Posts Tagged ‘salvation’
Wanted Dead or Alive!
As you may know I was raised in the west, sometimes called the wild west, where legends of famous outlaws blanketed history. In every small town you could always find a sign to purchase to hassle your best friends. The saying was for outlaws, but Christ wants us alive, not dead. Brethren, all who have…
Read MoreEpisode 440 – Not Sinless but Holy
When we hear the human lineage of Christ in Matthew 1.1-25, we hear about our human ancestors. The ‘list of names’ reminds us that God has never walked away from us, no matter how far we have strayed away from Him. The Feast of Christmas is a celebration of God’s saving act of becoming human…
Read MoreCoexist
There is a popular bumper sticker which uses symbols of different religions and cultures to spell the word ‘coexist’ that I see often on the road. On the one hand, the bumper sticker expresses the desire to be ‘left alone’ to ‘live and let live’ those around us. On the other hand, it is truth.…
Read MoreEveryone’s Savior
Are you saved? Orthodox Christians have been struggling over this question for years. We struggle not because we fear judgment. We struggle because confuse judgment with salvation. We are all saved and yet we are all judged. Before you get upset that I am teaching ‘universal salvation’ take a moment and read what Saint Paul…
Read MoreNo Guarantees
Our consumer society has a way of convincing us to purchase products we don’t even desire. Retailers and manufacturers proudly assert a money back guarantee if we are not satisfied. All we need to do is change our mind. Salvation does not come with a money back guarantee. The Lord said, “Not every one who…
Read MoreSaved by Grace
Do you believe? Do you have to ‘do works’ to be saved? Why do we have to go to Church? Why do we have to fast? Why are there so many rules in the Orthodox Church? Aren’t we supposed to be saved by grace? What’s the deal? IN THOSE DAYS, some believers who belonged to…
Read MoreWaters from Heaven
We all learn as children that water is crucial to life. Our bodies are mostly water. Without water nothing lives. We also learn from the many storms that rage that water can also bring total destruction. We should not be surprised when God uses water to save us. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s…
Read MoreThe Promise of Salvation
When a young child reaches for a hot stove, a loving parent slaps the child’s hand away from the stove. The child feels the pain of the action and likely feels punished. What really happened was that the parent saved the child from serious injury. Sometimes being saved feels like pain. The man gave names…
Read MoreEpisode 420 – Love is not a Contract
People do good things for three reasons. Some do good to avoid punishment. Others do good to earn rewards. The best reason to do good is because we love God. Doing good to get a response from God is contractual. Love is not a contract. When we are judged by God on Judgment Day, He…
Read MoreAutomatic Christianity
I just don’t get it. Why is it I meet so many people that think ‘just because’ they were baptized that means they are Christians and will be saved. It is as if baptism is some sort of magic pill that guarantees entrance to heaven. Others think, “I believe in Jesus. That’s enough.” Then there…
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