Biblical Creation and Evangelism

The Bible makes it very clear that nobody can earn salvation, it is a gift of God. Otherwise, we would have to constantly strive to meet an unknown standard, never knowing when we have attained it — or how to keep it. Faith plus add-ons like baptism, praying to saints, following man-made rules of conduct, being a member of the "right" church — these are usually stumbling blocks. However, baptism is not a requirement for salvation, but an outward expression of obedience to Christ. But salvation and repentance are often used together in Scripture, which can be confusing. Young Man at Prayer , Hans Memling (1475) Unfortunately, there are some people who claim that if one believes in evolution, he is not saved. That cannot be supported by Scripture. However, believing in evolution raises questions about that person's understanding of and commitment to the Word of God, and understanding of actual science. The Bible uses repentance and salvation together quite often. To repent...

There are two views on losing salvation: You can, or you cannot. The Arminian view generally affirms that loss of salvation is possible, but there are variations. Then the Reformed (Calvinist) view is that the doctrine of election settles it, the elect cannot lose their salvation. Some seem to believe that any unconfessed sin sends you to Hell (which is a very low view of the work of Jesus). That would cause fearful professing Christians. Another is that salvation can be lost by deliberate renunciation, but that downplays many verses to the contrary. Rail trail bridge, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen Opponents of what is called eternal security  (or somewhat disparagingly as "once saved, always saved") do indeed have some Bible verses that may at first glance appear to indicate loss of salvation is possible. Those are usually take out of context, whether immediate (surrounding verses) or a greater context. Having come from an Arminian tradition and now accept eternal security,...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  Go down the short hallway, past the bathroom, through the open door of the bedroom. Look behind the door. You see several things such as mostly unused crutches from my knee surgery, a clothes drying rack, two 3-drawer plastic storage units, and more. On top of a storage unit are a pair of pants, a shirt, and shoes. Unpretentious clothes. Charlene had efficiently laid them out so she could use them when she returned from her surgery. She is not coming back for them. Ever. This is being posted four weeks from the day she passed away. My beloved wife's clothes are waiting in vain for her return Most everyone has heard it said that we are not guaranteed tomorrow. In her case, she did not finish "today," the day of her surgery, when she was stricken. In the midst of my bitter tears, I know that she was a child of the living God. When the angel came to escort her to Jesus, Charlene must have been thrilled to be free of a life that had so much physical an...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Every once in a while, celebrities make remarks about their legacies and the public also gets involved for a spell. Perhaps we all want to be remembered. Most of us want to have a legacy that is kind to us, but others may strive for a legacy of crime and evil. A song by Blue Öyster Cult titled "Goin' through the Motions" has several possible meanings , the most likely being about troubled relationships. It referenced earlier dreadful lyrics , but was a mite touching here: To thee, I dedicate this photograph  I'll even sign it "love to you" again And when it's faded and forgotten in some book You'll sometimes look... A celebrity was important enough to someone to want an autograph, but the singer knew he would be mostly forgotten. Will we forget Bill Shatner? Truth Jabs  by Dan Lietha, used with permission (click for larger) People probably know him from the Star Trek  franchise and hosting The UnXplained  documentary series, am...

A basic principle of Christianity is that humanity was created imago Dei , in the image of God. This is contrary to the concept of dust-to-Darwin evolution, where we are the products of time, chance, natural selection, mutations, and luck. For them, we are nothing special. Just another animal. We often do not show that we are created in the image of God, and evolutionists may use our current state to reject the truth of the Bible. Something clearly happened after Genesis 1:27. Night silhouette under stars, Unsplash / Greg Rakozy Adam and Eve were exploring, enjoying, and doing other newly-created beings stuff. Then in Genesis 3:1-17, that sidewinder Satan decided to foul things up. After all, we are God's masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10), and he hates that. The Christian worldview holds that people are image-bearers of God, worthy of dignity and respect. This is one reason abortion is abhorrent . Eve took the fruit, gave to Adam who was with her , and all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and ...

Other biblical creationists and I like to point out the mirific act of God the Son, Creator of the universe (Col. 1:16, John 1:1-3, Heb. 1:2-3), humbling himself to take the form of the man Jesus (Phil. 2:4-11). He did not just pop into existence, but was born of Mary, a virgin (Matt. 1:23). People sing songs about Santa Claus and lie to their children (the  real Nicholas  was a godly man), making him a demigod that rewards good behavior with toys once a year. Secularists obscure the true meaning of Christmas with sentiment. The truth is known to some extent by many professing Christians: Jesus came into the world to save us. But what does that really mean? Far too many people make salvation into a means of gain, a way to be a good person, be happy, get the most out of life right now. In some cultures, "accepting Jesus" is taken to mean, "Add Jesus to your list of gods", but without emphasizing that false gods must be forsaken, and surrendering to the lordship of Ch...

While Bible-believing Christians understand salvation as being made right with God and spiritual deliverance , other people want salvation in different ways. Because of its Christian connotations, other people seem to avoid the word. But they still seek relief from suffering and to obtain a feelgood experience. Modified from an image at Unsplash / Erik Brolin There is a trend in psychology toward mindfulness  which is a form of meditation that Christians should avoid . Actually, everyone should. Supposedly it relieves stress, but is actually counterproductive. Another secular feelgood technique is to count your blessings , but it leaves out God who provides our blessings. (I fell on Monday and needed medical care. Afterward, I thanked God that it wasn't worse, and that the people at the urgent care clinic had skill and compassion.) Another false feelgood salvation is to have people go to their "happy place", which often has a setting in nature. Mindfulness actually caus...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen This may come as a shock to many professing Christians, but they may actually be lost. There are several ways that help determine if someone is a real Christian. However, many people urgently need to seriously determine if they really are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5). Credit: Unsplash / Joshua Earle Some assume they are Christians because of culture or because they are not members of another religion. Perhaps it's because they attend the "true" church, maybe perform the rituals, said the "sinner's prayer" and got their ticket punched, put their hands in the air and get emotional — but have no idea what salvation means and could not lead someone to saving faith in Jesus Christ. There are some people who are Christians but act like cultists . I have been told that if I don't believe in their  doctrines, I am an immature Christian, or even unsaved. Similarly, I was in a social media group for Christian apologists (which for...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Most people admit to belief in some sort of God, which is consistent with what the Bible teaches (Romans 1:1-22, Ecclesiastes 3:11). Most do not know the true God in a personal way. Some have had the gospel message clearly explained to them, but they have rejected it or traded the truth for false religions and philosophies. Used car lot, Lancaster, Ohio, 1938 photo by Ben Shahn / US Library of Congress / Public Domain Some people think that they are Christians because they attend(ed) church and participated in rituals. Perhaps they get a twinge of sentiment around Christmas and Easter which inspires them to give an intellectual assent to Jesus. Unfortunately, many of these professing (or "former") Christians demonstrate little or no knowledge of biblical Christianity. Easy Believism Some folks want to make evangelism simple and pleasant. They come up with "ask Jesus into your heart", "God has a wonderful plan for your life...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen This is an article I did not want to write, and a subject many of us try to avoid discussing. Sadly, anguished parents and many other people want to know if their children who died early are in Heaven. They may have been lost through accidents, miscarriage (a word I detest because it implies that the loss is the woman's fault), or other reasons. For whatever cause, a child is missing. Credit: Pixabay / Gerd Altmann Atheists and some uninformed professing Christians chide Bible believers, saying that infants and young children are damned because they did not make a saving profession of faith in Jesus. Such a vile, wicked claim is based on bias and woefully incomplete theology. It also impugns the integrity and mercy of God, and raises the question that Abraham asked God in Genesis 18:25. The question of the eternal destiny of the very young is not something that is Calvinist versus Arminian theology, either. I have some problems with both camps, as ...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen On this distinctly American holiday where people traditionally celebrate family, friends, and what we have, we need to remember the greater blessings. Many of us have things we take for granted. We have electronic devices that are "essential" to us that didn't even exist ten years ago, and we panic when they're not working. A bit of perspective, people! I can turn on the faucet and get clean water that we put through an attached filter to make it even better, but there are those who have to scrounge for muddy water to drink and hope it doesn't kill them. Even if we're not living in splendor, we need to be thankful for what we have, you savvy? The Thankful Poor ,  Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1894 A thankful spirit is important in the Christian life, and we should focus on giving thanks to God who gave us life, and eternal life. He doesn't have to bless us in so many ways, but he does it out of his love for us — even mockers and bl...

A subject of debate has existed for a very long time regarding the salvation of those who never heard the gospel. It's a fair question, and many Christians have wondered about it. Misotheists have also used it for the purposes of ridicule, even though the incoherent atheistic worldview should not allow them to care about the actions of God who they claim does not exist. "Why should there be only one way to your God?" can be replied with, "God did not have to provide any way to sinful humanity, but he gives both justice and mercy". Credit: Pixabay / jclk8888 God's Word tells us to share the gospel, and emphasizes the importance of doing so. We must be read (1 Peter 3:15, Matt. 28:18-20). It's vital to be true to Scripture, and not resort to subjective claims of "God told me such and so", or "I was led by the Spirit". Making things up does not work, either, and we cannot assume that someone will be saved based on...wishful thin...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen No, I'm not the one seeking challenges for my beliefs. Someone was asking what people read that challenge their "deeply held beliefs". The inquirer (who shall remain unidentified as well as my source) does not want to be pigeonholed as someone who believes because he or she was told to believe, and commenced to reading books by atheists. Other folks chimed in and said it was a good idea. Image credit: Freeimages / Stephen J. Sullivan Before I continue, ever have a situation where you explained something correctly, then found out that the person receiving the explanation didn't need it? That's how I feel here. What I'm about to say is valid, but I don't know if the one doing the asking even needs this information, but I'm doing it for someone who may need it. Hope that makes sense. Why seek out challenges to your faith? A Bible-believing Christian gets those on a regular basis from temptations, media, social media, frie...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen When translating the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible, Jerome had an easy -to-make but serious "oops" with Genesis 3:15, the protoevangelium , the first prophesy of the redemption of man. Most Bibles render it, "... he shall bruise you on the head (or, crush  your head), and you shall bruise him on the heel". But Jerome made it say, "... she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel", as found in the  Douay-Rheims Roman Catholic Bible . The Virgin and Child (The Madonna of the Book) - Sandro Botticelli, 1480 Where can I get a hat like they have? That mistranslation fits in well with Roman Catholic mythology where Mary is the co-redemptrix along with Jesus , which is a blatant violation of Scripture . Although the Vatican's Neo-Vulgate corrected the error , Catholics still managed to force-fit poor Mary into the text, since she gave birth to Jesus. If you study on it for a spell, you'll see th...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Sadly, there are some people who are afraid that they have committed the unpardonable sin and are beyond redemption for eternity. While it is good to be concerned, the unpardonable sin is not something that can be committed casually. Think about it. God is not capricious and willing to condemn someone for such a serious sin committed in ignorance or by something said in haste. ESV Bible text added to Woe unto You, Scribes and Pharisees by James Tissot / Public Domain There are several views on this sin. One is that it cannot be committed today, it was a "game over" for the Pharisees who had been condemning him and had finally crossed the line because of the constant hardening of their hearts. Another view is that this sin is the rejection of salvation, where someone dies without Christ. (In the latter case, the end result is the same.) Even some Christians are afraid that they fouled up somehow, and take the unbiblical view of losing their sa...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen In the beginning was blamestorming. After eating the forbidden fruit, Eve some to Adam, and he blamed both Eve and God for his choice (Gen. 1:12). When confronted, Eve blamed Satan for her choice, and made the excuse that she was deceived (Gen. 3:13). Seems to be human nature to blame others for our own bad decisions, and to seek other ways of justifying our actions. This can be seen throughout history through today. "Unpopular Opinion Puffin" has an unpopular opinion. Atheists will use an argument from outrage, including cherry-picking things in the Bible that they don't like to justify denying God's existence and authority. Likewise, they will use Bible texts that they don't understand to make excuses for rebelling against God, such as "How can a loving God..." Well, how can an honest person not bother to do some homework on the questions? One way I've seen the "logic" of unbelievers seems to work this wa...