Two thousand years ago in the small village of Bethlehem, a baby boy was born contrary to nature. Nine months prior to her son’s birth, Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel who revealed something very special. Out of all the Israelite women from the tribe of Judah, Mary was chosen by God to bear His Son. Mary was confused by the announcement. She was currently betrothed to a righteous man named Joseph but was still a virgin.
Author: Wade Stanley
Sigmund Freud theorized that human beings are internally comprised of three parts: the Id, Ego, and Superego. He depicted the Id as humanity’s primitive impulses or drives that seek expression. The Superego is humanity’s conscience and is socialized by external influences such as parents, religions, teachers, etc. In between the two stands the conscious self, the Ego, who serves as an arbiter between the Id and Superego. Internal conflict arises when the Id seeks expression in the conscious self, but is suppressed by the Superego. The Superego is seen as the source of conflict since it hinders the counselee from following their Id’s desires. Therefore the counselor sides with the counselee’s Id and attacks the various influences which bolster the Superego’s stand against the Id’s desires.
In Jesus’ trial before Pilate, the apostle John quotes the Roman governor, “What is truth?” Though uttered nearly two thousand years ago Pilate’s question resonates in contemporary Western culture. Previous generations considered truth absolute: “true for all people in all places for all times.”[1] Absolute truth is objective which means it stands apart from individual opinion or experience. However, contemporary culture believes truth is relative or subjective. The individual is empowered to define right and wrong as they see fit without any external influences such as the Bible. A culture that embraces relative truth leaves its participants asking, “What is truth?”
The conscience is the capacity to discern between good and evil. The conscience is found in the heart or what one might call our spiritual being. Solomon asks God, “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil.” An understanding heart granted Solomon the capacity to discern between good and evil, thus the conscience is connected with the heart.
The Bible is filled with challenging topics. It is strange to me that one of its simplest – baptism in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins – is among its most misunderstood. The Scripture’s teaching on baptism is uncomplicated and unambiguous. We need not ascend into heaven to understand this doctrine. It is accessible and straightforward. The Bible Teaches Water Immersion
Last week, one of our contributors wrote an excellent article entitled, “Faith vs. Reason”. Undoubtedly scientists create a false polarity by opposing faith with reason, particularly when so many scientific theories require a large measure of faith. As Thomas well pointed out, the religiously-minded who extract reason from faith often substitute feelings/emotion. These supposedly indicate or manifest human spirituality. If human spirituality is either defined as or confined to those terms, what makes us different than any other creature which manifests those feelings/emotions?
In one of His ministry’s final acts, Jesus established a ceremony which memorializes His death. It consists of unleavened bread and fruit of the vine. The bread represents the body of Jesus, the fruit of the vine His blood. Jesus instructed the disciples to remember Him as they consumed this simple meal (Luke 22:19). Though not bodily present at the memorial’s institution, the apostle Paul later relates that a disciple proclaims the Lord’s death when they partake of this simple meal (1 Corinthians 11:26).
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” (James 2:24)
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” On the surface, Acts 2:38 seems to be a straightforward, simple verse. Peter commands repentance and baptism in Jesus’s name. Those who obeyed in faith would receive the forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit. However, this simple interpretation contradicts what many have come to believe. Most of the evangelical world interprets Acts 2:38 thusly: “Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins so that you can repent and be baptized.”