A gracEmail reader who is weighing the claims of Christ writes: "I cannot hold in scorn humans whom I know to be decent and caring, simply because they have a different belief about salvation. Is my Jewish friend a sinner because he practices his religion? He certainly does many of the very things we ascribe to Jesus as being virtuous." * * * As one speaking on the authority of Scripture, I am authorized to promise that whoever believes in Jesus has forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43); that whoever refuses to repent will perish (Luke 13:3); that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved … [Read more...]

A gracEmail reader who is weighing the claims of Christ writes: "I cannot hold in scorn humans whom I know to be decent and caring, simply because they have a different belief about salvation. Is my Jewish friend a sinner because he practices his religion? He certainly does many of the very things we ascribe to Jesus as being virtuous." * * * What Jesus did, objectively counted for all those who finally will be saved (John 6:37-39; Rom. 8:28-39). It does not count for those whom he did not represent -- which turns out to be those who, in every situation and with whatever degree of knowledge … [Read more...]

A gracEmail reader who is weighing the claims of Christ writes: "I cannot hold in scorn humans whom I know to be decent and caring, simply because they have a different belief about salvation. Is my Jewish friend a sinner because he practices his religion? He certainly does many of the very things we ascribe to Jesus as being virtuous." * * * I do not believe we need to hold anyone to scorn. My understanding of Scripture (both Jewish, which we call the Old Testament, and Christian, which includes also the New Testament) is that people sin when they go against God. People feel guilty for … [Read more...]

A gracEmail subscriber writes: "In our Bible class yesterday, we were talking about Jesus' statement that the gate to life is narrow and 'few' pass through it. One class member has some relatives who believe that practically everyone will be lost, including most professing Christians, and other relatives who wonder, if that is true, why Jesus even bothered to die. Can you shed any light on this?" * * * Matthew places this saying of Jesus in what we call the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 7:13-14) where it precedes a warning against false prophets whom Jesus compares to rotten trees that produce … [Read more...]

It is right to support all who faithfully proclaim the gospel, whether they be westerners sent to foreign countries or national converts working in their own native lands (1 Cor. 9:7-10; 3 John 7-8). In either case, those supported should be accountable and those supporting should be prudent. It is right for converts to learn to support those who teach them (Gal. 6:6-7) -- a virtue sometimes best exemplified by the poorest of the poor. Having been taught the gospel, it is right for converts to financially support their teachers as they leave them to take the gospel to other places still (Rom. … [Read more...]

It was never God's plan for Christian converts to remain forever dependent on apostles or missionaries who brought the gospel to them from afar. Those taught by the apostles were to teach others, who were to teach still others, extending the living chain of Christian discipleship down through time (2 Tim. 2:2). Maturity in Christ is the constant goal, in self-sustaining faith communities whose direction, power and growth comes from Jesus the universal and ever-living head (Eph. 1:15-23; 4:14-16). Such faith-communities are authenticated by their reception of the gospel (1 Thes. 1:5, 9-10; … [Read more...]

From ancient times it was God's plan that Jesus the Messiah should suffer and rise from the dead (Psalm 2, 16), and that salvation through him should be proclaimed to all nations (Lk. 24:46-47; see Isa. 11:10; Amos 9:11-12). Before ascending to the Father, Jesus commissioned his chosen apostles that "having gone" (literally) into the whole world, they were to herald the gospel message to all creation, thus making disciples of all nations (Mk. 16:15; Matt. 28:19). The apostles were to baptize believers then teach them in turn all that Jesus had commanded themselves (Matt. 28:20; Mk. … [Read more...]