Charis New Testament Church

Does sin cause God to separate Himself from us? This is one of the most important questions in Christian theology, and the answer shapes everything about how we see God, ourselves, and the Gospel. Many people have been taught that when Adam sinned, God withdrew from humanity and that everyone born after Adam inherited that same spiritual separation. But is that what the Bible actually teaches?

In this message, we take a close look at what Scripture really says about sin, spiritual death, and the nature of God's relationship with humanity. Starting in Genesis 3, we see that after Adam and Eve sinned, it was not God who hid. It was Adam and Eve. God came looking for them. His response to their failure was pursuit, not abandonment. He clothed them, cared for them, and continued to move toward them even after the fall.

We also explore what Paul meant in Acts 17 when he told unbelieving Greeks that God is not far from any one of us. We dig into Romans 5 and the difference between being affected by Adam's sin and being born guilty of it. We look at Isaiah 59:2, one of the most frequently quoted verses used to argue for total separation, and examine what the surrounding context actually reveals. And we explore Colossians 1:21, which tells us that the alienation existed in our minds, not in God's heart.

Most importantly, we look at Jesus. Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus is the exact representation of God's nature. When Jesus touched lepers, ate with sinners, forgave the guilty, and welcomed the rejected, He was not showing us a God who had to be convinced to love people. He was revealing a Father who never stopped pursuing them.

If you have ever felt like your sin has pushed God away, or if you have been living in shame and hiding from Him, this message is for you. The God you are running from is the same Father who is running toward you.

Topics covered include: spiritual death in Genesis, Adam and Eve in the garden, Romans 5 and original sin, Isaiah 59 and separation from God, the prodigal son and the Father's heart, what Jesus reveals about God, repentance and reconciliation, and how the Gospel is shaped by Christ's victory.

Keywords: does sin separate us from God, spiritual death in the Bible, Adam and Eve and the fall, original sin explained, God's love and human sin, prodigal son meaning, Romans 5 explained, Isaiah 59 context, reconciliation with God, what is repentance, is God angry with sinners, God pursues us, Christ's victory over sin, Christian theology of sin, who is God in the Bible, understanding the Gospel, new creation in Christ, God's heart for humanity, does God abandon us when we sin, spiritual separation from God

What does the Bible actually say about human nature? Many Christians have been taught that humanity is fundamentally worthless, completely corrupt, and incapable of anything good. But some of the most frequently quoted Bible verses used to support that view have been taken out of context for generations. This teaching takes an honest, careful look at three of those passages and what they actually mean.

Isaiah 64:6 is often quoted to argue that nothing a person does has any value before God. But this verse is part of a specific lament about Israel, a people who had fallen into persistent rebellion while maintaining the outward appearance of righteousness. The very next verse, Isaiah 64:5, describes God favorably meeting the person who practices righteousness. Context changes everything.

Jeremiah 17:9 is another passage that is frequently used to teach that the human heart is hopelessly wicked and cannot be trusted. But reading the surrounding verses reveals that Jeremiah is drawing a contrast between two kinds of people: one who turns away from God and one who trusts in Him. The passage is a warning about self-deception, not a universal declaration that every human heart is beyond redemption.

Psalm 51:5 has been used for centuries to teach that every child is born personally guilty before God. But Psalm 51 is the deeply personal, poetic confession of David after one of the darkest moments of his life. Reading it alongside Psalm 139, Genesis 1, and the way Jesus welcomed and blessed children in Mark 10 gives a much fuller and more accurate picture.

When we misread these passages, we risk building a distorted view of God, a damaged view of ourselves, and a judgmental posture toward the people around us. Jesus never treated people as though they were nothing but evil. He saw fishermen who could change the world. He saw a tax collector who could be transformed. He offered living water to a woman with a complicated history. He did not deny human brokenness. He revealed who humanity was created to become.

Sin distorts the way we live, but it does not eliminate our value. The gospel does not begin with the announcement that humanity is worthless. It begins with the revelation that humanity is loved. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation, not condemnation, and that changes everything about how we read Scripture, how we see ourselves, and how we engage with the world.

Topics covered include biblical context and interpretation, human nature in the Bible, original sin, the image of God, Isaiah 64:6 explained, Jeremiah 17:9 explained, Psalm 51:5 explained, the ministry of reconciliation, how Jesus viewed people, and what the gospel really says about humanity.

What does the Bible actually say about human nature? Is humanity fundamentally evil, or does the image of God still matter after the fall? These are not just theological questions. They shape how you see yourself after failure, how you treat people who disagree with you, and how you understand the heart of God.

This message takes a close look at what Scripture says about human dignity, the image of God, and the reality of sin. Starting in Genesis, the Bible is clear that humanity was created in God's image and called very good. That image was not erased by sin. Even after the fall and after the flood, Scripture continues to ground human dignity in the fact that people bear the likeness of God. James, writing to a community where sin was still a real problem, still warned believers against cursing people made in the similitude of God.

Many Christians have been shaped by theological traditions that emphasize total depravity, the idea that people are born with an evil nature and are incapable of genuine goodness. These traditions trace back through the Protestant Reformation to Augustine, who brought significant influence from Greek philosophy into his reading of Scripture. While these traditions carry a sincere concern for taking sin seriously, they can lead to a distorted view of humanity when the image of God is treated as irrelevant.

Jesus never preached bad news first. He proclaimed love, dignity, and freedom. John 3:16 does not begin with God's anger. It begins with God's love. The cross is not Jesus persuading an unwilling Father to show mercy. It is the Father acting in the Son to reconcile the world to Himself.

Understanding this changes everything. It changes how you approach God when you fail. It changes whether you run to Him or hide from Him. It changes how you see yourself after a bad decision. It changes how you treat people who do not share your faith. And it changes the version of the Gospel you share with others.

Topics covered include the image of God in Scripture, the effects of sin on human nature, total depravity and Reformed theology, Augustine and the history of Christian anthropology, the heart of the Father, shame versus genuine humility, human dignity and evangelism, and how Jesus viewed people outside the religious community.

Keywords: image of God, human dignity, total depravity, Christian anthropology, what does the Bible say about human nature, sin and grace, God's love, Reformed theology, Augustine and Christianity, how God sees you, shame and the Gospel, identity in Christ, evangelism and human dignity, Jesus and human nature, biblical view of humanity, salvation by grace, the heart of God the Father.

What do you do when everything falls apart? When the phone call comes, the diagnosis arrives, the relationship ends, or the finances collapse, what you truly believe about God gets exposed. This message digs into one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible, Job 1:21, and asks whether we have been building our theology of God on the words of a man who later admitted he spoke out of ignorance.

Scripture is clear. James 1:17 says every good and perfect gift comes from the Father. Romans 11:29 says His gifts are irrevocable. And Jesus drew a sharp line in John 10:10 between the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy and the One who came to give life abundantly. If Jesus is the perfect revelation of the Father, as He declared in John 14:9, then we cannot attribute theft, sickness, or destruction to God.

This message also takes a close look at David and the moment he arrived at Ziklag to find his city burned, his family taken captive, and his own men ready to stone him. Rather than asking why, David strengthened himself in the Lord, sought God for direction, and recovered everything. His response stands as one of the most powerful examples of faith under pressure in all of Scripture.

Topics covered include how to respond to loss and hardship from a biblical perspective, the difference between what God does and what the enemy does, why Job 1:21 is often misapplied, what it means to strengthen yourself in the Lord, how to shift from asking why to asking what now, and how to keep your circumstances from rewriting your understanding of God's character.

Whether you are walking through a season of grief, confusion, or total collapse, this message offers a grounded and hope-filled perspective rooted in the character of Jesus and the truth of Scripture. Your story is not over. The Father is still good. The ashes do not have the final word.

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Is God the source of your suffering? It is one of the most searched and most painful questions people ask when life falls apart. The Book of Job is at the center of that debate, and how you answer it will shape everything about how you respond to hardship, sickness, loss, and pain.

A close reading of Job reveals something that often gets missed. Satan was the one who afflicted Job with painful sores, not God. Job himself believed God was behind his suffering, and Scripture shows he was wrong. Elihu corrected him directly, pointing out that God does not act wickedly and does not pervert justice. The clearest picture of what God is like comes from Jesus, who healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, raised the dead, and never made a single person sick.

This message digs into some of the most misread passages in the Bible, including Job 2:1-3, Job 2:6-7, Acts 10:38, and 1 John 5:19, to show what the Book of Job actually teaches about the character of God. Topics covered include whether God gives Satan permission to afflict believers, what the hedge of protection really means and where that phrase actually comes from, why believing God sends sickness can block the healing He wants to bring, how Satan's strategy is to rob you and then have you blame God, and what it looks like to build your theology on Jesus rather than on your pain.

If you have ever asked why God allowed something terrible to happen, or if you have ever pulled away from God during a hard season because you thought He was behind it, this message is for you. The Father is not your enemy. He is not waiting for you to mess up. He is not the one sending the storm. He is the One in the storm with you.

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Have you ever let a painful season change what you believe about God? Most of us have, even without realizing it. The Book of Job is one of the most misunderstood books in the Bible, and when we read it through the lens of suffering rather than through the lens of Scripture, we can end up with a distorted picture of who God really is.

Job was a real person experiencing devastating loss. But even before his suffering began, his relationship with God showed signs of being rooted in fear rather than trust. He continually offered sacrifices on behalf of his children out of anxiety, trying to earn protection through religious performance. When fear drives our faith, we stop relating to God as a Father and start treating Him like a business partner. And when that transaction breaks down, everything collapses.

As Job's suffering grew, so did his accusations. He went from asking why he was suffering to declaring that God had set him as a target and regarded him as an enemy. But Job never knew that Satan was the source of his calamity. He interpreted everything from the ground level, without any view of what was happening in the spiritual realm. As readers, we see behind the curtain. The suffering did not originate from the Father's heart.

So where do we turn for an accurate picture of God's character? The answer is Jesus. He is the exact representation of the Father. Everywhere He went, He healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, welcomed the rejected, and restored the broken. Acts 10:38 tells us that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. That is the Father's heart on display.

God's wrath is not directed at His children. It is directed at the things trying to destroy them. And Romans 8:28 reminds us that God can work all things together for good, redeeming what He did not originate.

When suffering comes, ask yourself three questions: What happened? Who caused it? And where is God in this? Do not automatically assign God's name to everything painful. Look for His redemption, His presence, and His grace in the middle of it.

Do not build your theology from your pain. Build it from Jesus. When you cannot see His hand, you can still trust His heart.

Topics covered include: the Book of Job explained, why God allows suffering, is God the source of my pain, Christian theology and suffering, how to trust God in hard times, what the Bible says about suffering, Job and Satan, God's character in the Bible, does God cause bad things to happen, fear-based faith, transactional Christianity, Jesus reveals the Father, Romans 8:28, Acts 10:38, Hebrews 1:3, John 14:9, Christian encouragement, faith in suffering, biblical answers to pain and loss.

What does the Book of Job really teach us about God and suffering? Most people know Job as a story about a good man who lost everything and endured. But there is far more happening beneath the surface, and understanding it can completely change how you respond when life gets hard.

This exploration of Job tackles some of the biggest questions people ask during painful seasons. Why do bad things happen to good people? Is God punishing me when I suffer? Why does God feel so distant when I need Him most? These are not new questions. Job asked all of them.

One of the most important discoveries in this study is what Job is actually about. It is not primarily an explanation of suffering. It is an exposure of a religious system that assumes pain is always evidence of God's judgment. Job's friends said many things about God that were technically true, but they used those truths as weapons against a suffering man. God rebuked them for it. This still happens today when people say things like there must be sin in your life, you don't have enough faith, or everything happens for a reason. These statements can devastate someone who is already hurting.

This study also addresses a common theological mistake: viewing Job as a type of Christ. While there are surface-level similarities, Job was not sinless, not fully faithful, and not a willing sacrifice. He was a flawed man who interpreted God's character through his circumstances and got it wrong. In many ways, Job resembles Adam more than Jesus. And that distinction matters, because it changes who the real hero of the story is. The hero is God.

The cross answers what Job could not resolve. Job wanted an explanation. God gave him something greater. He gave him Himself. Jesus is the clearest and most complete revelation of the Father, and He shows us that God does not stand at a distance from human suffering. He entered it.

Topics covered include the historical versus wisdom narrative debate around Job, why Job's friends were rebuked by God, four common myths about Job and Jesus, what suffering reveals that comfort conceals, how God speaks to who He created us to be rather than who we are in our brokenness, and how to redirect your understanding of God when pain tries to distort it.

Whether you are walking through a difficult season right now, supporting someone who is, or simply wanting to understand one of the Bible's most complex books, this is a study that will challenge and encourage you.

Keywords: Book of Job explained, why does God allow suffering, Job and Jesus comparison, Christian response to suffering, does God cause suffering, Job Bible study, wisdom literature Old Testament, suffering and faith, why bad things happen to good people, Job's friends rebuked, God and pain, Christian theology of suffering, Job Adam comparison, cross and suffering, finding God in hard times, faith in suffering, biblical answers to pain, Job chapter 42, what Job teaches Christians, God's character and suffering

What does it actually look like to love someone you deeply disagree with? Romans 14 and 15 give believers one of the most practical and challenging frameworks in all of Scripture for living in unity across differences. This teaching walks through Paul's call to bear one another's weaknesses, understand the difference between sin and matters of conscience, and use our strength to serve rather than to please ourselves.

Topics covered include how to tell the difference between sin and personal conviction, why we judge others so quickly and what that reveals about our own faith, what it truly means to be strong in faith according to Romans 15:1, the difference between people-pleasing and genuine servant-hearted love, how to bear someone's weakness rather than simply tolerate it, why the Old Testament gives us real and lasting hope, how the church should handle disagreement and correction in a healthy way, and how our preferences and pride can become obstacles to the gospel.

One of the most important insights from this passage is that strength in faith is not measured by how many convictions you hold. It is measured by how well you love. Paul reminds us that God has accepted us, and that truth becomes the foundation for how we accept others. We are called not just to tolerate people but to move toward them, carry them, and use everything Christ has given us to build them up.

Romans 15:13 reminds us that the God of hope fills us with joy and peace in believing, so that we overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. That hope is not wishful thinking. It is the confident expectation of a future held by a faithful God, and it is meant to be carried into the lives of the people around us.

Whether you are navigating conflict in your church, struggling to love someone whose convictions look very different from yours, or wondering if grace still applies to your story, this message speaks directly to where you are.

Keywords: Romans 14 and 15, Christian unity, loving people you disagree with, matters of conscience, strong and weak in faith, bearing one another's burdens, church conflict, Christian community, grace and acceptance, hope in Scripture, Romans 15:13, servant leadership, Christian love, how to handle disagreement as a Christian, unity in the church, Paul's letter to the Romans, Bible study Romans, Christian living, faith and grace, New Testament teaching

What is the Fruit of the Spirit and how does it actually grow in your life? Galatians 5:22-23 lists nine qualities that every Christian is called to walk in: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. But these are not rules to follow or boxes to check. They are the natural result of staying connected to Jesus Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit.

In John 15:5, Jesus says that apart from Him we can do nothing, but those who abide in Him bear much fruit. That is the key. Fruit is not manufactured. It grows when the branch stays connected to the vine. In the same way, the Fruit of the Spirit is not produced by willpower, discipline, or self-improvement. It is produced by the Holy Spirit working in and through a surrendered life.

This breakdown covers all nine fruits in depth, including what each Greek word actually means and what each quality looks like in everyday life. Love (agape) is the root of everything, a volitional, self-sacrificing choice that flows from God Himself. Joy (chara) is a deep gladness rooted in who God is, not in circumstances. Peace (eirene) reflects the Hebrew concept of shalom, meaning nothing missing and nothing broken. Patience (makrothymia) is active restraint in relationships, not passive tolerance. Kindness (chrestotes) is goodness that meets real needs. Goodness (agathosyne) is moral courage that does what is right even when it is hard. Gentleness (praotes) is strength under control. Faithfulness (pistis) is quiet, consistent reliability. And self-control (enkrateia) is Spirit-enabled mastery over your desires and impulses, the fruit that protects all the others.

Whether you are a new believer trying to understand what the Holy Spirit does in your life, or a mature Christian looking to grow deeper in Christ, this is for you. Topics covered include the difference between joy and happiness, what biblical peace really means, how kindness differs from goodness, why gentleness is not weakness, and how to practically walk in the Fruit of the Spirit this week.

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Romans 14 Bible Study: Judging Other Christians, Issues of Conscience, and Christian Freedom

What does the Bible say about judging other Christians? Romans 14 gives one of the clearest and most challenging answers in all of Scripture. Paul addresses a real conflict in the early church between Jewish and Gentile believers who disagreed over food, religious holidays, and the Sabbath. His response cuts through the noise and calls every believer to something higher than winning the argument.

In this message from Romans 14, we explore what Paul means by issues of conscience, why some believers are described as weak in faith, and what that actually looks like in the modern church. We also look at how the same tensions Paul addressed in Rome show up today in debates over alcohol, tattoos, worship styles, Christmas, Communion frequency, and more.

Key topics covered include: what issues of conscience are and how to identify them, the difference between sin and personal conviction, what it means to be weak in faith versus strong in faith, the danger of becoming a grace Pharisee, why judging another believer over secondary issues places your opinion above God's acceptance, what Paul means when he says whatever is not from faith is sin, and how to pursue peace and build others up in practical ways.

This study is for anyone wrestling with questions like: Can Christians drink alcohol? Is it wrong to celebrate Christmas? How do we handle disagreements in the church without causing division? What does Christian freedom actually look like in community?

The kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking. It is about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. That truth has the power to transform how we relate to one another as the body of Christ.

Whether you are navigating a church conflict, working through your own convictions, or trying to understand grace more deeply, Romans 14 has something important to say to you.

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