By Mark W. Christy, PhD In modern times, evangelical churches have become increasingly focused on an overly simplified gospel which focuses exclusively on the procurement of a (verbal) believing response irrespective of a lasting change in disposition that increasingly mirrors the holiness of God. To support their efforts, they appeal to passages like Romans 10:13 where Paul writes, “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, yo...

By Mark W. Christy, PhD In Romans 9:1, Paul defends his integrity before the Lord, and then adds, “my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit.” How is it that Paul could use his own conscience as a part of his gospel witness? To answer this, this article will discuss the role of the conscience in one’s life, the hardening effect of sin upon it, the cleansing effect of the Word of God, and the call upon Christians to actively maintain a clean conscience so as to properly empower their...

By Mark W. Christy, PhD Having informed the disciples of His impending death, Jesus spends significant time, beginning in John 14, comforting the disciples, knowing that His death will be difficult for them to bear. Given that it was Christ who would die, one would think that the disciples would have been ministering to Christ in the same way. This, however, was not the case. To understand this remarkable failure of the disciples, this article will examine Christ’s rebuke in John 14:28 and i...