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24
Oct
2022

Can God Change His Mind?, Part 1

Can God Change

Is it possible for God to change His mind? Some people read passages such as, “For I the LORD do not change…” (Mal. 3:6 ESV), or “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8 ESV) and conclude that it is impossible for God to change His mind. They reason that if God is immutable, His decisions must also be unchangeable. 

It is also reckoned that if God is omniscient and knows all things, including the future, then it would be impossible for God to change His mind. Since He already knows what He is going to do in the future, what sense would it make that He would ever change His mind?

For people who have drawn this conclusion the idea that God can or does change His mind would undermine His divine nature. Does the Bible support these conclusions? Can God still be God if He were to change His mind? 

In this post, we’ll examine the question of God changing His mind in light of His immutability and the context of the scriptures in question. I’ll examine the question concerning God’s omniscience in a follow up article.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Theology
17
Oct
2022

What Is A Seared Conscience?

Conscience

Paul wrote about “liars whose consciences are seared” (1 Tim. 4:2 ESV). What did he mean? What is a seared conscience? For that matter, what is the conscience? Our conscience is our inner voice that inflicts us with feelings of guilt when we have sinned (Rom 2:15). The interesting thing about the conscience is that it can be wrong and can even completely fail to work!

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in 1 Timothy
10
Oct
2022

Are We Living In The Last Days?

Last Days

Ever since I was a child, I’ve heard Christians say things such as, “Times are really bad. We are surely living in the last days.” Indeed, things are getting really bad in our world. Society is becoming godless and secular. Gross immorality is put on display in TV shows, movies, and music. Many churches have compromised and allowed the surrounding culture to influence them more than the Bible. Is this what Paul meant when he wrote 1 Timothy 4:1?

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, (1 Tim. 4:1 ESV) 

Are we living in the later times Paul spoke of? Yes, we can be absolutely certain that we are living in the last days. How can we be so certain we are living in the later times? We can be sure because the later times began over 2,000 years ago with the establishment of the New Covenant.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in 1 Timothy, Eschatology, Misconceptions
03
Oct
2022

We Don’t Know The Devil’s Name

Devil's Name

If you ask anyone what the Devil’s name is, they will almost certainly respond that it is Satan, Lucifer, or perhaps Beelzebub. This is what Bible teachers and Hollywood alike teach us, so it is understandable that most people will give one or all of these answers. However, this is a case where Bible teachers and Hollywood both got it wrong. In reality, the Bible never tells us what the devil’s personal name is.

Someone may say, “Not so fast! Both Job and Isaiah mention the devil’s name and the gospels mention Beelzebub.” It is true that these “names” are in the Bible, but there is more to the story. Let’s take a look at some of the passages where people think the Bible reveals the devil’s name.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Misconceptions
26
Sep
2022

The Older Shall Serve The Younger

Older Shall Serve The Younger
Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing

The Jewish people owe their existence to two miracles which took place in the first two generations of Israel’s patriarchs. Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was unable to have children. God miraculously enabled her to conceive Isaac at the age of 90! Like her mother-in-law, Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, was also barren. God intervened allowing her to conceive Esau and Jacob (Gen 25:21-22). Her two sons struggled with each other in her womb leading her to inquire of God. God said, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger” (Gen. 25:23 ESV).

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Genesis