15Jan 2025 by Post

Can Christianity Really Be The Only Means Of Salvation?

Al Serrato, Apologetics, Christianity, Exclusivism, Gospel, Jesus, Pluralism, salvation, sola Christus, Theology and Christian Apologetics
Most skeptics I know feel pretty confident that all religions “say basically the same thing.” If there actually is a God, they’re not particularly worried, because in their view, “being a good person” is really all that matters. As long as you are “sincere” in your beliefs, whether you’re Muslim, Christian, Hindu or a member of your own individual religion, it will turn out fine in the end. Many go so far as to say that they simply “won’t believe” in a God who warns of a narrow path to salvation. This view has always struck me as particularly odd, coming as it often does from people who subscribe to a view that nature is all there is, and that science is the best way to attain knowledge. It’s odd…
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13Jan 2025 by Post

I Never Expected to Doubt

Alisa Childers, AlisaChildersBlog.com, Apologetics, Christianity, Deconstruction, Deconversion, Doubt, Gospel, liberalism, Progressive Christianity, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Woke, Wokism
“Oh Jesus! Jesus!” My spirit sprung to prayer with catlike reflexes as I watched my 2-year-old daughter tumble down the 15-step staircase. I stood helpless as her little body hurled toward the hardwood floor. She stood up without a scratch . . . but my soul didn’t. In that moment, I was never more aware of the wound that had been festering for months. The wound was doubt. Experiencing Doubt I had been experiencing doubt about God’s existence and the Christianity I had believed to be true my whole life. But until that moment, I didn’t realize how deeply that doubt had wrapped itself around my mind. To the casual observer, my daughter fell, I prayed, and she was okay. But for the first time in my life, I wasn’t so sure…
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01Jan 2025 by Post

What is Logos? A look at John 1:1-3

Apologetics, Christianity, christology, FreeThinkingMinistries.com, Jesus, John 1:1-13, logos, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Thomas Moller
Introduction One of my favorite passages in the gospels is the prologue of John (1:1-18). I particularly find the first three verses, John 1:1-3, and the use of the “Word”, or Logos in Greek, interesting. In those three verses, a type of creation narrative arises, revolving around Logos, in which Logos is described as being divine, eternal, and the creator. Later in the prologue, in John 1:17, Logos is revealed to be Jesus Christ, thus applying the description of Logos as divine, eternal, and the creator to Jesus Christ. John 1:1-3 states, “In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made…
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23Dec 2024 by Post

3 Simple Ways the Birth of Jesus Changed the World

3D Glasses Categories: Theology and Christian Apologetics, Apologetics, Christianity, Christmas, Gospel, Jesus, Natasha Crain, NatashaCrain.com, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Worldview
“When we see Jesus as he is, we must turn away or else shamelessly adore him. That must be kept in mind for any authentic understanding of the power of Christian faith.” This quote, from Dallas Willard’s book, “The Divine Conspiracy,” challenged me the moment I read it this week. There is no better time to remind ourselves of what it means to shamelessly adore Jesus than at Christmas. I’m convicted this week that shameless adoration becomes most possible when we truly grasp what our lives would be like if He had not yet been born. 5 minutes before His birth, the world was completely different. 5 minutes before His birth, the world was completely different. It’s so easy to forget this, because all we know living in the second…
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02Dec 2024 by Post

Pastoral Counseling and the Resurrection of Jesus

bellatorchristi.com, Gospel, Pastoral Counseling, pastors, psychology, Resurrection, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Therapy, TJ Gentry
When reflecting on over forty years of pastoral ministry carried out in numerous forms and contexts, two recurring realities emerge as most prominent in my experience. First, people are often profoundly troubled and deeply hurting amid the moral chaos and cultural decay of a sin-stricken world, resulting in a brokenness that reaches the deepest recesses of the human mind and heart. Second, the gospel—the hopeful proclamation of the now-and-not-yet kingdom of God as manifested in the deity, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—is the greatest source of healing for individuals, families, churches, and cultures.[i] “The gospel—the hopeful proclamation of the now-and-not-yet kingdom of God as manifested in the deity, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—is the greatest source of healing for individuals, families, churches, and cultures.” In a word, the…
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18Nov 2024 by Post

Did the Idols of the Old Testament Actually Have Power?

3. Are Miracles Possible?, Apologetics, BellatoriChristi.com, Christianity, Daniel Sloan, False Gods, Gospel, idolatry, Idols, paganism, polytheism, Theology and Christian Apologetics, World Religions
One of the questions that people ask when they read through the Old Testament is “did those little statues that people worshipped actually have any power behind them?” Many scholars agree that people believed that the idols themselves did not hold power but instead represented the pagan gods. The Old Testament itself has two major views on idolatry, one located in the prophets and another located in Deuteronomy. Idolatry in the Prophets The prophets identify idolatry as a major issue within both Israel and Judah during their time and argue that idolatry is worthless.[i] For example, in Isaiah 41, Isaiah 44, and Jeremiah 10, the prophets make it clear that idolatry is useless and meaningless. It holds no power because the idols themselves are created and the gods that they…
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13Nov 2024 by Post

Dear Christian: Please Don’t Unhitch Your Faith From the Old Testament

Alisa Childers, AlisaChildersBlog.com, Bible, Clark Bates, Old Testament, Progressive Christianity, Theological Apologetics, Theology and Christian Apologetics
How should Christians understand the Old Testament? Since the birth of Christianity, this has been a topic of hot debate, and to this day many Christians don’t really understand how their faith in Jesus interacts with what they read in the Old Testament. It can be tempting to ignore it—or throw it out altogether. Many Christians have no idea how to read the Old Testament and are under the impression they are supposed to obey every command God gave to Israel. While it’s true that we, as Christians, no longer need to sacrifice animals, engage in purity rituals, and stone people for certain sins, God’s moral law revealed in the Old Testament is based on His nature and character, which is unchanging—and still applicable today. In Acts 15, New Testament church leaders…
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06Nov 2024 by Post

Top Apologetics Books for Beginners

Apologetics, apologetics books, Christianity, Gospel, https://ischristianitytrue.wordpress.com/, J Steve Lee, Reading List, Reading recommendations, Steve Lee, Theology and Christian Apologetics
Sean McDowell, professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University, on his blog, lists the top ten apologetic books for beginners with short descriptions of each. He includes: Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis More Than a Carpenter, by Sean and Josh McDowell The Reason for God, by Tim Keller The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel Cold-Case Christianity, by J. Warner Wallace Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, by Greg Koukl Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality, by Nancy Pearcey On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision, by William Lane Craig Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, by Rebecca McLaughlin Evidence that Demands a Verdict, by Sean and Josh McDowell I would add the following books to the list: I Don’t…
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07Oct 2024 by Post

Prioritizing FAT Christians: A Practical Theology for Pastors

Apologetics, Christianity, Church, discipleship, Faithful Available Teachable, FreeThinkingMinistries.com, Gospel, Great Commission, Pastoral Care, Paul Rasor, practical theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
Several weeks ago, I was listening to the podcast “Wise Disciple” with Nate Salah ( “Is Voddie Wrong about Churches?”). He was discussing the need for pastors to focus on finding FAT Christians in their congregations. (Don’t worry. FAT is an acrostic.) This is to say, pastors need to prioritize their time and efforts upon Christians who are Faithful, Available and Teachable. There are multiple reasons why this principle ought to be followed by pastors. But before addressing those reasons, we need to understand what exactly a FAT Christian is.[i] What are F.A.T. Christians? FAT Christians are not just interested in Jesus but are committed to him as true disciples. Specifically, these are believers who are faithful in many things in the local church, such as attendance to Sunday worship, small group studies, and Sunday school. They are…
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04Sep 2024 by Post

Becoming Skeptical of Modern Skepticism

4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, bellatorchristi.com, Brian Chilton, Charles Darwin, Christianity, cynicism, David Hume, Doubt, faith, Gospel, Michael Licona, rudooph Bultmann, skepticism, Stephen Meyer, Theology and Christian Apologetics, william lane craig
Some skepticism is warranted. None of us want to live within a paradigm of naivety. No one wants to blindly accept every foolish notion that comes down the pipeline. A quick glance at social media along with the acknowledgment of the tweaks and twists that artificial intelligence can bring to videos and audio files only intensifies our need for discernment. Even still, as believers, we must differentiate between discernment and all-out skepticism. Discernment evaluates data to see whether the information is valid and trustworthy. In contrast, skepticism doubts or denies claims that seem to be grandiose or beyond the status quo. Even more to the point, skepticism can deny propositional claims. When left unrestrained, skepticism could lead to doubt, which in turn can lead to the denial of propositions (i.e.,…
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