What does it mean to backslide?
March 26, 2024
The term “backslide” is really an Old Testament concept related to being under the Law. It implies you were climbing, making progress, then your strength failed, and you slipped and started to slide back. Jeremiah 3:6 (KJV) says: “The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, ‘Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done?’” In Jeremiah 8:5 (KJV), it appears as well: “Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit; they refuse to return” (Jeremiah. 8:5). Finally, Proverbs says: “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways” (Proverbs 14:14).
Featured Offer
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.
Archives
Some overstress the importance of water baptism even to the point of believing it to be necessary for salvation. You may even be asking yourself, “Should I be baptized again?” However, baptism is simply a symbolic expression of the salvation that occurred within us when we believed (1 Peter 3:21).So, if you’ve been baptized and desire to do so again now that you understand the Gospel better, you have the freedom to do so. But baptism does not cause anything new to happen spiritually. So, the pressure is off, and you are free to decide from the heart!
March 19, 2024
No, Hell is a place for fallen angels and those who have rejected the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:9; Matthew 25:41, Revelation 14:10). Christians are already raised and seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6) and nothing separates us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39).
March 12, 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.
March 5, 2024
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
See More Episodes
Listen to The Bible Questions on
Amazon Echo
Learn How
Learn How
Featured Offer
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.