Knowing Christianity

God’s Word Carries God’s Authority Any statement is only as weighty as the one who says it. The boss can make a call that settles the matter. A referee can blow the whistle and end the argument. In the same way, when the sovereign Creator of heaven and earth speaks, his word comes with absolute authority. That is not just a religious idea; that is reality. Forever, Lord, your word is firmly fixed in heaven (Psalm 119:89). This is why the question of authority matters so much in theology. We do not decide truth by preference, popularity, or tradition alone. A theological claim stands or falls based on who has the right to speak. For Christians, that final authority is not the church, the culture, or the self. It is God. And because God has spoken in Scripture, his Word is decisive for what we believe and for how we live. Scripture Is the Very Word of God This is the church’s historic conviction: the authority of Scripture rests on the authority of God himself. As Wayne Grudem ri...

Then the serpent said to the woman, No! You will certainly not die (Genesis 3:4). God placed our first parents in a beautiful garden. They had everything they needed. More than that, they enjoyed fellowship with God and were given the privilege of serving him. But the enemy came to attack, just as he still does today. Genesis 3 is not only the story of humanity’s fall; it is also a warning to every believer. If we listen carefully, we can learn how Satan works and how we must stand against him in the power of God. Do Not Give the Devil an Opening Adam was told to work the garden and to keep it (Genesis. 2:15). That word keep carries the idea of guarding and watching over what God had entrusted to him. Later in Genesis 3:24, the same word is used for guarding the way to the tree of life. Somewhere along the way, vigilance was lost, and the enemy moved in. Scripture warns us the same way: And don’t give the devil an opportunity (Ephesians 4:27). Satan does not need much room. A s...

Abortion has been debated in the courts, in the culture, and in the church for many years. Many voices speak with confidence, but Christians must ask a deeper question: What has God said? The Bible does not speak to every modern policy question in direct terms, yet it gives us clear truths about God, human life, sin, moral responsibility, and the value of children in the womb. Those truths matter, and they must shape our thinking. When we speak about abortion here, we are talking mainly about induced abortion, especially abortion chosen intentionally. Miscarriage is a tragic loss, but it is not the same moral question, since it is not something a person chooses or causes on purpose. The issue before us is whether ending the life of the unborn can be justified before God. The Bible Must Govern Our Thinking It is true that Scripture does not give us many direct statements about abortion itself. That is one reason people have reached very different conclusions. ...

A Call to a Deeper Walk with Christ My heart goes out to the believer who truly longs for a deeper walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Many sincere Christians want to know the abundant life the Lord speaks of, yet they keep searching here and there for some hidden secret. They listen to one preacher after another, read one more book, and hope that somehow the next voice will unlock the mystery. But God has not hidden the way of spiritual growth from us. The Lord has already told us where the deeper life is found: Let it be done for you according to your faith (Matthew 9:29). The abundant Christian life is not found in a religious thrill, but in trusting Christ. For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). The True Measure of the Christian Life Our Lord did not say, “According to your fate.” “What will be will be” is not biblical faith at all. It is fatalism dressed up to sound spiritual. Scripture teaches divine providence, yes—but never in a way that e...

A familiar figure on the streets is the window shopper who strolls along, gazing fondly into each display but never purchasing anything. In the spiritual realm, we often find a similar character: the Bible window shopper. He moves through the Scriptures, admiring God’s precious promises, noticing its high challenges, and pausing before its deep messages of peace, power, and victory. But he never makes them his own. He appreciates, but he does not appropriate. He respects his Bible, defends it, treasures it—yet its riches never become living realities in his experience. He is a window shopper in the storehouses of God’s revealed truth. Treasures on Display, but Never Claimed As he walks, he pauses before a jewel such as: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). “What a rare pearl!” he says. “What lofty faith one must have to believe that!” And then he mov...

I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians. 2:2) The recipients of these words were the members of the Corinthian church. They had become divided into competing factions, with some declaring, “I am of Paul,” and others, “I am of Apollos.” Such sectarianism, though addressed in the first century, remains a persistent danger within the church, even in contemporary postmodern contexts. Tragically, similar divisions continue to surface in many churches today, often because believers lose sight of a foundational truth: ultimate allegiance belongs not to human leaders but to the Lord Jesus Christ alone. He is the author and finisher of our faith, the One who purchased the church with His own blood, bore the penalty of sin, and accomplished redemption and reconciliation with God. Accordingly, the church bears a serious and ongoing responsibility to safeguard the integrity of its life and witness. This includes mai...

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.   (Romans 8:28)   The promise of Romans 8:28 has been a source of deep comfort to Christians for centuries. Our focus today is on the opening phrase of that promise: We know . Scripture provides abundant evidence that this confidence is well‑founded. Through his own experience, Paul affirmed that in every ci rcumstance of life, God is actively at work for the good of those who love Him. The same God who shaped Paul’s life had a clear objective for him—to conform him increasingly to the image of Jesus Christ. Paul learned this truth, and we can learn it as well, through several avenues: Sickness (2 Corinthians 12:7–10) …Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it wou...