Salvation, Simplified

For a new believer, Christianity may seem overwhelming. The Bible is not by any means short--it requires many hours or even months of study. THe Apostle Paul simplified the gospel in First Corinthians 15.  

Even that might be confusing to some. So, here's a super-simple breakdown:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(John 1:1)

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
(John 1:14)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(John 3:16)

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
(Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Romans 6:23)

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
(Hebrews 2:9)

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
(Acts 3:19)

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
(Romans 10:9)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
(Ephesians 2:8)

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
(1 Timothy 2:5)

Word of the Day: Hosanna

Appearing in some songs of praise, Hosanna, is similar to Hallelujah, but is a plea for salvation, or a call for Christ to save believers from the world.

Word of the Day: Maranatha

An aramaic word for "the Lord is coming" or "Come, O Lord". Used today as a call for Jesus to come, either as in for the Rapture, or the 2nd Coming.

The word was historically used as a greeting between early Christians.

Today, the word is used as a reminder of Christ's impending return.

Word of the Day: Blasphemy

Blasphemy is the speaking with contempt about God or with irreverence or insult towards God or established scriptural teachings. Taking God's name in vain (using it as a profanity) is an example of a blasphemous act, and is even explicitly prohibited in the Third Commandment (Exodus 20:7);

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Jesus pointed out the blasphemy of the Pharisees in Mark 3:22-30, when they had claimed that Jesus had cast out demons by using the power of Beelzebub, the ruler of demons, rather than accepting Jesus had used the Holy Spirit to do so.

22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

27 No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.

28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.

30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

Word of the Day: Heresy

Something is heresy if it goes against the accepted theology of Christianity. Statements and writings are considered heretical when they contradict what scripture has previously established.

A different opinion on what scripture might mean would not generally be consider heresy. For example, Jonah 1:17 describes Jonah as being swallowed by a "great fish". In most modern churches, this is accepted as meaning Jonah was swallowed by a whale. However, in our modern era we know there were indeed fish, such as the Megalodon shark, which were large enough to have swallowed Jonah. So whether it was a shark or a whale is a matter of opinion on what the original text meant. 

On the other hand, preaching that Jonah wasn't actually swallowed by anything would be considered heresy, because it directly contradicts what scripture has stated. Telling people this is a fable would be heretical. 

Word of the Day: Canon

Authentic, real, or as accepted as fact. 

In Christianity, canonical texts would include the Books of the Old and New Testaments, Psalms, and Proverbs, which are widely accepted, by Christians, as being written under the authority and/or direction of God. Other texts, such as the Book of Mormon, are not generally accepted as being authentic by modern Christians (outside of the Church of Latter Day Saints).

Similarly, some translations of the Bible, in which changes were made in modern times, such as making God gender-neutral, or removing lines of text, would not be considered canon. For example, proponents of the King James Bible might exclude the English Standard Version due to the many verses omitted, such as Matthew 18:11, or changes in translation from the original Greek and King James English version, such as Revelation 10:1, in which an angel is described as having "feet as pillars of fire" in the Greek and King James English, while he New International Version describes "legs like fiery pillars".

In many instances, Christians may hold a belief that is not canon, such as the need to do good works in order to be saved, which directly contradicts Ephesians 2:8-9;

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.

Word of the Day: Apologetics

In simplest terms, Apologetics is the defense of the Chrisitan faith and scripture.

The word comes from the Greek word apologia, meaning to defend yourself, verbally.

Classical apologetics includes the sharing of proof and evidence the Christian message is true, for example citing non-Christian historical texts that confirm facts expressed in the writings of the Apostles found in the New Testament. 

Presuppositional Apologetics includes confronting presupposiitons from anti-Christians, such as claims that dinosaurs do not fit within the framework of creation as expressed within the Bible. In fact, dinosaurs are described within the Old Testament, such as in Job 40:15-24;

15 Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.

16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.

17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.

18 His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.

19 He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.

20 Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.

21 He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.

22 The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.

23 Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.

24 He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.