Redeeming God

The titles Christ or Messiah refer to someone who has received a special anointing by God to perform a specific task or purpose. Such a definition is true of every anointed person, whether it is a king, a prophet, a priest, or Jesus Himself. This article defines the word Christ and considers John 20:31 and how a proper understanding of the title Christ helps us understand the offer and invitation of the Gospel.

The reason that some people wonder if they can be blotted out of the book of life is because passages like Revelation 3:5 seem seem to indicate that this is a distinct possibility. However, when you understand what the Book of Life actually is, you will also come to understand what Revelation 3:5 actually means.

According to 1 John 1:7-10, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin by exposing sin for what it is and then calling us to no longer live in the way of sacred violence. The blood of Jesus is not a spiritual antidote to sin which somehow removes the polluting presence of sin from our lives. Instead, the blood of Jesus exposes our sacred violence to us so that we can see in our own lives how we make scapegoat victims out of others, and then calls us to no longer live in this way.

You and I can forgive others without requiring them to shed their blood. So why do some Christians teach that God requires the shedding of blood in order to forgive us? One reason is because of Hebrews 9:22 which says that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. But the text does not teach what most people think it teaches. This post gives 10 reasons why Hebrews 9:22 does not teach that the shedding of blood is required for the forgiveness of sins.

In Ephesians 1:7 and Ephesians 2;13 we learn that we have redemption through the blood of Jesus because He redeemed us from our sinful and violent way of living and revealed to us God's way of living. His bloody death released us from addiction to sin and scapegoating, and showed us how to live in the way of love and forgiveness.

Some people say that Jesus died to buy forgiveness from God, and they use passages like Matthew 26:28 to defend this idea. In this study, I provide a different explanation of Matthew 26:28, showing you that the blood of Jesus was NOT shed to purchase forgiveness from God.

Why is the Bible so bloody and violent? It is not because God is violent and bloody. Jesus reveals quite the opposite. Through His life, death, and teachings, Jesus reveals that God is not violent at all, but always loves and only forgives. So why is the Bible so violent? Jesus explains why in Matthew 23:29-35.

When you were baptized, what words were said? Do you remember? Some people look to Matthew 28:19-20 as the proper words for baptism, while others look to the practice of the Apostles in Acts. In this post, I dispel this entire baptism debate with one crazy suggestion. Read it and let me know what you think!

In 1 Peter 3:21, it appears that Peter is saying that we must be baptized in order to be saved. He writes that baptism saves us. But if this is true, then how is eternal life by faith alone and not of works?

First Corinthians 9:27 is sometimes quoted to show that not even Paul was certain that he would go to heaven when he died. Paul writes that he keeps close watch over his body so that he does not end up disqualified (adokimos). So what does this verse mean?

Several years ago, I was interviewed by Jason Wiedel for his podcast. For some reason, he never aired this interview. I don't know why. But I am airing it now. Enjoy!

Modern adoption was not like ancient adoption. It was not about giving parents to a child who had none, but was about giving honor and inheritance to a child who had done something good for the family. It was about naming a child as an heir.

Some Christians use Galatians 1:8-9 as a proof text for the bad behavior of cursing other people. But Paul was not actually cursing others in Galatians 1:8-9. He was making a joke about circumcision. This article explains more.

Did you know that many of the New Testament letters are actually dialogues between the author and a teacher he is trying to refute? This form of writing is called Epistolary Diatribe. I introduce this idea in this article, and give you several examples.

Does Paul pronounce a curse on anyone who does not love Jesus? Does this sound like Paul? Should you and I be cursing people who do not love Jesus? Would Jesus Himself do this? I say NO to all these questions in this post.

Some use 1 Corinthians 12:3 as a way to determine who is a true Christian, or who is possessed by a demon. But this is a poor understanding of 1 Corinthians 12:3 (and terrible theology!). What do you think 1 Corinthians 12:3 mean? Read my post to get my view.

In Romans 9:3, Paul writes that he wishes to be accursed from Christ for his brethren, the Jewish people. Is Paul saying that he wished he could go to hell if it would mean that his Jewish brethren would believe in Jesus and become Christians? I think not, but what do you think?

To properly understand the Gospel, we need to understand the biblical terms related to the gospel. One of these key words is the word abide. This article provides a short definition and looks at a few key texts from 1 John that use the word abide.

What is the book of Jonah all about? Is it about God’s heart for all the people of the world? Is it about how God wants you to get involved in world missions? In this final study of the book of Jonah, you will learn what the book of Jonah is all about.

Jonah 4:10-11 contain the final question of God to Jonah. But Jonah does not answer. The ending of the story is very abrupt. We will see why in the final study of Jonah next week. For now, we learn that God loves all people, even those we consider evil.