We read a very scary list toward the end of the Bible in the book of Revelation: “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the […] The post Come to the Waters, Seek His Face appeared first on GGWO Church Baltimore.| GGWO Church Baltimore
One needs to read but a little way into the treatise to perceive how strongly and indeed even passionately Calvin insisted upon this point. The reason for this is that he looked upon election not merely as the warrant for assurance of . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Ultimately, the Catholic Church rejects the idea that salvation is attained by “faith alone” or “works alone.”| Crisis Magazine
One of my faithful parishioners lost her daughter to a heart attack; I did not see her at church for many weeks after the tragedy. She had been a frequent daily Mass attendee and never missed a Sunday. She even served and sang in the choir during many of the weekend Masses. When I asked […]| Catholic Exchange
Imputation is the act of one person adding something to another person’s account (Genesis 15:6). As believers in Jesus Christ, we have this clear assurance in Scripture: at the cross, our sins were imputed to Christ and Christ’s righteousness was imputed to us. The imputation of sin, as we see in Romans 5:12-15, is the way that God made for us to be saved. Our sin was placed upon Jesus Christ, and his righteousness was given to us, in order that we be saved. The Bible teaches that the hum...| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
Trump’s eternity problem has nothing to do with misunderstanding atonement. The post Beyond Grace and Faith: Trump’s Real Eternity Problem appeared first on Good Faith Media.| Good Faith Media
Will the animals we know and love be in heaven? In his latest book A Heaven for Animals: A Catholic Case and Why It Matters, Jesuit theologian and ethicist Christopher Steck offers a thoughtful, hope-filled answer. Drawing on Scripture, Catholic tradition, and the writings of Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and| Sarx
Towards the end of the 20th century, John MacArthur wrote a couple of books that engaged with what is historically known as the “Lordship salvation controversy.” Reflecting on his writi…| Theology Along the Way
“Kiss the Son, lest He be angry. …” (Psalm 2:12). The Psalms, like everything else in our Bibles, are ultimately about Jesus. Almost immediately in the book we get Psalm […] The post Kiss the Son appeared first on GGWO Church Baltimore.| GGWO Church Baltimore
Luke 12:15 And Jesus said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Greed is not good. I know some will arg…| Mitchell Lewis
Are you saved? It’s a question associated with overly enthusiastic or exceptionally earnest evangelists, knocking on doors and chatting you up in coffee shops. But it’s also a question …| Like An Anchor
Not long ago I lead a study on the doctrine of “Glorification” in a systematic theology series for the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at the University of Cincinnati. I was greatly blessed in considering the eventual, promised perfection of the people of God. Yet I was also impressed all over again with the fact that every aspect of our salvation — including even our glorification — is not ultimately about us, but about God. God predestined us for adoption into his family “to the prais...| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (John 19:30). The phrase Jesus uses here on the cross expressed a business transaction completed: "paid in full." At the heart of trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation is the confidence th| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
If you are a believer, then you are “sanctified”, you are a saint (same root word). The word sanctification means "to set apart for a particular purpose." There is no ceremonial act—not even baptism or the Lord’s Supper—which is needed in order to be saved, or sanctified. This may be confusing, howe| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture (John 10:9). It is easy and common to skip over this reference of Jesus to himself as the door and jump straight to him as the shepherd (also in this passage in John 10). But pause and consider that Jesus| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). There is a well-known real estate maxim that lists the three most important characteristics of any property: "Location, location, and location." This famous real estate maxim holds true in the Bible, as well. In| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). At the heart of the gospel -- at the heart of what happened on the cross to Jesus Christ -- is substitution. It is Jesus tak| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
Many people misunderstand the truth of God's omnipotence -- the fact that he has all power. So one might sincerely wonder why the cross of Jesus Christ was necessary. Why didn't God just waive his omnipotent "wand" and make everything okay without his Son having to die? The key is to remember that,| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
Occasionally, children face insults and unfair attacks from others. These can range from physical bullying … Continue Reading The post Turning Insults into Holiness appeared first on Catholicism Explained.| Catholicism Explained
Forgive us our sins (Luke 11:4). (We are continuing in our brief series of meditations on the Lord's Prayer.) Jesus teaches us to pray daily (see previous post) for the forgiveness of our sins, assuming (as we ought to) that we have strayed from the mark each day. Sins are sins -- they are not mere| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
Your kingdom come (Luke 11:2). In my last post I began a series of brief meditations on the Lord's Prayer. The prayer begins with the request for God's name to be hallowed, followed immediately with the prayer for his kingdom to come. When we ask for God's kingdom to come, we are reminded that not| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
Recently, Patricia Oedy-Murray from Annunciation Radio in Toledo/Sandusky, Ohio, interviewed me about my article on … Continue Reading The post Catholic Radio Interviews on Grace and Merit appeared first on Catholicism Explained.| Catholicism Explained
In this life, we encounter innumerable struggles. They can range from struggles against sin to … Continue Reading The post How Suffering Can Make Us Full of Grace appeared first on Catholicism Explained.| Catholicism Explained
The church’s liturgical calendar, from the beginning of Advent to the day of Pentecost, is built around a story. God did something. Then, suddenly, on the Sunday after Pentecost, we shift from stor…| Mitchell Lewis
Have you read recently Paul’s defense of his ministry in front of Agrippa and Festus? There is a lot that can be said about it, a lot more than I will say here, but reading chapter 26 of Acts…| John Meunier
What is Purgatory and Where can you find it in the Bible? Let's discuss and find out!| About Catholics
A grave misunderstanding about Catholicism is the notion of good works. The term good works seems to have a negative connotation to it in certain other Christian circles. Contents show 1. Positive Actions and Negative Actions 2. Good and Evil and Friendship with God 3. Faith and Works: Both Necessary 4. An Analogy 5. Catholic Practices […]| About Catholics
The Catholic Church and Scripture unambiguously teach that good works following justification are necessary for … Continue Reading The post Short Answers: Are Good Works Necessary for Salvation? appeared first on Catholicism Explained.| Catholicism Explained
Part 1 of 4 Part Sermon Series Luke 19:1-10 He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short … Continue reading Transformed by Grace: Called by Love| Strong Female Pastor
A moving reflection by Dr. Daniela Rizzo on the Spirit’s presence in the animal world, inviting us to see all creatures as vital participants in God’s living creation.| Sarx
This podcast (35 min) covers the blog post on Genesis 8: Rescued. Previous podcasts: Podcast: Genesis 1 Podcast: Genesis 2 Podcast: Genesis 3 Podcast: Genesis 4 Podcast: Genesis 5 Podcast: Genesis 6 Podcast: Genesis 7 The series is Formed in God’s Story: Genesis 1–12, and you can download the notes on Genesis 7–8.| Seeking the kingdom
Can a ruined creation be rescued? Genesis 8 says it can. The story began with God’s decrees bringing order to the world, putting everything in its right place, with humans representing God’s management (Genesis 1). But partnership with God in a world of astounding provision wasn’t enough (Genesis 2). We transgressed the boundaries God set … Continue reading "Rescued (Genesis 8)"| Seeking the kingdom
Among the most powerful meditations on Pascha are the writings of Melito of Sardis (ca. 190 AD). His homily, On Pascha, is both a work of genius as poetry and a powerful work of theology. Its subject is the Lord’s Pascha – particularly as an interpretation of the Old Testament. It is a common example […]| Glory to God For All Things
In John 10:16 Jesus says, "I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd." When you hear these words, what is your gut reaction? Are you offended that Jesus is just as concerned about homeless people a| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27). Paul, writing to the church at Corinth to correct their problems, confesses that he himself has to be careful to avoid sin. In fact Paul intimates he goes to great le| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified (Romans 8:30). Here| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground ... Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark (Genesis 7:23). The worldwide Flood is sobering to consider. In Noah's day, at a real point in time in actual history, every person on earth was drowned except the eig| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
We are all familiar with the Last Supper narratives in which Jesus identifies Judas as … Continue Reading The post Did Satan Enter Judas Because of the Eucharist? appeared first on Catholicism Explained.| Catholicism Explained
What were we made for? How would we have turned out if Adam and Eve had not fallen? I think the Mount of Transfiguration account gives us the answer. Jesus said that some would “see the Kingdom in power.” Three of His Apostles witnessed the essence of all power at this place described in Mark […] The post Glory and Flames appeared first on GGWO Church Baltimore.| GGWO Church Baltimore
This podcast (43 min) covers the topics blogged from Genesis 6: Included posts: Losing our identity (Gen 6:1-8) Judging and saving a corrupted creation (Gen 6:9-22) Previous podcasts: Podcast: Genesis 1 Podcast: Genesis 2 Podcast: Genesis 3 Podcast: Genesis 4 Podcast: Genesis 5 The series is Formed in God’s Story: Genesis 1–12, and you can … Continue reading "Podcast – Genesis 6"| Seeking the kingdom
Here’s the start of a new family story: Genesis 6:9-10 (NIV) 9 This is the account [tôlēḏôṯ] of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Christian readers have problems here. How … Continue reading "Judging and saving a corrupted creation (Genesis 6:9-22)"| Seeking the kingdom
Why the true Gospel of grace always sounds too good to be true| Greg Stier
Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God (Genesis 6:9). In the midst of the Flood narrative, in which we are told that God saw all the world as corrupt and decided to destroy every breathing creature, we read in contrast that Noah was righteous, blameless, and walk| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
It’s our adoption into God’s family and the seal of our union with Christ. We don’t take it seriously enough.| Christianity Today
I received a question recently about Romans 3:23, which states, “… all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (King James Version). The inquirer| Catholicism Explained
Repentance… “Aye, there’s the rub.” It would be easy enough to be saved if all we had to do was “accept Jesus as our personal Savior” and “say the sinner’s prayer.” But the “sinner’s prayer” that people are told to pray is not in the Bible, and no one in the Bible was told to… Read More The Importance Of Repentance — Bill Boyd|
The books of Daniel and Revelation are of the apocalyptic genre, a unique literary form peculiar to the age in which they were written. Often described as crisis literature, they clearly were spawned during times of great stress in history when the only solution seemed to call for God’s intervention in the affairs of humankind. Contents show […]| About Catholics
Purgatory is an intermediate state of purification between death and heaven for those who die with venial sins for an amount of time appropriate to the amount and severity of the sins as deemed by God to remove the temporal effects of sin. Contents show 1. What does Purgatory Mean? 2. Who Goes to Purgatory? […]| About Catholics
This is a fundamental truth; none will come to Christ as Redeemer until he is throughly convinced he wants a Redeemer. No man will ever come to him as a Saviour, till he knows and feels himself a l…| John Meunier
In a worship service in which I recently participated, we sang this beautiful hymn by Charles Wesley. I believe it was my first time to be acquainted with it and the words struck me powerfully. Too little thought is given, and too few messages and songs are devoted, to the marvelous and gospel-cente| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
“All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12). It seems as Paul writes his first letter to the church at Corinth, that the Corinthians were taking Paul’s own words -- his principle of freedom in Christ specifically -- and twisting it to their own sinful| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons (Galatians 4:4-5). John Wesley, as a post-graduate at Oxford, was a preacher himself and the son of a preacher. He was orth| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
My wife and I were struck by this recent devotion from C.H. Spurgeon's Checkbook of Faith -- so much so, in fact, that we've printed out a copy, framed it, and hope to make it a regular part of our prayer life. Nothing is more potent or refreshing than praying God's promises back to him! From Every| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7). Jesus was born when "the time came." The time came, not just for the fulf| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits (Genesis 6:14-15). The Big Boat The dimensions of the ark were about 450 feet long, by| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
Heaven answered Hell. This is the real point of the Christmas story. The true Light came into the world. See John 1:9. It happened in the manger at Bethlehem, a small town set in a region shadowed by religious and political turmoil. Dawn came when the night most exercised its presence and force. For this […] The post The Revelation Christmas Story appeared first on GGWO Church Baltimore.| GGWO Church Baltimore
After the Father draws us to the Son unto salvation (John 6:44), The Son draws us to Himself, calling us into the most amazing and intimate relationship that our hearts could ever hope for. Then He calls us to something, a specific call according to the measure of Faith and of Grace that He has bestowed upon each individual believer (Rom.12:3; Eph.4:7). Let us receive Grace to not miss enjoying maximumly the first call - to Himself - by focusing more on what He's called us to do. The post Cal...| GGWO Church Baltimore
A snake and a sneer, a trick question posed to an undiscerning ear. This is what set up mankind for the great Fall. Don’t eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was the simple truth communicated. Eat from all of the other trees. Eat all you want from them. Sure, no […] The post The Great Fall Got an Answer appeared first on GGWO Church Baltimore.| GGWO Church Baltimore
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours (1 Corinthians 1:2). Paul's first letter to the Corinthians is an epistle written to stra| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
Many people wonder why the God who is infinite love would sentence someone to an … Continue Reading The post Why Those in Hell Can Never Leave appeared first on Catholicism Explained.| Catholicism Explained
A few weeks ago, someone presented a Scripture verse to me that, on face value, … Continue Reading The post Short Answers: Can a Justified Person Sin? appeared first on Catholicism Explained.| Catholicism Explained
The letters of Paul make mention several times of salvation by faith. There are passages in Romans, Ephesians, Titus, and Galatians just to name a few. To some these passages might appear like a pretty open and shut case in favor of a teaching that says salvation is by faith alone and that “once saved, […]| About Catholics
Have you been saved? Do you know if you are going to heaven? Contents show 1. How can we actually know that we are going to heaven? 2. We are to help others gain access to God, through his Son, Jesus. 3. Catholic Teachings 4. Related Catholic Articles I’m sure many people reading this have […]| About Catholics
An indulgence is the remission (removal) of temporal punishment for sin in response to certain prayers or spiritual works. In common parlance an indulgence would reduce the time spent in purgatory if one should need to go there on one’s way to heaven. An indulgence does not take the place of a confession; confession and […]| About Catholics
Limbo is a theory developed by Medieval theologians as the place where unbaptized persons go when they die. Limbo is not an official doctrine of the Catholic Church, but it has not been officially rejected by the Church. Contents show 1. History of the Theory of Limbo 2. The Theological Problems with Limbo 3. The […]| About Catholics
In several places in Scripture Paul gives us a list of the kinds of sins that characterize the unsaved, along with the admonition not to tolerate these sins in our own lives as professing believers (1 Corinthians 10:7-12; Ephesians 5:3-7; Colossians 3:5-9). It should be incredibly sobering to us if| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
A common charge leveled against the Catholic Church is that it wrongfully teaches that Christians can “earn” grace. They say that this conflicts with the te| Catholicism Explained
Some non-Catholics, especially of the Calvinist tradition, believe that a person whom God has justified will do good works automatically, a teaching that is par| Catholicism Explained
Isaiah 5 describes the Lord God’s vineyard and its rotten grapes, physical Israel who rejected God’s laws. Whereas the vineyard now symbolizes the spiritual kingdom in Christ, where the…| Bible Science Forum
Apologetics is the handmaiden of the gospel in that it clears the way for the presentation of the gospel message.| Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture (John 10:9). It is easy and common to skip over this reference of Jesus to himself as the door and jump straight to him as the shepherd (also in this passage in John 10). But pause and consider that Jesus| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). There is a well-known real estate maxim that lists the three most important characteristics of any property: "Location, location, and location." This famous real estate maxim holds true in the Bible, as well. In| JustinHuffman.org | The Online Home of Pastor Justin Huffman
Metropolitan Jonah's paper and talk from the Orthodox MontaNIKA Conference 2024 at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Butte, MT. The post The Inner Work of the Spiritual Life appeared first on Patristic Faith.| Patristic Faith
Fear of death? Jonah's story shows hope emerges even in despair. Faith & Jesus' sacrifice conquer death's grip. #faith #hope #religion| Gentle Reformation
Love is a profound word. It strokes our innermost being or conjures fire in our souls. Love is casual or intimate. But one thing we can never do is ignore love.| A Tree Firmly Planted
Nothing brings home how different early Methodism was from contemporary United Methodism than reading John Wesley’s sermons. As we continue looking at “Salvation by Faith,” try to…| John Meunier
In 1745, John Wesley wrote a letter to a friend about the relationship between the Methodists and the clergy of the Church of England. In the letter, he began by describing the core doctrine of Met…| John Meunier
Most Christians don’t feel like they need an answer to the question, “what is salvation?” For them, the answer is simple: getting to go to…| Rival Nations
Baptism is the central ritual and rite of becoming a Christian. But ever since the fourth century, the meaning of baptism has been intentionally obfuscated.…| Rival Nations
Some Christians say that works have nothing to do with salvation. The doctrine of being saved by grace through faith instead of works is so…| Rival Nations
