What is Sanctification?

Last week we saw how justification gives us a new status. Through Jesus’ sacrifice we are made right with God. Sanctification refers to Christians being made holy and typically describes the process by which God makes us more like him. Continue reading Catechism – Week 19 – Sanctification →

What is Justification?

We often ask questions like, “When did you get saved?” and make salvation much smaller than it actually is. In the Bible, Christians “have been saved,” are “being saved,” and “will be saved.” This week we will explore the concept of justification which is similar to the idea of having been saved. Scripture uses many different metaphors to describe the event, but for the sake of simplicity we will not explore them all right now. You are encouraged to click the link at the end for a brief overview of them. Continue reading Catechism – Week 18 – Justification →

What is Preceding Grace?

Note: Preceding grace is often referred to as prevenient grace, but the former is used for its simplicity.

Ephesians 2:1 – And you were dead in the trespasses and sins. (ESV)

Continue reading Catechism – Week 17 – Preceding Grace →

Who Is the Holy Spirit and Why Was He Sent?

We learned previously that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person in the Trinity along with Jesus (the Son) and the Father (see week 3). We also saw that when Jesus ascended into heaven, God was exalting him (see week 15) and giving him rule and authority over all the earth. The Holy Spirit carries out Jesus’ rule in the earth (see Acts 2:32-33). Continue reading Catechism – Week 16 – The Holy Spirit →

Why Did Jesus Rise from the Dead and Ascend to Heaven?

The resurrection of Jesus is the most important issue of Christianity and there are many more answers to this question than will be discussed here. Also, the resurrection changes how we think about every aspect of life. We will only discuss a couple things here. Continue reading Catechism – Week 15 – Jesus’ Resurrection →