• About
  • Blog
Menu

Out of the Blocks

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
"Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." Hebrews 12:1

Your Custom Text Here

Out of the Blocks

  • About
  • Blog

Shall We Continue in Sin?

March 5, 2017 Joel Berry

If salvation is by God's grace, not by works, there is nothing you can do to earn God's forgiveness of sin. And since Scripture teaches that once you have trusted in Christ, he will never leave you, what motivation is there to not continue to sin?

This is a common question from many who are hearing the gospel message for the first time. It's also the rationale that is used by Christians who decide to return to sinful habits and practices. After all, life is short and there is pleasure in sin. Doesn't God want us to be happy?

Four Reasons to Abandon Sin

1. Jesus shed his blood to atone for your sin.

Sin leads to death … always. Romans 5:12 says, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” The wages of sin is death, and sin is the reason that Jesus died for you. His blood paid the penalty of death for your sin. Think about that — anytime you sin, the blood of Jesus is applied as payment for your sin. Would you choose to trample on such a great sacrifice?

Read more
In Christian Living Tags Sin, Salvation, Forgiveness, Slavery, Holy, Holy Spirit, Sacrifice, Righteousness

The Mysterious Person of God

January 9, 2017 Joel Berry

"And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." - Genesis 1:2

When you think of God, what comes to your mind? I tend to think of God as Father most of the time. Whether in my prayer time or in worship, I am drawn to the thought of my heavenly Father who loves me and provides for me. He is my source of strength to face the challenges of the day. For many, Jesus is foremost in their thoughts, and rightly so. It is Jesus who came to earth, lived as a man, exemplified a life without sin, and delivers us from our own sin. He is the embodiment of God's love and grace. In the words of the Apostle Paul, "He is the image of the invisible God, and the head of the body, the church" (Colossians 1:15a, 18a).

But when you think of God, do you also think of the Holy Spirit? If you are new to Christianity, you may have never heard of the Holy Spirit. It is easier to explain God in terms of Father and Son because we can tangibly associate them with mental images of our earthly fathers and sons. But you can't see or touch a spirit. A spirit is mysterious, an essence without form. God infinitely transcends anything we can envision in our minds, and the Spirit of God seems to hold the greatest mystery. Perhaps this is why many churches tend to avoid the subject of the Holy Spirit. We prefer what seems to be tangible to something that is difficult to explain. But the one true God is the Triune God, who eternally exists as one God in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If we avoid knowing the Spirit, we cannot truly know God, nor can we experience the fullness of our relationship with him.

Read more
In The One True God, Worship Tags Holy Spirit, Spirit, Worship

Subscribe

Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates.

We respect your privacy.

Thank you!

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture citations are from the ESV Bible at http://esvbible.org.