As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
The phrase “ask Jesus into your heart” does not occur in Scripture. My recent article makes this point. So, why do we use this phrase? I’ve only just scratched the surface with my research, but here is what I have found so far. Encouraging unbelievers to ask Jesus into their hearts only seems to appear in Christian vocabulary in recent centuries.
“In Scripture, a public confession of Christ is never made a requirement of salvation. It is indeed a requirement for victorious Christian living, as made clear in Romans 10:9-10.” - C.Leaders
Preach the kingdom? Is that the same as preaching the gospel? What about the gospel of the kingdom?
The Great Commission is clear: preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). But when the early church obeyed this command, they also preached the kingdom of God (Acts 8:12; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31). Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom as He offered the kingdom to Israel (Mark 1:14). Yet, He also spoke of the gospel of the kingdom being proclaimed in a future Tribulation (Matthew 24:14). What should we preach today? How should we preach it?
“For every American who believes they’re going to Hell, there are 120 who believe they’re going to Heaven. This optimism stands in stark contrast to Christ’s words in Matthew 7:13-14” - Randy Alcorn
One of the marks of a Christian is a desire to share the good news of the life-transforming gospel with others. In the words of the apostles, “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). But what if a friend, fellow worker, schoolmate, or family member asks us to desist? Does there come a time when we should refrain from speaking to a person about Jesus and Christianity?
“So how should a Christian respond to these ‘imaginings?’ What would you say if someone played that at a funeral, right before you were supposed to speak?” - P&D
This is a series of brief devotional articles on The Orthodox Catechism (“OC”), a Particular Baptist document written by Baptist pastor Hercules Collins in 1680. Read Part 1.
If the only comfort we have in this life is that we belong—both body and soul, in life and death—to our most faithful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Q1), then …
Question 2: What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?
“When we consider the state of the family at the beginning of the twenty-first century, our tendency is to reflect nostalgically on imagined idyllic days of generations past when families weren’t perfect but pretty close to it, or so we like to think.” - Ligonier
“the concept of blessing lies at the very heart of the gospel. The Apostle Paul highlights this in his letter to the Christian believers in Galatia…. ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed’ (Gal. 3:8).” - Ligonier
“the true gospel is not complimentary. It is not admiring or flattering. Rather, it describes humanity in all our sinfulness and depravity, all our hopelessness and lostness.” - Challies
Discussion