Faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love are all qualities the apostle Peter identifies as qualifying one’s salvation.

What is faith? Is it merely trusting Jesus to save you? Or is action necessary for a believer to be pleasing to God?

Jesus said that unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God. So, what does it mean to be born again? Let’s explore the Bible for an answer to this important question.

The conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10 contains valuable lessons for today.

Baptism is a controversial subject in the religious world. How should it be performed? Who is a proper candidate for baptism? What is the purpose of baptism? Conflicting answers abound. Throw in a mix of emotions, and it seems even more confusing. Jason Jackson responds to a sincere reader and looks at the New Testament in order to clearly define this important topic that gets “watered down” by so many religious leaders.

Are you ready? Are you a sheep or a goat? The Judgment Day is certain, and only through the teaching of Scripture can we prepare for it. The Lord’s teaching of Matthew 25:31-46 must be considered in view of the inevitable Day of the Lord.

How does God, the Creator of human life, view death? Certainly not in the way many humans do. What does the Bible say about the matter?

How can a fallen away Christian be restored to fellowship with Christ and his church?

Does baptism come before or after the salvation contemplated in 1 Peter 3:21?

The writer of Hebrews speaks of those who are beyond the possibility of repentance (Heb. 6:6). Does this mean that if a Christian falls away from the faith, he can never return? Is it even possible for the child of God to apostatize —so as to be lost? This week’s Q&A segment addresses this issue.

Borrowing from the legal terminology of the first century, the New Testament writers used the figure of a “last will and testament” to characterize that body of doctrine to which mankind is obligated in the Christian age, i.e., that era of time from the day of Pentecost until the Lord’s return. In this article, we examine several important features of a “last will and testament.”

Some argue that John the Baptist’s teaching – that it was not lawful for Herod to have his brother’s wife (Mk. 6:18) – establishes a New Testament example of how someone today may be required to leave his wife.

A sincere student wants to know how one can read Romans 10:9-10, which mentions only faith and confession, and then contend that baptism is essential to salvation. Wayne Jackson discusses the “analogy of faith” principle.

The nation’s attention was riveted to the testimony of nine coal miners who had been trapped deep beneath the earth’s surface in Pennsylvania. One miner expressed concern for his soul, since he’d never been baptized. Another assured him that he was okay — but was he? Jason Jackson discusses this episode in this week’s Penpoints.

Have you ever heard or read a statement that made you wonder how it ever could have been conceived? For example Bill O’Reilly, Fox News guru, said on national television that “the Catholic Church invented marriage” (WorldNetDaily, 2/10/2010). How does anyone that obtuse deserve a national audience? But he is not alone. Consider a few more quotes that are “simply outrageous.”

Romans 5:1-2 is a beautiful text, so filled with meaning. Unfortunately, it has been terribly misunderstood by many. Study this sacred passage with us.

One of the first forms of logical reasoning that children learn is the significance of the particle, “if.” Unfortunately, many forget the meaning of the term in adulthood — especially in religious matters.

There is much confusion in the community of “Christendom” as to what constitutes “conversion.” There need not be. A collective consideration of those cases in the book of Acts wonderfully clarifies the matter. Study this theme with us.

Valid faith is never passive. It becomes a redemptive quality only when it responds in implementing the will of Jehovah.