“What are the seven things God hates?”……The seven things God hates are a catalog of sins summed up in Proverbs 6:16-19. While these aren’t the only sins that should be avoided, they do sum up most of the wicked things condemned by God. The seven things God hates are the sins that deal with the […]
“What does it mean to have left your first love (Revelation 2:4)?”……Answer: Revelation 2:1-7 is an account of Jesus’ message to the church in Ephesus, the first of seven exhortations to various churches in the Roman Empire. Ephesus had some unique challenges for a Christ-follower in that it was home to the Emperor’s cult and […]
“Why is every sin ultimately a sin against God?”……Sin often harms another person, but, ultimately, all sin is against God. The Bible contains many references to people admitting, “I have sinned against God” (Exodus 10:16Joshua 7:20Judges 10:10). Genesis 39:9 gives us a closer look at this. Joseph was being tempted (See study about Joseph) to […]
“What does it mean to have a seared conscience?”……Answer: The seared conscience is referred to in 1 Timothy 4:2 where Paul talks about those whose consciences—their moral consciousness—have been literally “cauterized” or rendered insensitive in the same way the hide of an animal scarred with a branding iron becomes numb to further pain. For human […]
“Why is “You shall not covet” in the Ten Commandments?”…Answer: The key to understanding this commandment is in the definition of the word “covet.” Two different Hebrew words are used in the passages condemning coveting (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:12), and both mean to lust after or to long for with great desire. Since the […]
“Why is premarital counseling important?”……Answer: Premarital counseling usually falls under the office of the pastor or leader of a local congregation. In some congregations, the pastor will not undertake to perform a marriage ceremony unless the engaged couple submits to a series of counseling sessions. Pastors are aware of the divorce rate, even in “Christian” […]
“What is the sin unto death?” You must have heard of the “unforgivable sin,”…The “sin that leads to death“ is, in context, a sin committed by a Christian , not an unbeliever, and so is not the so-called “unforgivable sin,” the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Christ said the latter sin cannot be forgiven, (Matthew […]