Reading Time: 5 minutesQuestion 04122 Romans 8:2 introduces a phrase that captures the heart of the New Testament’s understanding of how the believer relates to God’s moral expectations. Paul writes, “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” This law of the Spirit is…
Reading Time: 5 minutesQuestion 04067 Sanctification raises one of the most practically important questions in the Christian life. How much is God’s work and how much is mine? The popular slogan “Let go and let God” has shaped a generation of devotional thinking and remains influential in some circles, but careful reading of Scripture suggests this framing distorts…
Reading Time: 5 minutesQuestion 04043 Galatians 5 sets out one of the most direct contrasts in Scripture. Paul lists the works of the flesh, then the fruit of the Spirit, and the comparison reveals something fundamental about how the believer lives. These are not just two lists of behaviours. They represent two opposing sources of life and two…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 04021 Sanctification is the lifelong process by which the believer is progressively conformed to the image of Christ. It is not optional, it is not automatic, and it does not happen apart from the Holy Spirit. Understanding how the Spirit sanctifies matters for every aspect of the Christian life, from the daily struggle against…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 12004 Tattoos were once associated almost exclusively with sailors, soldiers, and subcultures. Today they are mainstream, and increasing numbers of Christians either have tattoos or are considering getting one. The question is whether Scripture prohibits them, permits them, or leaves the matter to individual conscience. The answer requires careful handling of the one Old…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 12036 The Bible does not contain a list of approved films, television programmes, or music genres. This frustrates some Christians who would prefer a clear set of rules, and it emboldens others who take the silence as permission to consume whatever they please without reflection. Neither response is adequate. Scripture provides principles that, when…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 12003 Few subjects generate more heat and less light in Christian circles than the question of alcohol. Some traditions teach total abstinence as a biblical command; others treat drinking as an unremarkable part of ordinary life. The Bible itself is more nuanced than either position allows, and a careful reading of the relevant texts…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 12058 Cohabitation has become so normalised in Western culture that many people, including many professing Christians, no longer see it as a moral issue at all. The reasoning typically runs along practical lines: it makes financial sense, it lets you test compatibility before committing, and it is what everyone does. The church needs to…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 12064 Few phrases have generated as much heat in contemporary Christian conversation as “love the sinner, hate the sin.” It is often attributed to Augustine, though the precise formulation is closer to a paraphrase than a direct quotation. It has become a shorthand for the Christian attempt to navigate between two extremes: unconditional approval…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 11101 This question generates more anxiety in Christian circles than it should. Some believers feel guilty for taking medication, as though reliance on a prescription is a failure of faith. Others have been told, sometimes by well-meaning pastors and sometimes by manipulative ones, that true Christians should trust God for healing and that taking…