The BIG Picture (Q&A)

How do you change when you became a Christian? You become a Christian when you hear the grace gospel and then respond to it in faith. Responding to the grace gospel changes your spiritual standing with God*. The grace gospel justifies you and saves you from God's wrath and hell, and you will go to heaven when you die, but the grace gospel does not change your physical life. You still continue to sin, your mind remains carnal and at enmity with God (1Cor.3:1; Rom.8:7), you continue to be unprofitable for God in your current condition (Rom.3:12). Unfortunately, many Christians remain in this condition because of ignorance. They believe that they are saved, and rightfully so, but they fail to 'continue' in salvation, because the church teaches them that they've made it, so they don't seek to continue in 'the faith' (Rom.1:5;2Cor.13:5); the doctrine in Paul's epistles that informs them how to die to self, how to grow up in Christ, how to walk in the Spirit,...

Answer Request: — In response to this post:  What does it REALLY mean to be 'In Christ'? I'm pessimistic because I find it's hard for most people to change their mind. Do you think that most people's condition can conform with their position?  Our 'condition' will never reach our 'position'. The body and mind are subject to sin and corruption. The flesh is unsalvageable and can never be 'fixed', or conformed, to the standards that God requires. This is why the Bible says that we had to die, and this happened when Christ died for us. Read the following verse in Romans, Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall b...

There are two things to understand concerning this question, ~1~ A man can NEVER be free from guile, falsehood, and wickedness, since the state of man in the flesh is unsalvageable! "The flesh", even as it  remains in the believer after salvation , is that which is "begotten [ birthed ] of the flesh" (John 3:6)  from parent to child tracing all the way back to Adam by whom  "Sin entered the world" (Romans 5:12). It is called ,  "the flesh," "the old man," "the natural man," "the carnal mind" and "the old Adamic nature". With respect to "the flesh" in the believer, the Apostle Paul declares that in it "dwells no good thing" (Romans 7:18), that it is "carnal, sold under sin" (Romans 7:14), that it is "corrupt according to the deceitful lusts" (Ephesians 4:22), that it is at "enmity against God," and it is "not subject to the law of God, neither inde...

My response to this question is specifically in context to judging others (especially believers) by your own standards. Many of us know the concept that when you point your finger at someone, there are three fingers pointing back at you. The moral is that we are never in the position to judge a person based on their moral actions because if it were not for the grace of God and personal circumstances or choices, we would be in the same boat as they. We all belong to the human race and we all are ravaged by sins imperfections. Paul says it well, Rom.14:4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. The problem with judging others is that we can never know the true circumstances that drove that person to do what you judge them for! What motives did that person have to do that deed? What desperate situation was that person facing? Are your moral standards truly of higher value than theirs ...

The bible clearly lists various things as sins and therefore it is easy to know that these things are morally wrong. Things like, idolatry, greed, covetousness, lying, gluttony, complaining, murder, bribery, stealing, gossip, jealousy, adultery, etc. These and many more are either a violation of God's moral laws or a violation of moral and ethical laws set out by an authority like a government or ruling entity. Violating these causes you to fall into sin and probably face some form of consequences. But what about things that are not so obvious? Is smoking a sin? Is drinking a sin? What about anger, or not giving to the needy, or hurting someone's feelings? Do I sin if I choose not to go to church or if I want that extra piece of cake? What happens if I get a speeding ticket? Have I sinned in God's eyes for violating a law on the road? The list can go on and on, so the question remains, how do I know when something is a sin, especially if it is not as obvious, and not necess...

Answer Request: Can the evilest person alive be forgiven and saved? What about a traitor can they be forgiven and saved? It says God can save the vilest person, is that true? The salvation that God offers through Jesus Christ is unconditional. Please note what I say. God's grace is only available through Jesus Christ, BUT when we receive that grace, it is unconditional. This grace is free and given in unlimited amount irrespective of who you are and what you have done. This means that if a person (irrespective of their life; how good or bad they were, what their crimes or sins were, or what they have done) makes a choice to respond to the grace gospel and believe that Jesus Christ is their ONLY hope, they will be saved and come into right standing with God. It is important to understand God's grace, and what His grace means, in order to comprehend this. God's grace is so far above what we as people can understand based on what we see and experience in the wor...

Answer Request: Is it okay to take a break from Christianity and come back to it when I feel my faith is real? There is so much to say in answering this question. In short, as a believer, you are not under law, but under grace. God is not holding a sword to your neck. He gives you liberty to live your life as you choose. God is not going to punish you if you sin. Punishment and grace are opposed to each other. What will come to you is consequences. This is not by God’s hand, but simply a universal law of what you sow you reap! If you choose to go out sinning, you will reap the consequences of those actions. If you abuse substances, you will have to live with the consequences of the overdose and the results of your actions while in that state. Your question is an interesting one, but we have to look at it from a different angle. —If you are truly saved, you are changed from the inside. Your heart is changed and the motivation to take a break from Christianity, or delve into...

The bible clearly lists various things as sins and therefore it is easy to know that these things are morally wrong. Things like, idolatry, greed, covetousness, lying, gluttony, complaining, murder, bribery, stealing, gossip, jealousy, adultery, etc. These and many more are either a violation of God's moral laws or a violation of moral and ethical laws set out by an authority like a government or ruling entity. Violating these causes you to fall into sin and probably face some form of consequences. But what about things that are not so obvious? Is smoking a sin? Is drinking a sin? What about anger, or not giving to the needy, or hurting someone's feelings? Do I sin if I choose not to go to church or if I want that extra piece of cake? What happens if I get a speeding ticket? Have I sinned in God's eyes for violating a law on the road? The list can go on and on, so the question remains, how do I know when something is a sin, especially if it is not as obvious, and not necess...

The answer to this question changes a bit if you understand that the Bible is the Word of God. So we could actually be asking, "How do you live according to God's Word, or the instructions of God?" . With this in mind we then need to ask, "What is God's instructions to me?" Asking it this way avoids the mind getting stuck in the idea that the Bible is a book, and even worse, a book of rules!!! This is what most people think of the Bible and why many get stuck in a pattern of living by rules and traditions. Let's get back to the question, "How do we live according to God's instructions?" If we see the Bible as God's instructions, we must ask, "What instructions are for me?" You see, the Bible is a book that spans millennia and the instructions in it are not all applicable to us today. God's instructions to Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness are not for us as it was in a different time and under different circumstan...

Our very flesh nature is tainted with sin. We are born sinners and born into a corrupt sinful world. With this said, our flesh will die with sin and in sin. I tend to put it this way; Our flesh is so corrupt that God choose not to fix it but to replace it! Now let me give you the other side of the facts. When we get saved by responding to the grace gospel, though our flesh remains corrupt and sinful, our spirit is regenerated. Our spirit is utterly saved and sanctified. Positionally, we stand before God utterly clean, sinless, righteous and blameless. We are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. When our flesh dies, sin dies with it. As a matter of fact, Paul tells us that our salvation is so complete that while we are alive, we are already dead to sin (Rom.6). What this means is that in the eyes of God, He does not see our sin, all he sees is the righteousness of Jesus Christ upon us. So, the answer to your question is "No" . It is not bad to die with sin because we are ...

In the grace dispensation today, a believer's salvation is established in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. In other words, Jesus has done everything necessary to redeem you. There is absolutely zero more works necessary that you still need to do in order to be saved. There is no need for you to earn salvation! It is a gift, freely given by God to those who would choose to simply receive it. This is God's utter grace poured out over you in Christ. Eph.2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Once we have responded to the grace gospel, we are eternally saved. The Holy Spirit, at the moment of our salvation, seals us for that day when Christ returns. Nothing can change that! Once sealed by the Holy Spirit, you are eternally identified as God's child. So, this brings us to the working out of our salvation.   As mentioned above, it has NOT...

The bible clearly lists various things as sins and therefore it is easy to know that these things are morally wrong. Things like, idolatry, greed, covetousness, lying, gluttony, complaining, murder, bribery, stealing, gossip, jealousy, adultery, etc. These and many more are either a violation of God's moral laws or a violation of moral and ethical laws set out by an authority like a government or ruling entity. Violating these causes you to fall into sin and probably face some form of consequences. But what about things that are not so obvious? Is smoking a sin? Is drinking a sin? What about anger, or not giving to the needy, or hurting someone's feelings? Do I sin if I choose not to go to church or if I want that extra piece of cake? What happens if I get a speeding ticket? Have I sinned in God's eyes for violating a law on the road? The list can go on and on, so the question remains, how do I know when something is a sin , especially if it is not as obvious, and not neces...

Sanctification, or in its verb form, sanctify, literally means "to set apart for special use or purpose" , that is, to make holy or sacred (compare Latin: sanctus) . This word is in description of one who has heard and received the gospel of the grace of God . In believing the message of the gospel, one is saved, and in that moment is set apart as sanctified, having been clothed with Christ's garment of righteousness. Therefore, sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i.e. "made holy" , as a vessel, full of the Spirit of Christ. But note that there is more to sanctification than this incredibly gracious gift of God. Read on to also learn about practical sanctification. 1 Timothy 1:3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some [oversee] that they teach no other doctrine , 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. 5 Now ...