Q&A Glorious News: Jesus Is Our Substitute


Could you please explain and define Grace? 

A simple definition of grace is "undeserved favor." This means you can't earn or work for it. It is simply a gift from God where He gives His favor and blessing to someone who doesn't deserve it. Paul explains the idea of grace versus works this way in the book of Romans. "When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners." (Romans 4:4-5 NLT)

If God is sovereign over everything, does this mean He is the author of sin, for example like the fall of Adam and Eve? 

The Bible is clear that God is both sovereign over everything and yet He is not the author of sin. This seems contradictory to our minds, but it is what the Bible teaches. Something, both helpful and humbling, is to remember that even our thinking and the logic we try to use is tainted with sin. So what appears to be a contradiction to us is due to the logic we use not being free from the effects of sin. 

Were the actions of Adam and Eve pleasing to God before they sinned? 

Though the Bible doesn't speak explicitly to this, one could safely assume so. Before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve were considered "very good" in God's view. So, their actions of taking care of the garden, loving one another and God, and so forth would have pleased Him.

Why does it say that he was with the wild animals?  

I answered this in my sermon. You can find a link to the manuscript here.

What if you were baptized as an infant? Should you then be baptized as an adult?  

It depends. If you were baptized in a tradition that connected your salvation to infant baptism, then I would say you were baptized in a way that is contradictory to Scripture. Being baptized is not part of God's saving process. It's a sign and seal, but not the means by which God saves. However, if you were baptized as an infant in a tradition that doesn't view baptism as part of salvation then there would be no need for you to be baptized as an adult because you were baptized in a way that fits within orthodox Christianity (and, in my view, according to Scripture).  

The church makes available the Gateway Devotional. Who prepares that, or where does it come from? It is very good and well done!  

The Gateway devotional is currently being written by one of our church members.  

Will we ever be going over Revelations?  

At some point, Lord willing, we will go through the book of Revelation.