The day after Christmas and subsequently ending the year is always bittersweet. 2019 has been a rollercoaster of news, trends, and movements for our world as we enter a new year and decade.
As Christians, we are constantly pondering God’s infinite power and wisdom, and how we are to proceed with the varying ins and outs of His Word. With this great responsibility and honor, we are to share with each other and those who do not know Christ in love.
In this Top-10 list, we have included audience-favorite questions that ranked highest in views and some personal favorites.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, believers are saved, filled, sealed, and sanctified. The Holy Spirit reveals God’s thoughts, teaches, and guides believers into all truth including knowledge of what is to come. The Holy Spirit also helps Christians in their weakness and intercedes for them.
Many think the Seven Deadly Sins (pride, envy, wrath, gluttony, lust, sloth, and greed) are recorded in the Bible. Surprisingly, even though each of the seven is a sin, this list is not contained in Scripture. The history of the sin categorization began in the year 400.
Jesus Christ is the only reason we can truly live peacefully with God. The right relationship with God is the foundation of living in harmony with all His creation. Jesus Christ is called the Prince of Peace because He alone is able to restore every broken relationship, provide a well-ordered and balanced life, and offer assurance of eternal life.
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14 KJV). "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Matthew 1:23 KJV). Are these two the same or distinctively different? If they’re the same, then why are they spelled two different ways?
The Bible is filled with the promises of God. From Genesis to Revelation we read of normal people that received the promises of God. These promises are sealed by the highest authority, God's word. In Hebrews 6:13, it says, "For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself."
Most people believe that the phrase "This Too Shall Pass" came directly from the Bible itself. Unfortunately, that is not the case at all. But there is a hope that is conveyed in the Bible that is similarly close that can give us the same comfort and peace.
The armor of God is a metaphor in the Bible (Ephesians 6:10-18) that both reminds Christians about the reality of spiritual battle and describes the protection available to them. The full armor of God that Christians are called to put on comprises of the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit.
In modern Christianity, colors are used frequently to represent the differing facets of God’s character and promises. Colors, like numbers, have significant meaning in the Bible. Understanding what different colors symbolize can help us gain a deeper understanding of Scripture.
In the Enlightenment, scientists had described a world that functioned according to laws laid down by God, who had set everything up and then left it to its own devices. This was deism. Now, it seemed that the world in its present state was not directly created by God. However, Darwin’s theories left a shrinking place for God. The theory of evolution denied the direct creation of man by God, and the greatest damage came from the application of that theory to the development of religion.
Murder, anger, gossip, lies, stealing, adultery, are all sins. Most believers would agree these are obvious on the list of bad things we shouldn’t practice. But what about the subtle habits of the mind, such as anxiety? Is it a sin? It’s a great question since many have and deal with anxiety. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America estimates that 40 million adults or 18.1% of the population have an anxiety disorder. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
As we consider these and other questions about Christianity, may we gain wisdom and grace from our Creator so that we may show His love and light to a darkened world this new year.
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Molly Law is the former Editor of C.com. She has a Master of Arts in Publishing Studies from the University of Stirling, UK, where she studied and lived for a year in Scotland. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Professional Writing from Gardner-Webb University. Her editorial career includes Senior Editor of a bimonthly magazine for the nonprofit ACA and Editorial Assistant at Luath Press in Edinburgh, UK. She enjoys reading 18th-century British Literature, creative writing, and traveling.