Theology

The Case of Cornelius and God’s Regenerative Work in the Unsaved

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD In a vision, an angel of the Lord appeared to Cornelius (who was unsaved at the time) and called unto him. Although shocked, Cornelius responded, “’What is it, Lord?’ And he said to him, ‘Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God’” (Acts 10:4; cf. 10:22, 33-44).[i] From this text, it seems quite clear that God is able and willing to receive prayers of those still unsaved. After all, Cornelius’ prayers and alms were accepted by God. Given this tim...
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John 6:35 and the Doctrine of Regeneration

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD Robert Wilkin in his book, Is Calvinism Biblical?,[i] offers an argument against the idea that regeneration precedes faith based on Christ’s words in John 6:35: “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst[ii].” From the verse that follows, it is clear that Jesus is speaking to non-believers. In John 6:35, he clearly tells non-believers to come first so that they may be saved eternally. With this in view, Wil...
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Should a Christian Ask for Forgiveness from God?

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Mark W. Christy, PhD, Pastor of MBC in Channelview, TX After salvation, all Christians enter into a sanctification process whereby a struggle ensues between the new, redeemed nature in Christ and their old, fallen, and sinful nature. Paul himself recounts his struggle in this regard, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, bu...
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The Nature of Christ’s Flesh

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Mark W. Christy, PhD, Pastor of MBC in Channelview, TX To begin with, flesh in and of itself is not sinful. Sin is disobedience in regard to God’s Law; therefore, it is an action and a rebellion against God (1 John 3:4). It is birthed in the heart of a person whereby their desire is to disobey God. This was Jesus point throughout the Sermon on the Mount. In His sermon, he demonstrates that evil, hate, greed, etc. arise from the heart of a person. it is person inhabiting flesh who is the sinn...
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Is God’s Love Unconditional?

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Mark W. Christy, PhD, Pastor of MBC in Channelview, TX If God’s love is unconditional, why do we call upon people to repent and believe? Paul in Acts 20:21 makes these two conditions quite clear: “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”[i] To this, one could respond that those who express repentance and belief were already chosen by God before having done so. As Paul puts it in Ephesians 1:3-4, “Praise be to the God ...
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Do Christians Have to Follow the Old Testament?

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD, Pastor of MBC in Channelview, TX Often times, people will ask about the application of the Old Testament to the life of the Christian today? Typically, they are speaking about the Mosaic Law in general and the Ten Commandments in particular. Before the time of Moses, no codified law was given after the initial fall of Adam and Eve who were given a specific command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17). After Adam and Eve ...
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Philippians 2:1-4 – Unity

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD, Pastor of MBC in Channelview, TX One of enemy’s preferred strategies to undermine the gospel ministry is to attack the Word of God. This includes our reliance on it. A second strategy is to lead the church away from its first love. A third strategy would be to lead God’s people into willful sin. A fourth strategy is to attack the unity of God’s people. Paul had this fear when addressing the Corinthians: “For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want y...
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A Warning from Hebrews to Those Who Call Themselves Christians

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Hebrews 10:22-27 “let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing ...
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Should Believers Expect Blessings in Regard to Finances, Health, and Success? (Part 5 of Interaction with the Belief Statement of a Prosperity Gospel Church)

Posted on by markwchristy
While giving a sermon at a local SBC church in Shreveport, the pastor mentioned his joyful willingness to partner a local church called the Word of God Ministries. Honestly, the name alone drew my attention as it suggests affiliation with the Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel movements. Given this concern, it made sense to tour their website (See link in 1st endnote) and determine whether or not grounds existed to support my suspicion. On their website, I accessed their belief statement which...
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Should Believers Expect Blessings in Regard to Finances, Health, and Success? (Part 4 of Interaction with the Belief Statement of a Prosperity Gospel Church)

Posted on by markwchristy
While giving a sermon at a local SBC church in Shreveport, the pastor mentioned his joyful willingness to partner a local church called the Word of God Ministries. Honestly, the name alone drew my attention as it suggests affiliation with the Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel movements. Given this concern, it made sense to tour their website (See link in 1st endnote) and determine whether or not grounds existed to support my suspicion. On their website, I accessed their belief statement which...
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