When we first believe and repent, we receive God’s spirit, which adopts us into his family. Like Octavius whom Julius Caesar posthumously adopted, we must accept our adoption and live it out. When we do, we will suffer. Thankfully, our inheritance as God’s children far outweighs any suffering we must face today.

Romans 8:11 The spirit of God is the primary activating agent for resurrection on the last day. We receive the spirit when we first believe in the gospel and repent of our sins (Titus 3:3-7; Eph 1:13-14).

Romans 8:12-14 There’s something inherently wrong with us. Paul calls this impulse to do what is wrong, “the flesh” (Rom 7:14-15, 21-24). If we choose to be led by the spirit, we can gain freedom from the flesh. By acting like God, we are the children of God (Gal 3:6-7).

Romans 8:15-16 Receiving God’s spirit also means that we’ve been adopted into God’s family. Just as Octavius had to believe and act on his posthumous adoption by Julius Caesar, so too we must believe and act upon our adoption by God.

Romans 8:17 Because we are God’s adopted children, we are also heirs. To be an heir is to be destined to receive an inheritance. Heirs of God means that we will receive our inheritance from God—eternal life in the kingdom of God (Mat 5:5; Luke 12:32).

Romans 8:18 All who want to live a godly life in Christ will suffer persecution (2 Tim 3:12). Although we don’t seek out suffering, it is inevitable if we stand for God in this fallen world. Our suffering matters, but we must remember to keep it in perspective of the coming glory.

Science Assumes Intelligent Design cannot be challenged.  Christianity has assumed that Jesus is God and the debate is over.

Acts 10:38 – “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth… for God was with Him.”

Proverbs 8:22–30 – Wisdom beside God from the beginning.

Mark 14:61–64; Matthew 26:63–65; Luke 23:2–3

Conclusion

1 Timothy 2:5; Romans 5:19; Acts 2:36

Bible version: NRSVUE (New Revised Standard Version Updated)

The common view is that God is three persons in one being or substance. Each of the persons is fully God, but the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father.

Problem 1: Believing that God is three persons contradicts scriptures that speak of God as a singular individual—as a one, not a plurality (Deut. 4:35, 39; 6:4-9; Isa. 43:10-11; 44:6; 45:5-6; 1 Kgs. 8:60; Mal. 2:10; Mark 12:28-34; John 17:3; Rom 3:30; Eph 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:5; Jas. 2:19). Just imagine how well-known scriptures would change if God were three persons (John 3:16; Jer. 29:11).

Problem 2: If God were three persons we find serious logical difficulties. Questions multiply. Why doesn’t the Bible say God is three persons or explain the idea? Why wasn’t it included in the preaching in the book of Acts? How is belief in three persons not tritheism? If the spirit is a person, what’s his name? Why doesn’t anyone pray to the spirit? Why doesn’t the spirit receive worship or give greetings?

Problem 3: The tri-personal idea slowly evolved over time. Tertullian first used the word trinitas, but didn’t recognize the Father, Son, and Spirit as coequal. Origen of Alexandria developed the concept of eternal generation, but he too believed the Father was greater than the Son. It’s not until Gregory of Nazianzus in the mid to late fourth century that we get a clear statement of God as three persons in one being (Fifth Theological Oration 31).

Solution: The Bible teaches that the Father is the only true God (John 17:3), Jesus is his Son, the Messiah, and the spirit is their presence in the world.

Bible version: NASB-95 (New American Standard Bible-95)

The devil disguises evil in sweetness and fun during Halloween, using candy and costumes to draw children toward practices that Yahweh calls detestable. There is nothing sweet or fun about the darkness of the occult or the celebration of death. Witches and sorcerers are evil and are destined for the lake of fire.

Revelation 12:9; 20:2-3; Ephesians 2:1-3 Prince of the power of the air – invisible, pervasive, and surrounding human life like the air we breathe. Demons and unclean spirits are recorded in the Gospels over 80 times.

Ephesians 6:12; John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 11 One of the greatest tools of the adversary is secrecy. He wants everyone to think he is not real.

Deuteronomy 18:9-22 Divination is seeking knowledge or guidance through the occult or magical methods, such as interpreting signs, consulting spirits, or using objects (like lots, stars, or entrails).

His son or his daughter pass through the fire – 2 Kings 17:7-18

1 Samuel 28:3-25; 1 Chronicles 10:13–14 Saul did many evil things all worthy of death, however, consulting the medium sealed his demise.

Exodus 8:18-19 The magicians and sorcerers duplicate the first two plagues then they told Pharaoh this was way over our heads “this is the finger of God.”

Acts 8:5-13 Phillip overpowered Simon.

Acts 16:16-19 Paul cast the spirit of divination out of the slave girl.

Acts 19:14-20 The power of God destroyed the power of the spiritist.

1 John 4:4 Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world

Bible version: REV (Revised English Version)

True faith is a matter of the heart and is “trust” and “allegiance” to Jesus, which fundamentally changes how a person lives. This is contrary to the popular idea that “faith alone is all you need.” While salvation is granted solely by grace through faith, and not by works, the Bible teaches that genuine faith is never alone and must be evidenced by obedience and loving action.

Faith is not something we merely do in our mind; rather, it is something that happens in our heart that then changes how we live.

Popular Christian culture promotes the idea that “As long as I believe in Jesus, how I live doesn’t really matter that much.” This is not what the Bible says.

Faith is “trust,” “allegiance,” and “dependence.” Faith is not mental assent or agreement with an idea. It is a disposition of the heart that results in outward action in one’s life.

But Jesus said, “Only believe!”

Mark 5:35-42 (cf. Luke 8:49-56)

Some take Jesus’ words out of context and make it seem like he was saying that is all a person needs—period. Faith is required for God’s power to operate effectively in a person’s life. But “faith” is never truly alone. It is always accompanied by obedience.

Galatians 2:16

We are declared righteous by trust, not by our works. The basis for salvation is trust (i.e., faith). Our works do not contribute to the gift of salvation that we have received.

Titus 3:5-7

God saved us, but not because of our works.

Acts 16:31 (cf. Romans 10:9-13; John 3:16-18)

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”

James 2:14-26

True faith is a faith that works! When you trust God, there will be a change in your life according to that trust.

Galatians 5:13

Freedom is not being “free from all things.” It is freedom with purpose—to love one another as Jesus loved us. That means serving one another and not doing whatever we want.

Bible version: NRSVUE (New Revised Standard Version Updated)

The common view is that the saved go to heaven at death to be with Jesus and their loved ones. Although it’s not clear what we’ll do there, we know that we will enjoy eternal bliss.

Problem 1: Going to heaven contradicts scriptures that speak of the righteous living on earth, including the land promise God made to Abraham and his descendants (Gen 12:7; 13:14-15; 15:18-21; 17:7-8; 22:17-18; 24:7; 26:4; 28:13; 35:12; Ex 3:17; 6:8; Lev 25:38; Deut 1:8; Josh 21:43; Ps 105:11; Jer 7:7; 11:5; 32:22; Ezek 20:6, 42; Acts 7:3-5; Rom 4:13; Gal 3:29; Eph 2:12-13, 19) as well as many other texts (Ps 2:7-8; 37:9-11, 21-22, 27-29, 34; Pr 2:21; Is 11:6-9; 60:20-21; Ezek 36:26-28; Dan 2:44; 7:27; Zech 14:9; Mat 5:5; 6:10; Luke 13:28-29; Rev 2:26-27; 5:9-10; 11:15; 21:2-4).

Problem 2: Going to heaven undermines God’s original intention for creation. God made the kind of world (Gen 1:31) and people (Gen 2:7) he wanted in the beginning. His plan is to fix what went wrong, not give up on it (Rom 8:19-23; Is 45:18).

Problem 3: Going to heaven devalues resurrection. Assuming the dead are living in heaven, what’s the point of the resurrection of the dead? Why would people want their bodies back after living in disembodied bliss in heaven for centuries? The Bible teaches that when people die, they are “asleep” until Christ returns to “awaken” them (Dan 12:2; John 5:28-29; 6:39-40; 1 Cor 15:21-23). Life will be much like it is now, but with the elimination of everything wrong with the world— including violence, sickness, and death. It will be paradise.

Bible version: NRSVUE (New Revised Standard Version Updated)

The common view of hell is that it is a place of separation from God where the unrighteous suffer eternal conscious torment (ECT) in a fire with no relief and no hope of escape.

Problem 1: ECT contradicts scriptures that speak of the destruction of the wicked, including Gen 3:19-23; Ps 1:6; 37:9-11, 20-22, 28-29, 34, 37-38; 92:7; 145:20; Prov 2:21-22; 12:7; 24:10-20; Is 66:15-16, 23-24; Mal 4:1-3; Mat 3:11-12; 7:13-14; 10:28; Jn 3:16; 5:28-29; Rom 6:23; 2 Thes 1:6-9; Heb 10:26-27; 2 Pet 2:6, 12-13; 3:7.

Problem 2: ECT violates the ethic of proportional justice. Torturing the wicked forever is out of proportion to their crimes. Since we know that Yahweh judges with righteousness and equity (Ps 9:7-8), he cannot also be excessive in his punishment.

Problem 3: ECT implies that God is cruel. If you had a friend who was so sensitive and offendable that he wished to punish his enemies by tormenting them forever, what would that tell you about his character? God is not sadistic; he is loving, gracious, merciful, and just (Ex 34:6-7; Deut 32:4; Jer 9:24).

When the day of judgement comes, the dead will rise and stand before the judge (Rev 20:11-15). Those not in the book of life will be annihilated. In Rev 20:10 (and 14:9-11) John saw a vision of people getting eternally tormented in a lake of fire. In Rev 21:7-8, we learn that the symbol of people getting tormented in a lake of fire actually refers to “the second death.”

Bible version: NASB-95 (New American Standard Bible-95)

We can evaluate God and His actions rightly based upon the parameters He has given in the Scriptures about Himself. When someone says “God did this” or “God did that” we must see if it fits with what we know about God.

Bible version: NET (New English Translation)

Like the ancient texts in The Mummy, God’s “backwards” truths become the key to real victory and transformation.

1. The Bible is not Boring — It’s a Living Adventure

2. The Bible is not Bigoted — It’s Radically Inclusive

3. The Bible is not Backwards — But it is Backwards to the World

Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good;

The lost are those who have yet to take refuge in God. They haven’t tasted and seen that Yahweh is good. These are the people we are called to reach.

Luke 19:1-2 Zaccheus was a bad man, engaged in a despicable profession that betrayed and exploited his own people.

Luke 19:3-6 Jesus noticed Zaccheus. He wasn’t so busy or task-oriented that he missed the wealthy man who had climbed the tree. As a high-status rabbi, inviting himself over to Zaccheus’s house was a huge honor to Zaccheus.

Luke 19:7 There will always be critics when you spend time with the lost. Even so, we want to be like Jesus and seek out those who are spiritually hungry.

Luke 19:8-9 Zaccheus repented on the spot. He’s ready to change his life. Love calls for a response. Martin Luther King used to say that love had within it a redemptive power.

Luke 19:10 Jesus came to seek out and to save the lost. If you want to be like Jesus, you, too, should seek out the lost. Those who are lost really need help (Eph 2:12).