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Salvation

Will We Recognize One Another in Heaven?

recognize
via Mohamed Hassan | Pixabay

One of the last Bible discussions I had with my dear friend, Sean Cavender, addressed this question. As the children of God, we have the wonderful hope of an eternal home in the presence of God, where the pain and sorrow of this life are no more, where we are joint heirs with our blessed Saviour, and where the victory of immortality is won (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Romans 8:15-23; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57; Revelation 21:1-7). These are wonderful things which the faithful anticipate, but understandably, the question of recognition and remembrance of our loved ones is frequently pondered in the minds of the elect. Will we know one another in heaven?

The Important Question: What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Bible

Folks will ask many important questions in life, but none is more important than this: What must I do to be saved? It was the question on the hearts of the people in Jerusalem at Pentecost when they realized they had killed the Saviour (Acts 2:37). Saul of Tarsus, stopped on the road to Damascus asked this of the Lord Jesus (Acts 9:6). And the jailer in Philippi asked the same of Paul and Silas, who were prisoners in his jail (Acts 16:30). There is no more important question to ask, and we want to be sure the answer we get is biblical and complete.

Is Hitler in Heaven? The Truth About Universalism

Universalism
via Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-H1216-0500-002 / CC-BY-SA

Last week, while in a Bible chat room on the internet, another person in the same chat room was affirming Universalism, defined as

a theological doctrine that all human beings will eventually be saved; the principles & practices of a liberal Christian denomination founded in the 18th century originally to uphold the belief in universal salvation and now united with Unitarianism.

(Merriam-Webster.com)

According to Universalism doctrine, all people, no matter what they have done will be redeemed and go to heaven. While in the chat room, I asked the proponent of the doctrine if Adolf Hitler will also be in heaven, to which he earnestly replied “Yes.”

1 John 1:7: Is There Forgiveness Without Repentance?

forgiveness

A discussion of continual cleansing is certainly not a new thing, though it is a topic which I have never specifically addressed in print before. As with most topics that have been the subject of heated debate, it appears that there are misconceptions on both sides of the conversation as to what the other is saying. It’s sad that many disputes are the result of too much talking and not enough listening. Let us take a few moments here to consider what the Bible says about the forgiveness of sins, repentance, and the doctrine of continual cleansing.

Guilty Of The Blood Of Jesus

blood
via www.LumoProject.com

With an angry mob of Jews intent on seeing Jesus’ dead, Pilate succumbed to the will of the people and ordered His crucifixion. But before he did so, he washed his hands with water, declaring to the crowd, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.”

That suited the people just fine. They retorted,

His blood be on us and on our children.(Matthew 27:25)

Will You Obey the Gospel? An Important Life Decision

gospel, vineyard
via Jill Wellington | Pixabay.com

As the apostle John closes his gospel account, he states of the ministry of Christ,

 …there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.(John 21:25)

Quite simply, we do not have all the details of Jesus’ work and teaching while upon the earth. But what is given is sufficient

…that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.(John 20:31)

Holy Spirit or Water Baptism? The Truth about Acts 22:16, Romans 6:3-4, and more…

baptism
via PxHere / CC0

Last week we considered the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and wehter Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38, 41 are speakign about the bapttism of the Holy Spirit or water baptism. Today, we will look at the texts listed below, which some have claimed to be Holy Spirit baptism rather than water baptism.

  • Acts 22:16
  • Romans 6:3-4
  • 1 Corinthians 12:13
  • Galatians 3:27

Holy Spirit or Water Baptism? The Truth about Acts 2:38 and Mark 16:16

baptism
via PxHere / CC0

The necessity of baptism is evident to any honest Bible student, as dozens of New Testament texts require it. However, some will dispute whether it is water or Holy Spirit baptism required. We’ll address this question today.

Here are some texts that I’ve been told are Spirit, not water baptism:

  • Mark 16:16
  • Acts 2:38, 41
  • Acts 22:16
  • Romans 6:3-4
  • 1 Corinthians 12:13
  • Galatians 3:27

Before we look at these, consider a few important principles for Bible study.

Pursuing True Unity in the World

unity
via Michal Jarmoluk | Pixabay.com

Millions tuned in to watch the 2010 winter Olympic games hosted in Vancouver, Canada. Folks from almost every nation watched and for a few weeks, the world became a much closer community. A similar event is now underway, creating at least a tidbit of unity in the world, the 2010 FIFA World Cup of Soccer, being hosted in South Africa.

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