Reasons to Believe

  Steve Brusatte's recent "Live Science" piece (excerpted from his book) celebrates the 1996 discovery of "Sinosauropteryx" as the emotional and scientific tipping point that "finally showed the world that birds are dinosaurs." He recounts paleontologist John Ostrom's near-tears reaction to photos of the specimen's "halo of thin, tufty, delicate strands" along its back—framed as vindication for the theropod-to-bird narrative revived in the 1970s. Brusatte weaves in later finds from China's Liaoning Province: filaments on various theropods, vaned feathers on "Caudipteryx" and "Microraptor", even structures on some ornithischians like "Psittacosaurus" and "Kulindadromeus". The conclusion? Consensus achieved. Birds are living dinosaurs; case closed. As an investigative approach demands, we must question this triumphant narrative rather than accept it as settled science. Does the evidence truly ...

Introduction Few passages in Scripture have generated more theological tension than Romans chapter 7. Is the Apostle Paul describing the ongoing experience of a regenerate believer, or is he recounting the struggle of a man still under the dominion of the law? The answer shapes how one understands sanctification, the nature of sin, and the power of the gospel. This study argues, in line with many early church voices, Wesleyan interpreters, and strands of Puritan thought, that Romans 7 presents the condition of a man under the law—convicted, awakened, but not yet walking in the liberating power of union with Christ. When read in its full context—Romans 6 through 8—the passage is not a description of victorious Christian living, but of legal bondage that finds its resolution only in Jesus Christ. 1. The Context: Death to the Law and Union with Christ Paul begins in Romans 7 not with defeat, but with a declaration of freedom: “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the ...

  How the Early Church and Puritans Understood True Holiness One of the greatest confusions in Christianity today revolves around a simple but crucial question: What does it actually mean to live holy? On one side, you have those who excuse ongoing sin under the banner of grace. On the other, those who quietly drift toward the idea of sinless perfection. But when you go back to the early Church and the Puritans, you find neither extreme. Instead, you find something far more demanding—and far more biblical: A life transformed by grace that actively, consistently, and seriously fights sin. Holiness Was Never Optional From the earliest days of the Church, believers were taught that obedience was not a way to earn salvation—but it was absolutely the evidence of it. The early Christians didn’t separate faith and obedience. To them, trusting Christ meant following Him. Walking in His commandments wasn’t legalism—it was life. They spoke in terms of walking, growing, and continuing—not arr...

  Today, a very different message has gained popularity in many Christian circles: “once saved, always saved.” In its most extreme form, this teaching suggests that a past moment of faith guarantees eternal security—regardless of how one lives afterward. Some even go so far as to speak of “carnal Christians” who persist indefinitely in sin, yet remain assured of salvation. This version of the doctrine does not merely emphasize grace—it redefines it, turning it into a covering for ongoing, unrepentant rebellion. What is striking is that this idea is not new. It echoes one of the earliest and most dangerous heresies the church ever faced: Gnosticism. What the Gnostics Taught The Gnostics believed in a radical separation between spirit and body. They taught that the spirit was inherently pure and belonged to God, while the body was corrupt, inferior, and ultimately irrelevant to salvation. Because of this, many concluded that what a person did in the body could not affect the...

The Apostle Paul’s words in Titus 3:5 are among the clearest affirmations of salvation by grace in all of Scripture: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (KJV). In an age when some twist grace into a license for moral laxity—claiming that since we are not saved by works, God’s moral standards no longer bind us—this verse is often misread as a blanket dismissal of righteous living. Yet a careful reading of the text in its biblical context, alongside the unanimous witness of the early Church Fathers and classic Bible commentaries, proves the opposite. Paul is not abolishing God’s moral law or declaring good works irrelevant. He is rejecting any notion of earning salvation through human effort or self-righteousness. True salvation by grace, far from discarding moral standards, regenerates the believer and produces good works as the necessary fruit and proof of genuine fai...

  There is something deeply beautiful about Resurrection Sunday. Believers gather, hearts full of joy, proclaiming, “He is risen!” and celebrating the victory of Jesus over sin and death. Yet when we step back into Scripture and the practices of the earliest followers of Jesus, we discover something even richer: the resurrection was not originally framed around a holiday called Easter, but within the biblical feast of Passover and the appointed times of the Lord. This is not about creating division or criticizing sincere believers. It is about rediscovering the fullness of truth and the depth of meaning God embedded in His appointed times. When we understand the resurrection through Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits, the gospel story shines with breathtaking clarity. God’s Appointed Times — Not Man’s Traditions The feasts were never called Jewish holidays in Scripture. God Himself calls them His feasts: Leviticus 23:2 — “Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye sh...