Ten Commandments, which we are all likely familiar with. There is also a Law which is written on each of our hearts (Romans 3:14-15). We all […]
When speaking about Baptismal regeneration, the question is often asked: What about someone who isn’t Baptized, but believes? Can they be saved? There are some important distinctions we need to make when answering this question. There is a difference between something being a relative necessity and an absolute necessity. A relative necessity is something that is necessary in […]
For the first 1500 years of the church’s existence, the answer would have been a unanimous “yes” to this question. However, since the Reformation, especially in the contemporary evangelical church, baptism is viewed primarily of a symbol, rather than a sacramental act of God. There are, broadly speaking, two different views of what the Sacraments […]
“There is no point in repeating words every week that have no meaning to me.” That’s a sentiment often heard surrounding the use of liturgy in the church service. In a way, the statement is correct. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for using lengthy prayers to somehow gain favor with God, because their heart was not […]
Lent has been formally observed by Christians since the 4th century, but the practice of fasting, repentance, and prayer before Easter has been observed since at least the 2nd century according to the testimony of St. Irenaeus. Easter has always been a time of celebration for the church. On Easter we remember the victory that […]
The Roman Catholic view and Lutheran view are similar in some ways, and not in others. The Roman Catholics believe in transubstantiation, which is the teaching that the bread and wine are transformed into Christ’s body and blood. Though the appearance and taste of bread and wine are there, they are no longer present. This […]
The Roman Catholic view and Lutheran view are similar in some ways, and not in others. The Roman Catholics believe in transubstantiation, which is the teaching that the bread and wine are transformed into Christ’s body and blood. Though the appearance and taste of bread and wine are there, they are no longer present. This […]
