Category Archives: alienation

5 Great Fears Believers Should Never Have

Posted on February 20, 2017 by

We mentioned before that many believers today are driven by fear—especially in very theologically conservative groups. This includes the fear of God, the fear of hell, the fear of making a mistake, the fear of being wrong, and the fear … Continue reading →

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Posted in alienation, doubt, faith, fear, God, hell, legalism | Tagged , | 89 Comments

How So Many Believers Completely Misunderstand God’s Love in John 3:16

Posted on January 23, 2017 by

I suppose most believers think John 3:16 is one of the most wonderful passages in the Bible—and I agree! This passage tells of God’s love for us in a very proactive way. This is why “John 3:16” is found everywhere: … Continue reading →

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Posted in alienation, baggage, God, hell, Jesus, love, The Father, the Good News | Tagged , , , | 41 Comments

Why ‘Love the Sinner; Hate the Sin’ is Opposite to Jesus’ Teaching

Posted on January 16, 2017 by

Have you heard believers say they ‘Love the sinner but hate the sin’? At least you likely have heard of them. In fact, they don’t love the ‘sinner’ at all—at least not the way Jesus loves people. As we read … Continue reading →

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Posted in alienation, Jesus, legalism, love, Pharisees, sin, sinners | Tagged , , , | 61 Comments

Loving Others with Empathy, Compassion, and Care this Year

Posted on January 4, 2017 by

A prominent part of Jesus’ message is that we should love others as we love ourselves. Sometimes, though, it is unclear how this plays out in practical terms. What does it even mean to love others as we love ourselves? … Continue reading →

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Posted in alienation, behavior, love, love your enemies | Tagged , , , , , , | 25 Comments

What does it Mean that Jesus Brings, not Peace, but a Sword?

Posted on September 12, 2016 by

Does Jesus come to bring, not peace, but a sword? According to Matthew 10 this is exactly what he says: Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, … Continue reading →

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Posted in alienation, hate, Jesus, Kingdom of God | Tagged , , , , | 30 Comments

Are Our Sins Gone as though They Never Happened? In One Sense–No

Posted on May 9, 2016 by

Justified! It is a wonderful truth that we are justified by Jesus: Some believers celebrate it with this homonym: ‘It is just if I’d never sinned!’ It’s cute and it’s catchy. But is it true? Are our sins gone as … Continue reading →

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Posted in alienation, love, sin, suffering | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

We Do Not Inherit Original Sin from Adam

Posted on April 18, 2016 by

Fear, pain, guilt, shame… Misery, insecurity, conflict, alienation… Greed, hate, exploitation, violence…Death. This is the world we live in. It has been this way in all times and all places. It is our human condition. Sometimes it is somewhat bearable; … Continue reading →

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Posted in alienation, inerrancy, original sin, sin | Tagged , , , , | 32 Comments