Reasons to Believe

  “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil.” — Psalm 97:10 (KJV) There are many who profess to love God, yet make peace with the very things that nailed Christ to the cross. Scripture never allows such a contradiction. The same heart that truly loves Christ must also learn to hate sin. This hatred is not a shallow dislike or occasional regret—it is a settled opposition of the soul against all that offends God. The Psalmist declares plainly, “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil” (Psalm 97:10). Where love for God is genuine, hatred for sin must follow. The Puritan writers often spoke of this holy hatred. Joseph Alleine warned that many men are content to be troubled by sin but not resolved to destroy it. Yet Scripture calls us not merely to confess sin but to wage war against it. The Apostle Paul writes, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth” (Colossians 3:5). To mortify sin means to put it to death—to treat it not as a guest to entertain, but as an enemy to destroy. The Chr...

There is a dangerous lie many Christians begin to believe: that sin can be tolerated as long as it stays small. The Puritans fiercely rejected this idea. They knew that sin is never content to remain weak or hidden. If it is not destroyed, it will slowly gain power over the soul. The great Puritan John Owen issued a warning that has echoed for centuries: “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” Sin is not passive. It works constantly—quietly shaping desires, dulling conviction, and weakening the heart. If we do not fight it, it will slowly take ground in our lives. Yet the gospel does not leave us helpless. God has given us both the warning and the weapon to defeat sin. The Command of Scripture: Put Sin to Death The Bible never tells believers to simply manage sin. It commands us to destroy it. Romans 8:13 (KJV) “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body , ye shall live.” The word mortify means to ...

  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...

  “Jesus saves us from our sins — not in them — and those who turn grace into a cover for unrighteousness face a just condemnation.” Grace Was Never Meant to Excuse Sin One of the most dangerous deceptions in our time is the belief that a person can claim Jesus Christ while continuing to live in deliberate, unrepentant sin. Many speak often about grace, but few understand its true purpose. Scripture makes it clear that Christ did not come to allow people to remain in sin — He came to deliver them from it. “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people FROM their sins.” — Matthew 1:21 Notice carefully: the Bible does not say Jesus saves us in our sins. It says He saves us from them. Grace is not a covering for rebellion — it is a power that transforms the heart. The Warning: Those Who Abuse Grace Face Just Condemnation The apostle Paul warned about people who twist the message of grace into an excuse for sin: “And ...

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 ...

  One of the most pressing questions in our day is this: Is the gospel we are preaching the same gospel that was preached by the early church? Not a modern version shaped by culture, convenience, or crowd appeal—but the original message handed down from the apostles and preserved by the men who followed them. Because if the message has changed, then something has gone wrong. When we go back and read the early church fathers—those who lived closest to the apostles—we don’t find a watered-down gospel. We don’t find a message that tolerates sin or excuses it. Instead, we find a consistent call to repentance, holiness, and a transformed life. What Does Repentance Really Mean? Before we go further, we need to define repentance properly—because this is where much confusion exists today. Repentance is not merely feeling bad about sin. It is not just acknowledging wrongdoing. Repentance means to turn—to change direction—to forsake sin and turn to God. George Lamsa, a leading authority on t...

  There are many voices on the internet claiming to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Some speak truth boldly. Others mix truth with dangerous error. The Apostle Paul warned that in the last days men would arise “speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:30 KJV). Jesus Himself warned repeatedly about false prophets who would come “in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15 KJV). One modern internet preacher whose teachings deserve serious biblical examination is . While he presents himself as a defender of grace, his theology often resembles a mixture of antinomianism, easy-believism, and what could rightly be called a modern form of Gnostic Christianity — a system that separates salvation from holiness, obedience, repentance, and transformation. This article is not a personal attack. It is a doctrinal examination. Scripture commands believers to “prove all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21 KJV) and to “earnestly contend fo...

The Real Cause Most People Don’t Want to Admit One of the most common objections to Christianity today is this: “There are too many hypocrites in the church.” And sadly — this criticism is not entirely wrong. Church scandals, moral compromise, lukewarm believers, and shallow faith have caused many people to stumble. But the real question is not simply why hypocrisy exists. The deeper question is: What is producing it? The answer is not complicated. At its root, the modern church has largely lost two things: 1. The fear of God 2. The true gospel of repentance and transformation Where these disappear, hypocrisy always multiplies. The Church Has Lost the Fear of God Scripture teaches that the fear of God is foundational to righteous living. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” — Proverbs 9:10 “By the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.” — Proverbs 16:6 But much modern preaching presents God only as tolerant, permissive, and non-judging. He is portrayed as a God who: Never...

  Many today call themselves Christians simply because they bear the name of Christ. Yet there is a growing belief—even within the church—that loving someone means accepting them exactly as they are without warning them about sin or judgment. People say things like: “Everyone has a right to their beliefs.” “It’s not my place to judge.” “My life should speak louder than my words.” But these statements often become excuses to avoid a responsibility clearly commanded in Scripture. According to the Word of God, true love does not remain silent when someone is headed toward destruction. The Bible speaks directly to this issue:  “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.” — Leviticus 19:17 (KJV) Notice the command carefully. God does not say rebuking someone is hatred. In fact, He says the opposite. If we refuse to warn someone about sin, we are allowing that sin to remain upon them. Silence, in this cas...

  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...

  You hear that phrase constantly today. It’s used to suggest that Jesus simply hung out, blended in, and affirmed people exactly as they were. In some circles, it has been turned into a slogan that implies Jesus was comfortable in sin-filled environments without confronting sin itself. But here’s the truth: that phrase was originally an accusation — not a compliment. 1. It Was the Pharisees Who Said It In Matthew 11:19, Jesus says:  “The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.” The religious leaders were mocking Him. They also accused Him of being demon-possessed (John 8:48) and of breaking the Sabbath (John 5:18). The label “friend of sinners” was part of a smear campaign. They were offended because Jesus associated with tax collectors and sinners — not to affirm their rebellion — but to call them out of it. 2. Jesus Called Sinners to Repentance —...

  (From the First 100–250 Years After the Cross) One of the clearest ways to understand authentic Christianity is to examine the believers who lived closest to the time of the apostles. These early Christians were only one or two generations removed from eyewitnesses of Jesus, and several of them were personally taught by the apostles themselves. Their writings provide a valuable historical window into what the earliest church believed and taught.[1] When we examine Christian writings from roughly AD 100–250, we see a remarkably consistent message. The earliest believers strongly emphasized sin, repentance, moral transformation, holiness, and salvation through Jesus Christ alone.[2] 1. Their View of Sin: A Serious Moral Reality The early church viewed sin as a grave spiritual problem — not merely human weakness, but a moral rebellion against God that required repentance and change.[3] Polycarp (AD 69–155) Polycarp was a direct disciple of the apostle John and one of the earliest Ch...

One of the most misunderstood questions in Christianity is whether law and grace stand in opposition to each other. Many people assume that if we emphasize grace, obedience no longer matters. Others swing the opposite direction and treat the Christian life as a constant struggle to keep rules in order to stay right with God. The truth of Scripture shows a far deeper and more powerful reality: law and grace are not enemies. Grace accomplishes what the law could never do. What the Law Could Never Do God’s law is holy, righteous, and good. It reveals God’s character and His moral standard. But it was never given as a ladder to climb into salvation. The law functions like a mirror. It shows us our condition but cannot fix it. Scripture teaches this clearly: The law exposes sin. The law condemns guilt. The law cannot change the human heart. Romans 8:3 explains that the law was “weak through the flesh.” The problem was never the law itself — the problem is our fallen nature. Human effort alo...