The Bible Questions

Dr. Andrew Farley

Is suicide an unforgivable sin? 

March 5, 2024

Scripture only lists one unforgivable sin: the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit or the sin that “leads to death” (1 John 5:16; Matthew 12:31-32). This sin is simply unbelief in the Gospel and has nothing to do with suicide. The false idea that suicide is an unforgivable sin stems from Catholicism which holds that a last confession is necessary in order to be forgiven (and someone who dies by suicide cannot have that last confession). But here, it is important to note that we believers are forgiven and cleansed once and for all time (Hebrews 10:14), not by any ongoing confession ritual.

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No, a Christian cannot forfeit or give up their salvation. This is because God has changed them from the inside out and given them a desire to always believe in Him (1 John 3:9, 23; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Romans 6:17). Believers love Jesus Christ with an undying love (Ephesians 6:24).
February 27, 2024
What exactly is the purpose of baptism? While some teach that water baptism is necessary for salvation, Scripture makes the opposite claim – that it is not water baptism but spiritual baptism into the resurrection of Christ that actually saves (1 Peter 3:23). Furthermore, the Apostle Paul states that Christ did not send him to baptize but to preach the Gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17) – an odd statement to make if water baptism were necessary for salvation. So, water baptism is not necessary for salvation, and much like the Lord’s Supper, it is an outward reminder of what occurred inwardly when we believed.
February 20, 2024
The word “Christian” was first used in Acts 11:26, and it refers to people who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for forgiveness and eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:1; Romans 10:13). We become Christians by believing the same message about Jesus Christ and receiving Him into our lives.
February 13, 2024
To understand why Christ died, we don’t need to look further than the Law which states, “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). Jesus’ death was required for our forgiveness, and His death brought perfect forgiveness to all who believe (Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 10:14).
February 6, 2024
The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves His divinity – that He has power over sin and death. But the resurrection is also important to the believer, as it is the means by which we have received new, resurrection life and new identity in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:17; Colossians 3:1).
January 30, 2024
The term “altar call” conveys Old Testament imagery of dead animals laying on altars for Israel’s atonement. In the New Covenant, Jesus was placed on the last altar, the cross, to take away sins once and for all (Hebrews 10:10). So, while God has saved people through altar calls at church services, the imagery actually conflicts with the New Testament reality of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
January 23, 2024
In Matthew 7:13, the narrow gate is the way of grace, and the wide or broad gate is the way of self-righteousness. Not many find the narrow gate (Matthew 7:14), because the religions of the world encourage good behavior for salvation, and this is very appealing to people. Scripture is clear: We must set aside our efforts to earn or maintain righteousness with God and humble ourselves by receiving grace (James 4:6).
January 16, 2024
While many believe James 2 teaches salvation by doing good works, this is not what the passage means. James is actually saying we’re saved by a living faith that involves the one-time decision to open the door of our lives to Jesus Christ (just like Rahab opened the door for the spies) and to offer ourselves to God (just like Abraham offered Isaac). This “living faith” that saves is contrasted against the dead faith that even demons have (James 2:19).
January 9, 2024
Scripture is clear that those who reject the Gospel (unbelievers) are not saved and remain unforgiven and unrighteous in God’s eyes. The idea that the whole world is saved (universal salvation) is popular today, but Scripture does not support it.
January 2, 2024
No, the whole world is not forgiven of their sins. Forgiveness is found only in Christ, not in Adam. A person must admit their sinfulness and their need for a Savior in order to be forgiven and cleansed of all their sins (1 John 1:9; Acts 26:17-18).
December 27, 2023
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Discover how the Holy Spirit is your companion, counselor, and guide!
Your gift below helps more people understand God’s grace and the incredible gift of His Holy Spirit, so they can know His empowering presence. 

About The Bible Questions

Each episode will ask tough, provocative, and even forbidden questions about Christianity- and offer surprising Biblical answers you may never hear in church. For more content like this, visit  https://biblequestions.com/

 

About Dr. Andrew Farley

Dr. Andrew Farley is devoted to helping people better understand the grace of God and helping them live in the freedom that comes from a true understanding of Jesus Christ’s finished work on the cross. He seeks to challenge the way people look at God, and themselves, through practical, scriptural insights about God’s forgiveness, living under grace and what a new identity in Christ really means.

Andrew is the author of Zondervan’s debuted #1 bestseller on Amazon, The Naked Gospel, in addition to serving as lead pastor of Church Without Religion in Lubbock, Texas. He is also the president of The Grace Message. His mission is to help people better understand the grace of God and see them enjoy freedom. He previously served as a professor of linguistics at the University of Notre Dame and Texas Tech University

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Bridgeville, PA 15017

 

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