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Rejected by His Own (John 1:11) Mike Johnson John 1:1-18 is considered the prologue of the book of John. A prologue introduces a literary work, providing background information about the characters, setting, or events. The rest of the book then explains and backs up what is in the prologue. Unlike the other gospel accounts, John […]
The Sinner’s Prayer Mike Johnson Many say the only thing needed to obtain salvation is to pray a simple prayer known as a sinner’s prayer. There are variations, but typically, this is a short prayer where people express their need for salvation, asking Jesus to come into their hearts. They confirm their belief that Jesus […]
The Thief on the Cross Mike Johnson The Bible teaches that baptism is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), washes away sins (Acts 22:16), saves (1 Pet. 3:21, Mk. 16:16), and puts people into Christ (Rom. 6:3, Gal. 3:27). After listening to this teaching, some may ask, “What about the thief on the cross?” […]
THEY WERE SIMPLY CHRISTIANS Mike Johnson If someone asked me what I am religiously, I would say, “I am a Christian.” The person might look at me in a puzzled way and ask, “But what kind of Christian are you?” Many religious groups today wear names to refer to themselves other than a name, which […]
ARE ALL RELIGIOUS PEOPLE CHRISTIANS? Mike Johnson Many people today are religious. They may belong to a particular denomination and attend services regularly. Others, while not belonging to any specific religious group, may believe in God, read their Bibles, and pray from time to time. These are all “religious,” but does the fact that they […]
THE FORM OF BAPTISM Mike Johnson What is the form of baptism taught in the Bible? There is division in the religious world regarding this question. One creed says dipping someone in water is not necessary, but, instead, sprinkling or pouring water on an individual is acceptable. Some say immersion is a choice, while others […]
THE UNKNOWN GOD Mike Johnson At the Areopagus, in the very well know city of Athens, Paul preached a sermon to a group of philosophers and well-educated men. He started his lesson by saying, “for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: […]
A Broken & Contrite Heart (Psalm 51:16-17) Mike Johnson In Psalm 51, the writer expresses great sorrow for the sins he had committed. According to the notes at the beginning of this Psalm, David wrote it after his sin with Bathsheba. He repeatedly asked God for mercy and forgiveness. Consider verses 16-17, which say, “For You […]
My Sin Is Always Before Me (Psalm 51:3) Mike Johnson The writer of Psalm 51 expresses great sorrow for his sins. Most agree that David is the author, and he wrote it after his sin with Bathsheba. In 2 Samuel 11-12, we learn that David committed adultery, and then he committed murder trying to conceal […]
DOES MORAL GOODNESS MAKE ONE A CHRISTIAN? Mike Johnson Many honest and sincere souls mistakenly believe that if a person is morally good, then he is a Christian. No one can be a faithful follower of Christ without being on a high moral plane. However, Christianity is more than merely being moral. Acts 10 tells about […]
CAN WE TRUST OUR FEELINGS ABOUT SALVATION? Mike Johnson Some people claim to rely solely on their feelings for assurance of personal salvation. They may say, “I know I am saved because I feel I am.” They will often ignore very plain passages in the Bible about salvation because of a “feeling” they have. Some […]
Does Every Person Have a Right to His Own Beliefs? Mike Johnson The answer to the above question is, in one sense, YES, but in another sense is NO. To begin with, consider the question from a “constitutional” or “legal” standpoint. People do have a right to their own beliefs in matters of religion according to […]
The Conversion of Saul Mike Johnson The Bible records the conversion of Saul in three places. It is recorded in Acts 9:1-18, 22:1-16, and 26:12-18. We will focus on the accounts in Acts 9 and Acts 22, as we examine this conversion case. Background Information Saul was born in Tarsus (Acts 21:39). He was most […]
SAINTS Mike Johnson There is a great deal of misunderstanding about the term “saint.” Some think of the word in connection with receiving a second blessing from God, which makes a person “sanctified” and incapable of sinning. To be qualified as saints, still others say that people must meet specific qualifications (such as performing […]
Going After the Noble Prize Mike Johnson Are you going for “The Noble Prize”? You might think, “How can I go after that prize? I don’t know anything about physics, chemistry, or physiology. I am not involved in the field of literature. I am not a well-known person who has done a lot for world […]
Missing Out on A Valuable Treasure Mike Johnson “One person’s junk is another person’s treasure.” I am confident that almost everyone has heard this expression. We know that another may view something, which may seem worthless to one person, as valuable. The popularity of garage/yard sales in our country attests to this. An Associated Press Story […]
Infant Baptism Mike Johnson There is a lot of disagreement on the subject of baptism. People disagree on the purpose of baptism as well as how to baptize someone. There is also controversy regarding whom to baptize. Some say infants are proper candidates for baptism, while others say a person must be a penitent believer before baptism. Is there authority for […]
GO AWAY FOR NOW Mike Johnson Luke tells us in Acts 24 of a time when Paul, who had earlier been seized by the Jews, was brought before the governor of the area—a man named Felix. Charges were brought against Paul, and he presented his defense. Felix, hoping to receive a bribe, refused to let […]
THE PURPOSE OF BAPTISM & ACTS 9:17 Mike Johnson If baptism is for the remission of sins, why did Ananias call Saul “brother” previous to his baptism? This objection is sometimes raised regarding Saul’s conversion. Acts 22:16 does point out that Saul was baptized to wash away his sins. However, the response of the objector […]
LESSONS FROM NAAMAN Mike Johnson 2 Kings 5:1-14 tells us about one of the more well-known cases of healing in the Old Testament. This story tells of Naaman, who was healed of leprosy by God. In this article, we will discuss the story of Naaman and then draw some valuable lessons. The Story Naaman was […]
BUY THE TRUTH & SELL IT NOT Mike Johnson Proverbs 23:23 says, “Buy the truth, and sell it not . . .” This passage shows the extreme value of truth. We are to spare no pains or costs to obtain it; once we have it, we are to keep it safe. We should not be reasoned […]
How Do We Acquire Faith? Mike Johnson There are many views concerning how people acquire faith. Some people say the alien sinner is to pray for faith. Others may say that God miraculously strikes a person with faith, and they may cite how they received “theirs” one day in a cornfield. We need to consider what the Bible has to say […]
ARE ALL GOOD, MORAL PEOPLE CHRISTIANS? Mike Johnson George is a good, moral man. He is faithful to his wife and an excellent father to his children. Geoge does not use profanity or drink alcohol. He coaches youth baseball and is a pillar in the community. George, however, is not religious; he has never even become […]
“I WOULD BE WET ALL THE TIME” Mike Johnson The Bible teaches that baptism is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38) and, thus, is essential for salvation. Sometimes people object to what this passage says about baptism by saying, “If baptism is for the remission of sins, then it would be necessary to […]
The Conversion of the Ethiopian Mike Johnson The conversion case of the eunuch from Ethiopia is one of the more well-known conversion cases in the Bible. We know the facts are accurate because they come from the inspired Word of God (II Timothy 3:16-17). Acts 8 records this conversion. The account takes a natural division. […]
WHAT IS REPENTANCE? Mike Johnson What is Repentance?This is a crucial question. It is essential to understand the meaning of repentance because repentance is necessary for salvation. In Acts 2:38, Peter told the people they needed to repent (in addition to being baptized) for the remission of sins. Thus, repentance is undoubtedly essential. There are […]
Are All Believers Christians? Mike Johnson What is necessary for people to be acceptable in the eyes of God? Many feel that to obtain salvation, all that is needed is the belief that Christ is the son of God. Does the Bible teach this? John 12:42-43 speaks of unsaved believers. It says, “Nevertheless even among […]
The Purpose of Baptism Mike Johnson Baptism has been a controversial subject in the religious world and also a neglected subject by many preachers and teachers. Baptism is not at all an obscure subject as the word “baptism,” or some form of it, occurs more than one hundred times in the New Testament. This subject […]
HE THAT IS BAPTIZED NOT? Mike Johnson Mark 16:16 says, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved…” This verse plainly shows the purpose of “belief” and “baptism.” However, some point out that since the last part of verse 16 says, “…but he who does not believe will be condemned,” and does not say, […]
BAPTISM AND THE CONVERSION OF SAUL Mike Johnson In Acts 9, we read of the conversion of Saul. Here we learn that Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians when the Lord appeared to him. At this point, he realized that Christ was God’s son (v. 6). Christ then told Saul to go […]
BELIEF AND BAPTISM Mike Johnson Mark 16:16 says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Jesus spoke these words just prior to his ascension. Here, salvation is promised but it is conditional. Actually, there are two conditions stated as being necessary for salvation. They are […]