How and to whom did Jesus pay our ransom?
A ransom is something that is paid to provide for the release of someone who is held captive. Jesus paid our ransom to free us from sin, death, and hell. Throughout the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are found God’s requirements for sacrifices. In Old Testament times, God commanded the Israelites to make…
Why is Christianity such a bloody religion?
To understand why Christianity is a “bloody religion,” we must go back to God’s declarations regarding blood in the Old Testament: “the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11, 14). Here God tells us that life and blood are essentially one and the same. The blood carries life-sustaining nutrients to all parts…
What is the Ordo Salutis / order of salvation?
Ordo Salutis is the Latin for “the order of salvation,” which deals with the steps or stages in the salvation of a believer (e.g., election, foreknowledge, predestination, redemption, regeneration, justification, sanctification, glorification—see especially Romans 8:29-30). There is disagreement within the church concerning this order and about the causal connections among them. Before discussion, it might…
What is justifying grace?
Justifying grace is a term used to identify the grace by which God freely pardons and reconciles a repentant sinner to Himself. This phrase is primarily associated with the Wesleyan tradition, though the concept is not unique to John Wesley’s teaching. Every Christian believes in justification, the act by which God declares believers righteous through…
What is the doctrine of substitution?
Substitution is one of the major themes of the Bible. God instituted the principle of substitution in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. By killing an animal to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:21), God began to paint a picture of what it would take to bring humanity back into proper relationship with…
What is the doctrine of election?
An election is a time when people choose who they want to fill certain positions from President on down. An election is a choice. The biblical doctrine of election teaches that God chooses to save some, and, by necessity, if He does not choose everyone, then there are some who are passed over. Those whom…
Why is sola gratia important?
Sola gratia is important because it is one of the distinguishing characteristics or key points that separate the true biblical Gospel from false gospels that cannot save. As one of the five solas that came to define the key issues of the Protestant Reformation, this doctrine is as important today as it was then. The…
What is God’s plan of redemption?
Due to Adam and Eve’s disobedience (Genesis 3:6-7), humanity was plunged into a state of total depravity (Jeremiah 17:9; Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12–21). Our entire being—mind, body, will, and spirit—has been corrupted by the power of sin. Amidst our sinfulness, however, God promised a plan of redemption. He would send a Savior who would redeem…
Why is soli Deo gloria important?
Soli Deo gloria is one of the important doctrines emphasized during the Protestant Reformation. Soli Deo gloria, along with the other four solas of the Reformers, separates the biblical gospel from false beliefs. The Latin word soli means “alone” or “only” (soli is the root of our English word solitary); and the phrase Deo gloria…
What is the difference between righteousness and holiness?
Righteousness and holiness are two words that describe states of moral excellence. There is a slight difference between the two concepts. Oxford Dictionary’s definition of holiness is “the state of being holy,” and the definition of holy is “dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred” or “morally and spiritually excellent.” The Oxford…