Discipleship

The Biblical Necessity of Baptism

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD Jesus Himself instituted the practice of Christian baptism by having John the Baptist baptize Him (Luke 3:21-22). Unlike the others whom John had baptized, Christ’s baptism included the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and even a public statement of divine acceptance by God: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased” (Luke 3:22).[i] This central importance of baptism can be seen further in its inclusion into the Great Commission. In giving this to His disciples, ...
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The Church Membership’s Role in Admonishing the Unruly

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By Mark W. Christy In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Paul says to the church, “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly.”[i] This directive is given not just to the leadership but to the church as a whole. The Greek word translated as “urge” demonstrates that this was of paramount importance to Paul. This is hardly surprising given Paul’s frequent overtures to churches concerning their unity and spiritual health. In this portion of the verse, he specifically addresses the unruly or wayward and c...
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Carnal Christianity and the Struggle for Assurance

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD In his first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul labelled its recipients as carnal Christians (1 Cor 3:1-3). His insulting words which adorn the pages of Holy Writ and therefore bear the full authority of the Holy Spirit portray the Corinthians as mere infants in Christ unready for instruction in Christian maturity due to their overt fleshly behavior. This class of Christian is somewhere in between the false Christian who will inevitably fall away and the mature Chr...
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The Biblical Barometer for Maturation

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD The Bible offers multiple ways for believers to gauge their success in the maturation process where the ultimate goal is full-on Christlikeness when the unification with Christ occurs in heaven after death. This article will consider five separate measurements that are provided in Scripture to determine one’s spiritual growth. First, growing Christians exhibit an increasingly developed understanding of God’s Word (cf. Col 3:16). This is hardly surprising since Jesu...
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Follow Me: Obeying Christ’s Command Requires Bible Study

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD In the Gospels, Jesus frequently issued His disciples the command, ‘Follow Me’. By following the command, He tells the disciples that He will make them “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).[i] In Matthew 8:22, Jesus makes it apparent that this kind of followership places the pursuit of Him above all other worldly entanglements (cf. Matt 19:21). Moreover, following Him will require self-denial and lead to suffering: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, ...
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The Southern Baptist Half-Way Covenant

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Before beginning, it is important to note that there are many Bible-believing Southern Baptists who affirm that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Among them however, many disagree on the role of the free will in regard to salvation. Some suggest God elects those He saves in such a way that He Himself ensures those whom He chooses will indeed respond to the gospel through the God-given gifts of repentance and faith. Others hold that these gifts of grace are g...
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Responding to God from the Pit of Despair

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD The Apostle Peter informs Christians they would be “distressed by various trials” and their faith would be “tested by fire” (1 Pet 1:6-7).[i] James connects these trials directly with “testing of [a believer’s] faith” and notes that by them a believer will develop endurance (perseverance) and perfection (1:2-4). Paul attributes this testing to the work of the devil who tries to lure believers with temptations even while God ensures the believer is not tempted beyond h...
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The Only Authentic Response to the Gospel that Leads to Salvation

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus discusses four different types of reception to the gospel proclamation (Luke 8:4-15). It is clear from the range of responses that the gospel is to be preached to all. Furthermore, the central factor in salvation, in this parable, is shown to be the receptivity to the gospel and not the skill or methodology employed by the proclaimer. The first type of response is given by those who simply reject the gospel outright from the start...
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Victorious Living for Those Who Have Been Made Victorious in Christ

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD According to Scripture, Christians are expected to fully obey the commands of God. In John 14:15, Jesus says emphatically, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (cf. John 14:21; 1 John 5:3; 2 John 1:6).[i] Jesus also says that His true followers will obey God: “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35). In Ephesians, Paul notes that “the will of God” must be done “from the heart” (Eph 6:6) Finally, Jesus even goes ...
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Biblical Proof of Authentic Salvation

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD John MacArthur, in a sermon entitled “The Distinctive Qualities of the True Christian, Part 3” offers five non-proofs of salvation: “a past supposed conversion event,” moral living, “head knowledge,” “religious activity,” and “service in the name of Christ.”[i] Relying on Philippians 3:3, he argues that true Christians long (in their hearts) to glorify, praise, and serve God. They rejoice in Christ and desire to see Him exalted among people. Finally, he contends that ...
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