Search

Living Theologically

theology and the Christian life

Open Search
Tag

Gospel

Christianity Without Repentance?

Imagine a man who gets married but continues to live with bachelor-priorities. He may be in love, but he’s not ready to become a husband. Marriage requires a change in priorities and in lifestyle for both husband and wife. Decisions will be made differently, money will be shared, and each person’s actions affects the other.

In the same way, no one becomes a Christian without repentance. It is not enough to hear the gospel and intellectually believe it. Faith in Christ leads to confession of sin and repentance. Sin must be confessed and repented of, or Christ will merely be viewed as the safety net to protect us from hell.

hairpin-turn Continue reading “Christianity Without Repentance?” →

0

What’s the Difference Between Roman Catholic and Protestant Christianity?

My wife is a teacher and has been asked many many times how she’s married to a priest. We live in New England, I am Irish, and I work in a church… therefore it’s natural for people to assume we are Catholic.

Gone are the days where Catholics and Protestants banish one another as inherently nonChristian, but we’ve also begun to overlook the legitimate differences in ways that are a bit worrisome. I know some Roman Catholics whom I consider true believers; and I’ve know some Protestants whose faith I question. Contrary to popular opinion, the Pope is not the main difference between the two. Ironically, there are normal Catholics whom I believe are “saved” even while the Pope is not.

The Five Sola’s of the Reformation serve as a good reminder about the foundational differences between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Churches; especially since the issues the Reformers protested have not changed. These are not presented with anything other than a desire to clarify the difference between Roman Catholic Christianity and Protestant Christianity – there is no desire to spread judgment or animosity.

5_solas_challies Continue reading “What’s the Difference Between Roman Catholic and Protestant Christianity?” →

8

Four Motifs for Sharing the Gospel

The gospel is the greatest news and it is the Christian’s honor to announce it to all people everywhere… if only it was that easy. So often, we simply don’t know how to “bring it up” or deal with the rejection.

As we read through the book of Acts, we see how the apostles preached and applied the gospel in their ministries and there’s much to learn. I am particularly fond of Paul’s example in Acts 17 where he’s in Athens, the academic and philosophical center of the Roman Empire.

Christians today can learn from Paul’s example, discerning which “Gospel Motif” connects with the people to whom he is ministering, and then using that motif to lead them towards the gospel.

walk Continue reading “Four Motifs for Sharing the Gospel” →

1

What is the Gospel?

Man in Church

The gospel is the heart of Christianity. Without the gospel, Christianity is Judaism.

In all the talk about the gospel, it can be really helpful to slow down enough to ask ourselves, “What IS the gospel?” It’s both simpler and broader than you may realize.

The Simple Gospel
The gospel is the proclamation of forgiveness and redemption through faith in Jesus Christ – his sinless life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
John 3:16-17, ESV

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9, ESV

Gospel means “good news.” It’s an announcement. Like an ambassador who brings a message on behalf of the people he represents, the Christian announces the gospel, “Salvation is possible because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Confess your sin. Admit that you can’t earn it. Believe that forgiveness and redemption only comes through the work of Jesus, not through your own work. It is a gift of faith if you trust in his work instead of your own. This is great news!”

Continue reading “What is the Gospel?” →

8

Pleading for Christian Unity

Working on a good team doesn’t happen by accident. It’s natural for us to fight for our own way and do our own thing, but a good team is refreshing and effective. When it comes to teamwork, we can choose unity or division. We can choose to either do our own thing, or to lay ourselves aside in order to strengthen and benefit the team’s mission.

The church in Philippi was divided. Two of the leading women in the church, Euodia (yoo-oh-dee-ah) and Syntyche (sin-tih-key), were fighting and the Apostle Paul wasn’t happy about it. He publicly affirms both of them, but then essentially tells people to lock them in a room until they learn to get along again (Phil. 4:3). Paul’s message is essentially this: “The ministry of the gospel is more important than your disagreement. Figure this out and make it work.” Since they are both united to Christ, they are exhorted to be “of the same mind in the Lord” (Phil. 4:2).

Isn’t that a message we need today, after such a contentious election? To acknowledge that we have differences and disagreement, but we need to learn how to be of the same mind because we are both united in Christ. The gospel is what bonds us together and makes us family, why should we allow our differences to overpower Christian unity?

football-line-of-scrimmage Continue reading “Pleading for Christian Unity” →

0

How to Disagree (or Can Christians be Tolerant?)

argument-238529_1920There’s risk in being with people who aren’t like you. Similarity breeds safety; differences can be dangerous. But God created a diverse world. And he calls the Church to “go, make disciples of all nations.” If we clump with those who are like us, there’s no need for the Great Commission.

But how do we talk with people who aren’t like us? How do we disagree in a way that is respectful and healthy?

So how do we practice both persuasion and tolerance at the same time? Here are three “Rules of Engagement.”

1. Listen, Listen, Listen
We all come to the table with pre-drawn conclusions about people. Even if you just met someone, you’ve sized them up with your eyes and in your mind before you’ve spoken anything to each other. Their race, their clothes, their body language, the context in which you met, etc. These are all factors that can lead us to make false assumptions.

We need to do what we can to lay those aside and really listen. Especially when talking about issues of faith/theology, we need to be slow to categorize people. Continue reading “How to Disagree (or Can Christians be Tolerant?)” →

2

Who Loves Self-Righteousness (hint: we all do)

Self Righteousness… does anyone like it? You know the type… those who walk around like they’re holier than thou, judging everyone else for not being as godly as they are.

And yet, if we’re honest with ourselves, we all love self-righteousness. We believe that we are better than others. If I think ABC is right, and you think ABC is wrong, then I’m probably not changing my mind anytime soon. Why is that? Because our default setting is self-righteousness. We are the kings and queens of our kingdoms, and what we desire is almost always viewed as good and right and beautiful. Those who oppose us are grabbing for power, judgmental, or they’re just plain wrong.

But here’s the thing… you can’t be a Christian and be self-righteous. Christianity looks to the righteousness of another. The gospel calls us to confess our unrighteousness and to trust fully in the righteousness of Christ. The Christian is fully dependent on Christ’s righteousness.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Continue reading “Who Loves Self-Righteousness (hint: we all do)” →

1

Is “Forgive and Forget” Biblical?

We’ve all been hurt. We’ve all been forgiven. We’ve all needed to be forgiven. But some hurts are simply too difficult to truly forget.

“Forgive and forget” sounds good advice until you’re the one hearing it. Then, when it’s personal and when the hurt is deep, it seems like you’re expected to do something impossible. And for the Christian, it begs the question: Is “forgive and forget” biblical?

cloud-over-mountains
Continue reading “Is “Forgive and Forget” Biblical?” →

2

Integrity & Potato Chips

Don’t be a bag of potato chips. We’ve all been there: you buy the bag, get home, then after opening it you cry out, “Where are all the chips! There’s more air in here than anything else!” Sure, the bag gave the illusion of being full. You’re disappointed, but there were enough chips to convince you to buy another bag next time you get a craving.

The word “integrity” means “full, complete, whole.” That bag of chips had no integrity. It appeared to be full, but it was not. It can be so tempting for us to present ourselves in a certain way (in the best cases, we’re trying to live into who we want to be; in the worst cases, we’re manipulating people). Sooner or later, our integrity will make itself known.

sharp potato chips poured out of the pack Continue reading “Integrity & Potato Chips” →

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑